It was a busy weekend for Mayo and District members, competing the length and breadth of the county and beyond. Westport’s David Carney had his Citroën DS3 at Kerry Motor Club's Circuit of Kerry Rally in Tralee on Sunday, but unfortunately he was unable to finish the event due to fuel pump gremlins, but he did gain valuable stage mileage in his rapid French chariot. Putting in a flawless display in Kerry was Aidan Gannon, who was navigating London-based Sligo man Anthony O’Brien in his Mitsubishi Lancer. Not only did the pair win class nine, they also received the Dunlop Drive of the day award finishing in 19th place overall.
Closer to home on Sunday, four local drivers headed to Sligo for round one of Connacht Motor Club’s Autocross season. The top Mayo finisher was Ballina’s Padraic Roche, after organisational duties at the recent Mayo Stages Rally; Padraic was delighted to get behind the wheel of his Escort MK2 finishing in 12th place and just missing out in third in class four. Westport’s Alan Maguire and Achill’s Peter McManamon were nip and tuck with each other during their three runs at the Hazelwood track. The pair, in similar Peugeot 205s really enjoyed the day, and with McManamon picking up penalties for hitting elements of the chicanes on his last two runs it gave Maguire the upper hand this time in a battle that will surely continue to provide thrills and excitement throughout the rest of the year. Killala’s Raymond Carroll was next to finish in his class one Nova, blowing the cobwebs off his hot hatchback after the winter break.
Killian Duffy was in action in Portugal navigating for Abdulaziz Al-kuwari in their first WRC2 outing of 2014, the pair who suffered suspension trouble on the morning of day two in their Fiesta, finished the event in eighth place, unable to better their result of fifth in 2013, but they were glad to get a finish on the hotly contested sub category of the world’s most prestigious rally championship.
