Sport

Veteran Carnegie looks the one to follow in round two at Mondello

MOTOR SPORT: Two of the veterans of Irish motorsport are in action this Sunday: Dermot Carnegie in round two of the Irish Rallycross…

Brian Foley
Fri Feb 17 2006 - 00:00

MOTOR SPORT: Two of the veterans of Irish motorsport are in action this Sunday: Dermot Carnegie in round two of the Irish Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park and Kenny McKinstry in the opening round of the McCauley Trailers-sponsored National Forest Stages Championship.

At the age of 60 Carnegie has lost none of his skill and daring. Rather like vintage port the Dubliner is even improving, as he emphatically demonstrated in winning the Super Final at the recent championship opener at Mondello.

Having beaten Carnegie in the A Final, John McCluskey in his Citroen Xsara WRC trailed Carnegie's Ford Focus and the Peugeot 206 of George Tracey in the feature race.

Carnegie will have additional competition in round two from British champion Pat Doran driving George Tracey's Metro 6R4. Christopher Evans is expected to be super quick at the wheel of his special Opel Astra.

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The Coyne brothers, Michael, Brendan and Willie, are the top three in the modified class. And class champion Eoin Murray returns to the stockhatch class to challenge leader Julian Godfrey and Derek Tohill.

McKinstry is top seed in the Carrick-on-Suir MC's Willie Loughman Memorial Rally, where John McCarthy in a Toyota Corolla WRC should mount a strong challenge to the Subaru trio of McKinstry, Pat Norris and Kevin O'Kane.

Round one of the forestry series will be run over 4x2 stages in South Tipperary. Seeded 13 of the 107 entries, Frank Kelly in a Ford Escort will defend his two-wheel-drive championship.

Michael Barrable returns to rallying after a two years sabbatical, and will contest selected events in a Ford Focus WRC 05.

Cork drivers Gordon Coleman and Owen Murphy are to compete in the new Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy, which will run with six rounds of the World Rally Championship.

Last Sunday's win at Mondello puts Eddie Peterson into a virtually unassailable lead in the autotest championship. The next Hewison Trophy round is in Monaghan on Sunday.

WEEKEND FIXTURES

Saturday: Cork MC, 4x4 Trial, Rockgrove, Coachford, Co Cork, 10am; Leinster MC, Sporting Trial, Ballybrew, Enniskerry, 11.30am; Midland MC, Navigation Trial, Resource Centre, Dowra, Co Leitrim, 6.30pm.Sunday: Carrick-on-Suir MC, Willie Loughman Memorial Rally, starts Carrig Hotel, Carrick-on-Suir, 9.30am; Cork MC, 4x4 Trial, Rockgrove, Coachford, 10am; Carlow CC, Rallycross Mondello Park, noon; Monaghan MC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Hillgrove Hotel, 12.30pm.