Old-timers head for Killarney

Up until last year the historic car rallies played second fiddle to the major events in which they ran in conjunction, attracting little attention and even less publicity. The Killarney and District Motor Club changed all that last year with the first running of a dedicated event for the historic old-timers. The inaugural Killarney Historic Stages Rally was won by John Keatley and Maurice Beckett, the 1966 Irish Tarmac Historic Rally and British Historic Rally champions. On Sunday, Keatley and Beckett lead off a trio of Porsche 911s from the Gleneagle Hotel start, followed by 1997 Irish and British champion Dessie Nutt, navigated by Elkin Robinson, and Frank Fennell, navigated by Frank Hussey. The biggest challenge will come from Stephen Hall and Geraldine McBride in a Triumph TR4 and Drew Wylie and Graeme Jennings in a Lotus Elan.

Main contenders in the Post-Historic section are Brian Powley and Bones O'Connor in another Porsche 911, local crew Edward Gibbons and Ben van Deventer in a Hillman Avenger and Manx visitors Ian Corkhill and Howard Allison in a Ford Escort.

There is bound to be plenty of traditional `tail out' rallying in the classic section for cars manufactured between 1975-79 between Ford Escort drivers Ed Synan, the 1997 West Coast champion, Cathal Rodgers, John Shanahan, Joe McGurk, Ken Lyons, Pat Mullane and Tom Randles - and the invariably spectacular Kieran O'Neill in an Opel Kadett GT/E.

The famous Molls Gap stage follows the 8.30 am start with two loops of Borlin, Killmackilogue and Tim Healy Pass stages before a final dash down Molls Gap for the finish at the Gleneagle. There will be a service halt at Glengarriffe after the two nearby Borlin stages.

Curragh Camp is the venue for round 10 of the RIAC/Hewison Trophy Autotest Championship, the event run by the Co Kildare Motor Club. JJ Farrell still holds the lead on 203 points but he is under tremendous pressure from Christopher Evans (194) and Eamonn Byrne (193). Eddie Peterson, on 33 points, has moved ahead of Steven Bolton (31) in the novice championship.

Lisburn businessman and long time motor racer Arnie Black has bought the Belfast-based Crossle Car Company. Founded by John and Rosemary Crossle in 1957, the company has turned out very successful sports racing cars for 40 years, of which many are still in service in Ireland, England and the US.

John Crossle will continue to be associated with the company as designer/consultant. The main focus will be on the Crossle 9S sports racing cars and sporting trials cars, as well as supplying spares for Formula Ford 2000/1600, sports and other racing models.

The company has given a lot to Irish motor racing and Crossle and Black can be assured of the very best wishes of racing enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic. Four Irish motorcyclists will compete in the gruelling Paris-Dakar Rally which starts in Versailles on New Year's Day and finishes 10,245 kilometres later in west Africa on January 18th. Nicky Craigie and Vinny Fitzsimons (Dublin), Adrian Lappin (Belfast) and Richard Fair (Cork) are very experienced offroad specialists, but the 20th Paris-Dakar will test their skills and endurance to the limits and beyond.

Brian Murphy is the newlyelected president of the Galway Motor Club, in succession to Brian Thornton who has completed a three-year term. Thornton is vicepresident and media officer; the honorary secretary and honorary treasurer are again Dennis Murphy and Bobby Clinton respectively. The committee is: Martin Casey, Hugh Conlon, Dominic Downey, Dave Feeney, John Folan, Kevin Keane, Martin Keegan, John O'Connell, Paul Ollerenshaw, Mike Smith and Robbie Ward. Last Saturday's mud plug at Valentine's farm at Newcastle, Co Wicklow had to be postponed due to heavy rain and the going was impossible for competitors' road cars and trailers to get to the observed sections. However, the event, run by the Leinster Motor Club, will go ahead tomorrow at the same venue.