2002 Moonraker Report

20 September 2002

Father and son crew of Trevor and Ricky Reid scored their first Northern Ireland championship victory in Dungannon Motor Club's Moonraker Rally.

The deciding factor was the tricky navigation instructions which meant that at the finish only 3 crews from the 32 starters had managed to find all 40 controls on the 80-mile plot and bash route between Dungannon and Armagh. Dry weather meant crews found visibility reduced with dust hanging in the still air, while a more unusual problem was a local resident who decided to park his excavator across the route, and one section had to be scrubbed as a result.

While Class 1 crews were floundering, Reid/Reid kept clear heads and finished on 27 minutes penalty, closely followed by their Class 2 rivals Gordon Simpson and Derek Graham on 33 mins.

Third overall and class 1 honours went to Leslie Young and Lewis Boyd. Championship leaders Eddie Murphy and Barry Taggart struggled to 5th overall. They still lead the championship but Young/Boyd are now only 5 points behind.

Class 3 was won by Stephen Wishart and Johnathan Charlesson on a very impressive score of 9 mins, while Class 4 saw Hayes Robinson and Keith Crawford take victory with 129 minutes.

Patrick McCollum

Results

1. Trevor Reid/Richard Reid Escort Mk II 27 min
2. Gordon Simpson/Derek Graham Peugeot 306 33 mins
3. Leslie Young/Lewis Boyd Sierra 57 mins
4. John Henderson/Lloyd Cochrane Sunbeam 63 mins
5. Eddie Murphy/Barry Taggart Nova 78 mins
6. David Irwin/Alan Dorman Renault Clio 192 mins
7. Tom Boden/Malcolm McQueen Escort 228 mins
8. Jonathan Harte/Michael McElwee Escort 249 mins