Sport

Donnelly to receive top rallying award

Motorsport: It's been a pretty good year for Eugene Donnelly

Brian Foley
Fri Nov 21 2003 - 00:00

Motorsport: It's been a pretty good year for Eugene Donnelly. Having won the National Forestry Stages Championship, the Magherafelt driver turned his attentions to tarmac events.

Driving a Subaru Impreza WRC he won both the Dunlop National Rally Championship and the Northern Ireland Rally Championship. Those titles were followed by victory in the Killarney-based International Rally of the Lakes and fifth place in the Toshiba Tarmac Rally Championship.

In all, Donnelly contested a remarkable 25 events, recording 23 finishes and a total of 11 wins. He won six rounds of the Dunlop series. Dublin driver Michael Barrable and Londoner James Harrison each won two rounds.

A pretty good season and one which will be recognised tomorrow when he is presented with the Cecil Vard Memorial Trophy, the premier award at the Motorsport Ireland/Dunlop gala in Carlow.

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Donnelly's co-driver Paddy Toner has to be contented with second in his category, as the top award goes to Dermot O'Gorman (Athlone) who read the pace notes for second placed Barrable. Paul Goodman was third in the Dunlop series.

The top 10 drivers in the Dunlop series are: 1 Eugene Donnelly 156 points; 2 Michael Barrable 142; 3 Adrian McElvaney 120; 4 James Harrison 119; 5 Sean Gallagher 88; 6 David McNulty 75; 7 Patrick Elliott 70; 8 Niall Maguire 64; 9 Derek Jobb 59; 10 Mark Courtney 57.

Winners of the two Ford Ireland Rally Championships are Oliver Stanley from Durrow in Laois and Coolaney, Sligo driver Kenneth Mulvaney. In the Ford Focus series Stanley, on 158 points, beat David Delaney (Cashel) on 145.

The Subaru World Rally Team comes to Belfast for the "Titanic World Rally Sprint" on December 13th and 14th at the Odyssey Arena. The Subaru WRC will be driven by 1999 Finnish Champion Pasi Hagstrom.

WEEKEND FIXTURES - Saturday: LMC, Sporting Trial, Newcastle, Co.Wicklow, 11.30 a.m.; Motorsport Ireland, Dunlop National Rally Championship Awards, Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow, 8.00 p.m. Sunday: Co.Cavan MC, Autocross, Ballybay-Cootehill Road, 10.00 a.m.; Cork MC, Rockgrove, Coachford, Co.Cork, 11.00 a.m.; TDC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Tougher's Industrial Estate, Newbridge, Co.Kildare 11.30 a.m.