Despite losing a disastrous five minutes when they rolled their works
entered Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC on Saturday’s second stage at Myherin, Ireland’s
Craig Breen and Paul Nagle yesterday finished the three day Wales Rally GB in
eighth place.
The Waterford-Killarney combination ended Friday’s opening day in sixth
position, 33 seconds behind leader Ott Tanak’s Toyota Yaris, having been within
ten seconds of top place following the opening loop of five stages.
However, Saturday morning saw the Irish pair in big trouble, with Breen
having very restricted visibility through his cracked windscreen following the
roll, and they lost a further four minutes over the remainder of the day’s
stages, leaving them ninth heading into yesterday’s five stages, picking up one
position during the day.
Tanak’s Toyota narrowly beat Hyundai team leader Thierry Neuville by
just eleven seconds, with multiple World Rally champion Sebastien Ogier’s
Citroen third, ahead of Tyrone driver Kris Meeke in the second of the Toyotas.
Belfast’s Charlie Eastwood scored his TF Sport team’s first FIA World
Endurance Championship win at Japan’s Fuji circuit yesterday, bringing their
Aston Martin Vantage to victory in the 6 Hour race. The Motorsport
Ireland-Sport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year shared the car with team
mates Salih Yoluc and Jonny Adam.
Monaghan’s Martin Tynan was the winner of Connaught MC’s Autocross at Carraroe, Co Sligo, heading a quartet of Lancer Evos in the top places, with Pascal McCarney the runner up, 3.8 seconds behind.
CONNAUGHT MC LOOSE SURFACE AUTOCROSS AT AUGHAMORE, CARRAROE, CO SLIGO:
1 Martin Tynan (Lancer Evo) 8m 00.3s
2 Pascal McCarney (Lancer Evo) 8m 04.1s,
3 Mickey Tynan (Lancer Evo) 8m 19.2s,
4 Gareth Mimnagh (Lancer Evo) 8m 21.7s,
5 Andrew McMahon (Peugeot 106) 8m 22.3s,
6 Niall McCarney (Lancer Evo) 8m 31.1s.
Class winners: Alan Pickens (Nova), Ian Chambers (Peugeot 106), Andrew McMahon, Joseph Smith (Escort), Pascal McCarney, Ryan Mitchell (Swift), Niall Murphy (Civic).
