Circuit of Down Rally Report

19 March 1999

Defending champions Eric and Glenn Patterson finally won a round of this year's Stanley Gordon Oils Navigation Rally Championship. Newry Motor Club's Circuit of Down Rally held last night lived up to its reputation as the toughest event of the championship. Bumpy, twisty lanes running close to the border were combined with fiendishly difficult instructions. All the top runners incurred penalties for missing parts of the route.

The Pattersons themselves incurred a massive 91 minutes penalty, but this was still enouigh to give them first place. Second went to the experienced pairing of Eddie Murphy and Barry Taggart on 108 penalties, while third place was held by Philip and Brian Dorman. This third place was enough to ensure the Dormans maintain their lead in the overall championship, but with the first four rounds having four different winners the the championship is still wide open.

Leslie Young and Lewis Boyd from Fintona managed 4th overall and first in Class 2 in their Ford Sierra, despite the car being physically too big to fit down one narrow lane. Class 3 and 4 used a shorter and less challenging route. Class 3 saw Barry and Kris Meeke snatch victory by a single minute from Tom Brown/Alan Dorman , while Class 4 was won by Douglas and Glen Millar.

The next round is Enniskillen on 9 April, after which the championship takes its long summer break.

Results:

1. Patterson/Patterson Riley Elf 90 mins
2. Murphy/Taggart Escort 108 mins
3. Dorman/Dorman Nova 117 mins
4. Young/Boyd Sierra 180 mins
5. Reid/Reid Escort 219 mins
6. Sheridan/Hicks Nova 226 mins