Kerry co-drivers had plenty of reason to celebrate after two of them finished in the top two in Sunday’s Banna Beach Resort Kerry Winter Rally.
Kerry Motor Club’s decision to move the event to the October Bank Holiday weekend paid dividends as over 130 cars started the six-stage event.
The rally brought a welcome financial boost to the town of Tralee and outlying villages like Abbeydorney, Ardfert and Kilflynn.
When the timecards were added up on Sunday evening, Monaghan’s Richard Moffett (Toyota Starlet) and his Milltown co-driver Ger Conway were declared the winners of the exciting contest.
Photo Ger Leahy
They finished 24.8 seconds clear of the Ford Escort of Tyrone’s Ryan Loughran and his Lyreacrompane co-driver Tony Healy.
“We are delighted with the result, we had no dramas all day,” said Conway, “I never had look on this rally, this is my seventh attempt and only my second finish, it clicked from the word go. It mams a lot as grew up watching this rally as a child.”
Healy is a former winner, alongside Mike Quinn but this was his first time co-driving for Loughran.
“We are over the moon with the result,” he said. “It is nice to get a podium in the local rally.”
Quinn and Kieran Doherty were the top Kerry crew in the rally. The Ford Escort team finished 11th overall it was Quinn’s 25th start in the rally.
A broken exhaust pipe system mid-way through the day was the crew’s only drama.
Killarney’s Kevin O’Donoghue and his Donegal co-driver Evan McBride were 16th in their BMW M3.
Tom Relihan and Maurice McElligott were the top all-Kerry Motor Club crew and they took home the Donal Flaherty Memorial Trophy for the second time.
A last-stage puncture denied Darren Young and Pa Lawlor a certain class win, they had to settle for second after puncturing less than two kilometres from the end after encountering debris from a previous competitor’s accident.
Killarney Jason Farrell and Donagh Crowley won the junior rally, and, provisionally, secured the Moriarty’s Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship junior title for the first time.
(Escort) with Loughran and Monaghan’s Michael Carbin (Mitsubishi) completing the top si
Richard Moffett and Ger Conway won the Banna Beach Resort Kerry Winter Rally on Sunday. Photo: Sean Moriarty
Milltown’s Ger Conway wins Kerry Winter Rally
Kerry co-drivers had plenty of reason to celebrate after two of them finished in the top two in Sunday’s Banna Beach Resort Kerry Winter Rally.
Kerry Motor Club’s decision to move the event to the October Bank Holiday weekend paid dividends as over 130 cars started the six-stage event.
The rally brought a welcome financial boost to the town of Tralee and outlying villages like Abbeydorney, Ardfert and Kilflynn.
When the timecards were added up on Sunday evening, Monaghan’s Richard Moffett (Toyota Starlet) and his Milltown co-driver Ger Conway were declared the winners of the exciting contest.
They finished 24.8 seconds clear of the Ford Escort of Tyrone’s Ryan Loughran and his Lyreacrompane co-driver Tony Healy.
“We are delighted with the result, we had no dramas all day,” said Conway, “I never had look on this rally, this is my seventh attempt and only my second finish, it clicked from the word go. It mams a lot as grew up watching this rally as a child.”
Healy is a former winner, alongside Mike Quinn but this was his first time co-driving for Loughran.
“We are over the moon with the result,” he said. “It is nice to get a podium in the local rally.”
Quinn and Kieran Doherty were the top Kerry crew in the rally. The Ford Escort team finished 11th overall it was Quinn’s 25th start in the rally.
A broken exhaust pipe system mid-way through the day was the crew’s only drama.
Killarney’s Kevin O’Donoghue and his Donegal co-driver Evan McBride were 16th in their BMW M3.
Tom Relihan and Maurice McElligott were the top all-Kerry Motor Club crew and they took home the Donal Flaherty Memorial Trophy for the second time.
A last-stage puncture denied Darren Young and Pa Lawlor a certain class win, they had to settle for second after puncturing less than two kilometres from the end after encountering debris from a previous competitor’s accident.
Killarney Jason Farrell and Donagh Crowley won the junior rally, and, provisionally, secured the Moriarty’s Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship junior title for the first time.
(Escort) with Loughran and Monaghan’s Michael Carbin (Mitsubishi) completing the top six.
Welsh visitors Sebastian Ling and Aled Ress won the historic section of the rally and were the best overseas crew in their Ford Escort.
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Welsh visitors Sebastian Ling and Aled Ress won the historic section of the rally and were the best overseas crew in their Ford Escort.
MOTORSPORT
By Sean Moriarty
Kerry co-drivers had plenty of reason to celebrate after two of them finished in the top two in Sunday’s Banna Beach Resort Kerry Winter Rally.
Kerry Motor Club’s decision to move the event to the October Bank Holiday weekend paid dividends as over 130 cars started the six-stage event.
The rally brought a welcome financial boost to the town of Tralee and outlying villages like Abbeydorney, Ardfert and Kilflynn.
When the timecards were added up on Sunday evening, Monaghan’s Richard Moffett (Toyota Starlet) and his Milltown co-driver Ger Conway were declared the winners of the exciting contest.
They finished 24.8 seconds clear of the Ford Escort of Tyrone’s Ryan Loughran and his Lyreacrompane co-driver Tony Healy.
“We are delighted with the result, we had no dramas all day,” said Conway, “I never had look on this rally, this is my seventh attempt and only my second finish, it clicked from the word go. It mams a lot as grew up watching this rally as a child.”
Healy is a former winner, alongside Mike Quinn but this was his first time co-driving for Loughran.
“We are over the moon with the result,” he said. “It is nice to get a podium in the local rally.”
Quinn and Kieran Doherty were the top Kerry crew in the rally. The Ford Escort team finished 11th overall it was Quinn’s 25th start in the rally.
A broken exhaust pipe system mid-way through the day was the crew’s only drama.
Killarney’s Kevin O’Donoghue and his Donegal co-driver Evan McBride were 16th in their BMW M3.
Tom Relihan and Maurice McElligott were the top all-Kerry Motor Club crew and they took home the Donal Flaherty Memorial Trophy for the second time.
A last-stage puncture denied Darren Young and Pa Lawlor a certain class win, they had to settle for second after puncturing less than two kilometres from the end after encountering debris from a previous competitor’s accident.
Killarney Jason Farrell and Donagh Crowley won the junior rally, and, provisionally, secured the Moriarty’s Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship junior title for the first time.
(Escort) with Loughran and Monaghan’s Michael Carbin (Mitsubishi) completing the top six.
Welsh visitors Sebastian Ling and Aled Ress won the historic section of the rally and were the best overseas crew in their Ford Escort.
Kerry Motorsport News 