THE Kanturk crew of Liam O'Callaghan and James O'Brien won the West Cork Rally, run out of Clonakilty.

In term's of performance related technology, the difference between O'Callaghan's 1995 spec World Rally Championship Toyota Celica GT4 and the top National Championship type Ford Escort RS Cosworths was light years. O'Callaghan proved this in no uncertain manner right from the start of the first stage, powering the Esso Ultron car into an immediate lead over last year's winner Bob Fowden.

However, O'Callaghan was not entirely happy with the handling of the Toyota: "Something feels' wrong at the front, on the very fast stuff the wheels are moving."

The difference between "moving" and "sliding" could be an expensive off the road excursion, so the Kanturk driver had to temper his driving with a modicum, of caution. Last year's winner Fowden was best of the rest at the wheel of his Escort Cosworth.

After the end of the first day (10 stages), O'Callaghan had almost two minutes in hand over Fowden, with third placed Pete Doughty a further 25 seconds back. On the resumption yesterday, the eighth placed Gary Midwinter crashed on stage 13. After the day's first three stages O'Callaghan had stretched his advantage to two minutes 27 seconds over Fowden. A wrong choice of tyres cost John Price time as he just about held fifth from local man Denis Cronin in a BMW. Jim Harrison retired his fifth placed Sierra Cosworth with a sheared hub.

But there was no catching O'Callaghan and after 19 stages, he had a winning margin of two minutes, 25 seconds over Fowden, even though he had to slow over the last three stages because of an engine problem. The Kanturk driver was delighted to win but said he was "really worried about the engine and I don't know if I can get it rebuilt for the Circuit of Ireland in just over two week's time."