Motorsport: There is an unsung hero in every sport, and two such examples are Donegal crew Andrew and Finian Hannigan who finished a remarkable 30th overall and claimed first prize in the Formula Two category in the Rally Australia, round 13 of the World Rally Championship 2002.
They drove a Daihatsu Charade Gti in this gruelling event. Andrew Hannigan lives in Perth.
Dunlop National Rally Champion Niall Maguire and Kevin Barrett, in Subaru Imprezas, are just two of the top drivers competing in Sunday's Mondello Rallysprint organised by the Carlow Car Club (11.30 a.m.). First of the New Year events is the MEC's Sporting Trial at Crosschapel, Blessington, Wicklow on Saturday, January 4th (11.30 p.m.).
The Hewison Trophy Autotest Championship resumes with the Midland MC's event at the Roscommon Enterprise Centre on Sunday, January 5th.
After seven rounds, JJ Farrell and Eddie Peterson are on 166 points each, advantage to Farrell who leads on a tie-decider.
After winning the Ford Focus Rally Championship 2002, Colm Murphy from Athea, Co Limerick, recently tested a Ford Focus World Rally Car at the M-Sport facility in Cumbria and a Ford Puma Super 1600 at Boreham.
Murphy and his co-driver Teddy Ahern drove the actual Focus WRC driven by Carlos Sainz on the Rally GB.
A jubilant Murphy said: "The car is absolutely amazing, the level of power and grip is phenomenal. It really was like being allowed to drive Michael Schumacher's Formula One car."
Murphy now faces the usual dilemma of Irish rally and racing drivers - where to go from here without the sponsorship required to compete at a higher level.
