Stafford on fire in Killarney
Website office(Wexford)
John Dier & Gary Nolan
Tuesday 15th May
Killarney recently played host to one of the biggest events on the motorsport calendar, the 2007 Gleneagle Rally of the Lakes, which took place over the May bank Holiday weekend through the spectacular Kerry Mountains. Wexford had it’s fair share of representation down there, with Eamon Boland hoping to claim his second international victory on an event in which he finished second once before. Also on the entry list was James Stafford and Frankie Dwyer aboard their spectacular Darrian T90 GTR, the pair hoping for a good run after there hugely impressive showing on the recent West Cork rally. Then there was Padraig “Woody” Neville and Amy Ryan, who were looking for another good result in their new Prodrive GpN Impreza, after there top 30 finish on the Easter International Rally. John and Geraldine Somers were out once again in the super quick Corsa, while “Jingles” himself Liam Howlett along with “Oige” Brian O’ Neill were upholding Wexford honour in the Junior Rally of the Lakes.
Right from the off, former world rally championship star Kris Meeke and his Swedish co-driver Jonas Anderson made the early running, and although they dropped to second behind tarmac champion Eugene Donnelly on stage two after a puncture, they regained the lead on stage 3 to start what was to turn into a titanic battle over the two days between the two Subaru pilots. Donnelly, aboard his new Reid Transport Subaru was battling hard with the former “works” Citroen driver. However, after swapping seconds all day long, a costly overshoot on the last stage of the day lost Donnelly 25 seconds. Already gone was Wexford man Boland, his NVD Focus stopped on stage 5 with mechanical problems. In group N, Padraig Neville and Amy Ryan lay 15th over-night in their Niall Whitty Motorsport Subaru. However, it was in the National rally where the other talking point of the weekend was coming from.
After setting fourth fastest time on the opening Molls Gap test, James Stafford and Frankie Dwyer stormed to the front of the National rally on ss2, taking the lead from local hero Johnny O’ Sullivan who was piloting an Escort WRC! From then on, the Darrian set a pace at the front of the field that the others simply couldn’t match. At the end of the first day, the Wexford men held a 55 second advantage at the head of the field, a phenomenal achievement in a car that was only a two litre normally aspirated machine, toppling many turbo charged machines to lead the National rally overnight. Also very happy with their days work were John and Geraldine Somers, who lay 12th overall and lead the hotly contested class 11, the Campile pairing holding a slender 9 seconds victory over their closest rivals.
Day two dawned, and the crowds came from far and near to witness two great battles that were to be settled over some of Killarney’s greatest stages. At the front of the field, there was the Meeke-Donnelly battle with the amazing 17 year old Andreas Mikkelson sitting in third and keeping the front two honest. While in the National event, it was the crowd’s new favourites Stafford and Dwyer aboard their spectacular Darrian who lead from local man Fergus O’ Meara and Liam Brennan with Philip Cross holding third aboard his Escort Cosworth.
Donnelly, for all his knowledge over the Killarney stages, could not take time out of either of the two World Championship stars, dropping three seconds to Meeke but more importantly, the gap to the charging Mikkelson was down to less than 5 seconds. In the National rally, it was becoming the James and Frankie show! Despite dropping time over the opening two stages, Stafford re-asserted his gap over O’ Meara at the head of the field in a performance that was on a par with many of the more modern World rally cars on show. Things were not going as well however for the Somers Nova. All hopes of a class win were lost when they over-shot into a field dropping 5 minutes, John resorting to wife Geraldine pushing the car out of the field! In rallying ya gotta do what ya gotta do! Things were going even worse for Padraig Neville and Amy Ryan, who were forced to retire on the opening Molls Gap stage.
In the end, despite a late charge from Donnelly, it was Kris Meeke and Jonas Anderson who held onto a slender 12 seconds lead for victory, Donnelly still delighted to take second and get himself back in connection for this year’s championship. The spectacular Mikkelson rounded out the top 3 in what was one of the drives of the rally.
But for many, thee drive of the weekend, was the Darrian of James Stafford and Frank Dwyer that took overall honours in the National rally by a clear margin of nearly two minutes from Wesley Patterson and Ruth Guest in the Feckin Irish Whiskey Escort with Fergus O’ Meara and Liam Brennan dropping to third on the final stage. The performance of the Wexford pairing would have placed them 8th overall in the International event, had they been eligible. It was a result that may have raised many eye-brows but was long over-due for the Ballycullane man, who has been dogged with bad luck since he took his second overall win on the Baltinglass Single stage back in 2004. It was a bold move to purchase the Darrian, a car that although extremely quick could be viewed a handful on Ireland narrow lanes. James, however, along with the ever cool Frankie on the notes is starting to make her talk!
John and Geraldine Somers fought back to third in class eleven after their time consuming off, the pair getting a “flash” of inspiration on the final run through Molls Gap to round off an eventful weekend for the pair.
In the juniors, Liam Howlett and Brian O’ Neill were Wexford’s great white hopes, Howlett aboard his Sunbeam and Brian in his new Peugeot 106 taking on the cream of Ireland junior challengers. Another to receive a “flash” of inspiration on the Molls Gap test, Liam held seventh at the opening service halt, but Killarney is Liam’s lucky spot and true to form, the Sunbeam cried enough on the final stage when the differential failed. Brian O’ Neill was another to fall foul of the last stage scourge, his Peugeot breaking a drive-shaft. That’s the problem with rallying, it’s never over until it’s over!
JD