Skibbereen Ready for Fastnet Rally
Skibbereen & District Motor Club are delighted to announce details for the 2006 West Cork Hotel Fastnet Stages Rally.
The Rally will start at 8:00am on Sunday Morning, the 29th of October from the NCT Centre in Skibbereen. The event will be decided over 8 stages in a 2x2 format close to the host town; with the cars returning to the NCT centre for service after every 2 stages. The motor club are expecting this compact format to be popular with both competitors and spectators alike.
With both the Dunlop National and 023 Tiles Southern 4 Championships already decided, it’s a race to the flag for the 151 crews, headed by last years’ winners and outgoing Dunlop National Rally Champions, Ray Breen and Andrew Purcell in their Ford Focus WRC.
Leading the Subaru challenge is the 2nd seed driver Patrick Elliot from Cavan, Elliot and his navigator Paul Goodman have a very good record on the classic stages around Skibbereen. Welsh driver Gareth Jones with Cork Co-Driver David Moynihan, will run at No 3. Gareth is one of 12 overseas drivers to enter the rally.
At No. 4 is the leading local driver on the event Denis Cronin with Helen Sullivan calling the notes in the Subaru Impreza WRC. Making up the top 5 are Aaron MacHale/Craig Parry in another Ford Focus WRC.
The Patterson’s National Group N award will be the main focus for the top seeds in the production category, Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy and Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney. The Subaru pair will also face the challenge of the Mitsubishi crews, Gabriel Martin/Paddy Robinson, and local drivers Keith Cronin/Anthony O’Connell and the Kelleher brothers Martin and Kevin.
Leading the 2 wheel drive challenge, are the very rapid Darrian T90 GTR of John Dolan/Gwynford Jones and the Ford Escort driven by Phil Collins and navigator Derek Brannigan. The event will also run historic and junior categories, with these crews starting the rally later in the day.
The official launch of the 2006 Fastnet Rally will take place on Tuesday the 24th of October in the Rally Headquarters, the West Cork Hotel Skibbereen, starting at 8:00pm.
The official rally programme will be available in Newsagents and Petrol stations in West Cork from Monday 21stof October, and will contain colour maps and stage details, along with numerous articles.
Event Timetable
Start: NCT Centre First Car Due. 8:00
Stage 1 Nowen Hill 18.43 Kms F.C.D. 8:45
Stage 2 Mealagh Valley 13 Kms F.C.D. 9:24
Service 1 F.C.D. 10:06
Stage 3 Nowen Hill 18.43 Kms F.C.D. 11:18
Stage 4 Mealagh Valley 13 Kms F.C.D. 11:57
Service 2 F.C.D. 12:39
Stage 5 Mount Kid 11.53 Kms F.C.D. 13:30
Stage 6 Ballyhilty Bridge 18.63 Kms F.C.D. 13.58
Service 3 F.C.D. 14:33
Stage 7 Mount Kid 11.53 Kms F.C.D. 15:59
Stage 8 Ballyhilty Bridge 18.63 Kms F.C.D. 16:27
Finish Ramp - The West Cork Hotel F.C.D. 17.00
Top 20 Entries
Car Driver/Navigator (Make/Model) [Class]
1 RAY BREEN/ANDREW PURCELL (Ford Focus WRC) [8]
2 PATRICK ELLIOTT/PAUL GOODMAN (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
3 GARETH JONES/DAVID MOYNIHAN (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
4 DENIS CRONIN/HELEN OSULLIVAN (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
5 AARON MACHALE/CRAIG PARRY (Ford Focus WRC) [8]
6 MICHAEL BARRABLE/MICHAEL MORRISSEY (Ford Focus WRC) [8]
7 MARTIN DOHERTY/ANDREW CULLEN (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
8 MELVYN EVANS/SEAN MULLALLY (Subaru Impreza WRC) [8]
9 DAVID JAMES/ TBA (Ford Focus WRC) [8]
10 ALAN RING/ADRIAN DEASY (Subaru Impreza N12) [4]
11 WILLIE FANNIN/MICK COURTNEY (Subaru Impreza N12) [4]
12 GABRIEL MARTIN/PATRICK ROBINSON (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 GT) [4]
14 KEITH CRONIN/ANTHONY CONNELL (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7) [4]
15 JOHN DALTON/GWYNFOR JONES (Darrian T90 GTR) [14]
16 PHIL COLLINS/DEREK BRANNIGAN (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
17 KEVIN KELLEHER/MARTIN KELLEHER (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [4]
18 JAMES OSULLIAVN/REBECCA WALSH (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7) [4]
19 TADGH LINEHAN/MARK KANE (Subaru Impreza N11) [4]
20 MARK MORGAN/TONY FISHER (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) [4]
21 KEVIN ODONOGHUE/JOE OLEARY (Ford Escort Mk2) [14]
Full Entry list is available on rally.ie
