John Gilleece and co-driver Mike Gibson are the winners of the RIAC/Coras National Rally Championship, run from March through to the end of October. The Ulstermen did not contest every round, which proves that the championship is too long and would be better reduced to a maximum of 10 rounds, best seven to count. No one can afford to contest every round, and perhaps take in some Tarmac Championship rounds as well and other prestigious rallies, such as the West Cork and Wexford two-day events.
Gibson campaigned a Ford Escort RS Cosworth and scored three outright wins - Ballina, Kerry and Carlow - to finish with 150 points from his eight best events. Dubliner Michael Barrable won Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Galway in a Toyota Celica GM, and but for some bad luck would surely have been a serious threat to Gilleece. He scored 116 points, equalled by Cork's Frank O'Mahony driving a Subaru Legacy, but Barrable took second as he had more wins. Ulsterman Charlie Donnelly challenged hard for most of the season, but his fortunes changed when he switched from his trusty Opel Manta 400 to a Celica GT4 and he slipped down to fourth on 110 points.
Drivers: 1 - J Gilleece 158 points; 2 - M Barrable 116; 3 - F O'Mahony 116; 4 - Charlie Donnelly 110; 5 - L Armstrong 96; 6 - T Spence 78; 7 - D Kelly 75; 8 - E Ferry 74; 9 - N Armstrong 73; 10 - K Lyons 66. Co-Drivers: 1 - M Gibson 146; 2 - H McPhillips 114; 3 - G McVeigh 105; 4 - J Downey 96; 5 - H Blackburn 95; 6 - E Donnelly 79; 7 - E O'Donnell 77; 8 - A Nestor 72; 9 - K Casey 61; 10 - M English 60.
Dermot Carnegie, Laurence Gibson and Kevin Twomey were the fastest trio in Round One of the new RIAC Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park. Round Two of the 1997/98 series is at the Co Kildare venue on Sunday.
Good sponsors are not that easy to come by in any sport, and it is with some shock and no little regret that I have learned of an end to five years of supporting saloon racing by Fiat Auto (Ireland).
Both Fiat Auto (Ireland) and the Fiat Motorsports Club were keen to move on from the Uno class, which had provided some great racing. But as the Uno is no longer in production, Fiat wanted the club to consider a Cinquencento class. But the club has opted to race special Punto models (powered by Fiat Tipo engines), and Fiat Auto (Ireland) has withdrawn support. It was felt by some of the Uno drivers that the Cinquencento would be too slow, but surely this class could have been developed to encourage new people into racing?
Brian McLoughlin of Greystones has won the MCUI (Southern Centre) Trials Championship, having scored seven outright wins and one second-place finish. Stuart Martin, of Ashford, Co Wicklow, has won Grade B, and Gordon Clarke has an 18point lead over Raymond Tolan in Grade C. In Grade D, there is only a point between Emmet Stokes (132) and Donal Harrington (131). In Junior A, Michael Burton (160) leads Eric O'Sullivan (122), and, in Junior B, Warren Hendy (16) leads Alan Stokes (137). The final championship round is Sunday's Leinster MC Octember Trial at Sloggers, Glenasmole, Co Dublin.
Final placings in the Avon Pre90 Series, which was run over all motorcycle race meetings at Mondello Park during the year, are: 1 - Adrian Fegan 188 points; 2 - Alan O'Neill 165; 3 - Damien Mulleady 111; 4 - Phil Kavanagh 92; 5 - Enda Carrigan 80; 6 - Fergus Guerin 68.
MCUI (Southern Centre) CCM Racing - Electraction Irish Motocross Championship - Grade A: 1 - D Coates 275 points; 2 - M Mooney 214; 3 - M Norton 200; 2 - G Fox 200; 3 - I Edmonds 168; 4 - C Bell 134; 5 - G Fox 1129; 6 - D Calanan 103. Grade C: 1 - A Holland 240; 2 - J Moran 212; 3 - L Broderick 186; 4 - G Eager 155; 5 - S Kavanagh 128; 6 - C Tracey 96.
Tomorrow: Galway MC, Navigation Rally, starts New Park Hotel, Athenry, 10.0 p.m.; Co Donegal MC, Navigation Rally, starts McClafferty's Bar, Churchill, Donegal, 9.0 p.m.
Sunday: Leinster MC, Octember Trial, Sloggers, Glenasmole, Co Dublin, 11.0 a.m.; Co Kildare MC, Rallycross, Mondello Park, noon.
