Sport

Fisher and McHale to fight it out in Donegal

The quality of the 130-strong entry for the Donegal International Rally this weekend, sponsored by Shell, is superb

By BRIAN FOLEY
Fri Jun 18 1999 - 01:00

The quality of the 130-strong entry for the Donegal International Rally this weekend, sponsored by Shell, is superb. Andrew Nesbitt and Bertie Fisher in Subaru Imprezas and Austin McHale and Ian Greer in Toyota Celica GT4s, head the field, and Frank Meagher and Eamonn Boland in Ford Escort WRCs are among the others who will fancy their chances.

Fisher won this event four times between 1987 and '95, and McHale and Nesbitt have each won on two occasions. Honours this year should rest with either Fisher or Nesbitt, with McHale struggling in his ageing Celica GT4, soon to be replaced by the latest Toyota Corolla WRC.

The Donegal challenge is led by James Cullen, who won his home event in 1991, and is all fired up following a morale-boosting victory on the Cavan Stages last month.

Meagher could well be the "dark horse" this year - he did well on the Rally of The Lakes - his first event for about three years.

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The Donegal event is the fourth round of the Irish Tarmac Rally championship, which is led by Greer on 37 points. Fisher is second (36), Boland third (30), and Nesbitt fourth (28). In the Historic section John Keatley, who leads on 45 points, is seeded number two this weekend, behind Dessie Nutt.

The rally starts today at 12.15 p.m. from Letterkenny and will cover stages at Trusklough, Cloghan Lodge and Breenagh River (each down twice), with a single stage at Letterleague. Service will be in the Barnesmore Gap area.

Tomorrow's Letterkenny start is at 8.30 a.m., followed by 2x2 stages at High Glen and Atlantic Drive. Service is at Milford Mart, and there are 3x2 stages at Kindrum, Fanad Head and Knockalla.

The Sunday start is at 10.30 a.m. and the cars will travel to Kernan's on the main Derry road for service and then regroup at the Inishowen Gateway Hotel. The restart is at 12.30 p.m. and stages at Coolcross and Malin Head will be done twice. The final stage will be "Mouldy Hill".

Jonathan Taylor is going for his fifth straight race win in the new Dunlop RT2000 Championship at Mondello Park on Sunday. He leads the saloon series on 185 points from John Whelan (129) and George Crozier (121).

Jonathan Fildes is too good to be in the Dunlop Strykers Championship, leading this budget class on 185 points from his uncle Robert Taylor (142) and Ralph Crampton (132). Taylor has scored one win to the four of Fildes, and was fourth on his recent debut in the RT2000 saloon class.

With three wins Mark Turley on 156 points leads Gordon Kellett in the Yokohama Italian Saloon series, Andrew McKinney leads the Yokohama Fiat Uno Championship with two wins and three runner-up placings and is 42 points clear of Brendan Travers.

Details of a number of important developments in Irish motorsport were announced yesterday by the RIAC, the governing body of the sport in the Republic of Ireland.

As from July 1st, the motorsport division of the RIAC will operate under the new name of Motorsport Ireland, and Oisin O'Briain will take up the position of Communications Officer. O'Briain (24) is from Leixlip, Co Kildare, and is a former student of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland. He set-up IMM Public Relations in 1996, focused on promoting young Irish drivers in motor racing. He was a close friend of the late Neil Shanahan, covering press and public relations for the promising young Dublin driver, and was involved in the team management.