2004 Firecracker Rally Report

5 November 2004

Eddie Murphy and Barry Taggart won the Firecracker Rally, the final round of the Northern Ireland Navigation Rally Championship. The real winners, though, on the evening were Phil and Alan Dorman, who finished second to clinch the championship title for the second year in succession. Their fate was sealed just after the 30 mile mark when their only championship challengers, Willie McKeown and Patrick McCollum, retired after an anxious spin when a ball joint split at speed in their Vauxhall Corsa.

Murphy/Taggart were on great form from the very start of the rally, and won convincingly to make it three consecutive wins on the UAC's round of the championship.

In the Novice Class, a three-way tie had to be settled by the furthest cleanest rule, and this favoured the Omagh pairing of William Todd/Maurice Cresswell, followed by John/Jonathan Henderson and James Woods/Chris Ragg in 3rd.

Patrick McCollum