There is always a Kerry connection: Round one of the New South Wales Rally Championship
The Irish influence on the Australian gravel scene is stronger than ever, and of course there is a strong Kerry connection at the heart of the action and behind the scenes.
The opening round of the New South Wales Rally Championship at the recent Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst saw an unprecedented number of Irish crews competing.
Leading the Kerry interest was navigator Jason Browne, originally from Lisselton, who sat in Car 36 with Anthony McVeigh. The pair guided their Honda Civic to a class win in the 1601–2000cc “Pocket Rocket” category.
Behind the scenes, the event also relied on Kerry expertise, with Listowel woman Veronica Stack serving on the organising committee to help deliver the successful season opener.
On the stages, the Irish contingent dominated the silverware across almost every category. Shamrock Haulage boss Richie Dalton and Mac Kierans led the charge in their Toyota GR Yaris AP4, finishing 1st in the NSW Rally Series and 2nd overall. They were pushed hard by Darren Sweeney and Connor Woods, who secured 2nd in NSW and 1st in the Production Car category on a dream debut in their new Mitsubishi Evo 9.
In the Clubman section, Damian Nugent and his son Seth took 2nd place in their first event together in a Mitsubishi Lancer, while the Ford Escort Mk2 of Daniel McAloon and Patrick Miskelly claimed 3rd in Clubman along with a class win. Rounding out a highly successful weekend for the Irish diaspora, Muireann Hayes also took home a trophy as a winning navigator in her Ford Fiesta.
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