Milltown co-driver Conway guides Gallagher to Baltinglass victory
This article originally appeared in the print edition of The Kerryman – Kerry Motorsport News is the official motorsport content supplier to The Kerryman
Milltown co-driver Ger Conway guided Donegal’s Declan Gallagher to overall victory on Sunday’s Germaine’s Hotel Garda Síochána Motor Club Baltinglass Rally, navigating the Ardara driver to back-to-back wins on the Wicklow event.
Conway and Gallagher brought their Toyota Starlet RWD to the finish line with 14.8 seconds in hand over Mayo-Roscommon pairing Brian Lavelle and Jack Kelly.
The Kerry-Donegal duo set the opening pace on stage one despite a scare when fluid leaking into the footwell caused a small bit of cockpit smoke, before falling behind on stage two.
Mid-event delays forced the cancellation of stages three and four, requiring crews to regroup in service before resuming competition for the final loop.
Conway and Gallagher produced a decisive charge on stage five to retake the lead, before setting fastest time on the final test to secure top spot.
Conway said at the finish:
“It was a class day, the last two stages just finished it off nicely, it was a savage spin, fair play to Declan.”
Killarney crew Conor Murphy and Sean Collins brought their Ford Escort Mk2 home ninth overall and fourth in Class 14. An earlier misfiring engine on stage three hampered their progress.
They were 18th overall at one point but they fought back strongly over the final loop.
LEAD PHOTO: Ardara driver, Declan Gallagher, and his Killarney-based co-driver, Ger Conway, took victory by 14.8 seconds in the Germaine’s Hotel GSMC Baltinglass Mini Stages Rally. Photo: Seamus Counihan/crspics.com
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