HONOURS in the Tarmac and National Rally Championships in 1996 were evenly shared between North and South. Bertie Fisher of Ballinamallard in Co Fermanagh won the Tarmac Championship for a record fourth time and Stephen Murphy of Garryhill Co Carlow, won the RIAC/Coras Vard National Championship for the second successive year.
Fisher and co driver Rory Kennedy of Lettcrkenny, Co Donegal, started the season in style, scoring their first victory in the Statoil Galway International. In the first Tarmac round it was evident that Fisher's Subaru Impreza 555 was in a class of its own, no doubt the car benefitting enormously from development, of the World Championship winning Impreza 555's.
James Cullen and Ellen Morgan gave challenge in their Ford Escort RS Cosworth but really had no answer to the winning Subaru over the tight stages of the West Fisher, even indulging in the luxury of an off did not unduly upset his pace.
Liam O Callaghan and James, O Brien in a Toyota Celica GT4 were third, lucky not to be caught by Eamonn Boland/ Damien Morrissey who were just a single second behind in their Escort Cosworth.
For Tipperary's Frank Meaghr, Galway was a last hurrah. After pushing hard over the opening stages, the 1995 champion fell back as his tired, Escort Cosworth was unable to go the distance. With no budget for a necessary rebuild, new components and tyres, Meagher reluctantly had to sit out the remainder of the season as a spectator.
Stephen Finlay came, out, of retirement to win the AA Circuit of Ireland his second win on the Easter classic having won in 1994. Fisher was erratic on the Circuit and played a game of catch up after losing the lead to Finlay's Escort Cosworth early on Easter Saturday.
With Robbie Philpott on the pace notes, Finlay drove the rally at his own pace as Andrew Nesbitt in a Corolla GT4 beat O'Callaghan for second, and Fisher survived another big accident to claim fourth.
O'Callaghan gave Fisher a good run for his money on the Carling Rally of The Lakes, run out of Killarney over the great stages of Kerry Cork. But at the end, Fisher was there to claim his sixth Killarney win. Having won this event five times in a row - 1989-1994 - Fisher did not compete last year, so it was a triumphal return by Fisher. Cullen and Boland were runners up, third and fourth behind O'Callaghan.
Rallying was shocked in mid season when Mickey Farrell of Ardee died in sad circumstances. He won the National Championship in 1994 and was runner up last year, when his company Coras Office Systems Furniture sponsored the RIAC Championship for the first time in 1995, and again in 1996.
Andrew Nesbitt and George Millar broke the mould with a popular victory on the Shell Unleaded Donegal International. The Armagh driver took his Toyota Celica GT4 to a cooly calculated victory, beating, Donegal experts James Cullen and Bertie Fisher, with Wexford's Eamonn Boland again fourth, ahead of Kenny McKinstry in a Formula 2 spec. The Ford Escort R52000 (front wheel drive only) just didn't have the same competitiveness of the four wheel drive Group A supercars.
Austin McHale was sixth at the wheel of his old type Celica GT4 in one of his few events in 1996. McHale will rally a later model Toyota this year, and will no doubt be back in his rightful position as challenger for outright wins rather than lower placings.
The Stena Ulster Rally was well supported by British Championship contenders, all in Formula Two cars. Welshman Gwyndaf Evans scored maximum points (second overall) to win the British title. There were few tarmac contenders and, in finishing first overall, Fisher and Kennedy clinched the Irish championship with two rounds left to run. Boland and Morrissey were denied third o/a when their Escort Cosworth retired with a broken drive shaft with only three stages to run.
Fisher had the Manx well under control until his Subaru retired with engine trouble, handing the win on a plate to the German Armin Schwarz in a Toyota Celica GT4. Fisher, Cullen and Nesbitt gave the Fitzpatrick Cork 20 a miss, and a broken front suspension strut caused O'Callaghan and David Hogan, to retire just when Liam was within sight of his first international win.
Gabriel Snow of Armagh, with Frank Meagher's map man Pat Moloughny (Cashel) on the notes, scored a surprise in a Ford RS Cosworth. Munstermen Denis Cronin (BMW) and Frank O Mahony (Subaru Legacy) were runners up.
O'Callaghan's hard luck in his "home" event ruined the Kanturk driver chances of overhauling Cullen for second in the championship. Fisher scored, a massive 92 points to, Cullen's 42, with four drivers in close finishing formation: O Callaghan 39, Nesbitt 35, Trevor Cathers 33, Boland 30. Cathers had another great season, winning the top Group N award for the second successive year in a Subaru Impreza.
Rory Kennedy was of course the top co driver. Ellen Morgan from England read the pace notes for James Cullen. James O Brien scored his points with O'Callaghan, as David Hogan scored no tarmac points when he sat in with Liam on the Cork 20 and a couple of National rounds. George Millar rode hot gun with Nesbitt, and Gordon Noble was the notes man for Cathers.
The RIAC Coras Vard National Championship was run over 14 rounds. There is some valid criticism that this series is too long, but against that, there is proof positive that this is indeed a popular and well supported championship, with a number of rounds oversubscribed and including up to 30 reserves on top of the mandatory limit of 130 starters.
Stephen Murphy and his Waterford co driver Mickey Joe Morrissey were the class act of the championship in the Statoil Ford Escort RS Cosworth, winning on maximum points. They won in Ballina and the Circuit of Kerry. They did not contest round three in Monaghan, won by Belfast dentist John Gilleece after Eamonn Boland crashed his similar Escort Cosworth on the penultimate stage. Murphy beat Boland and Gilleece in the Carlow round.
Andrew Nesbitt won in Cavan and a blown turbo on the final stage relegated Murphy to fourth, behind Gilleece and the late Mickey Farrell in a Subaru Legacy. Murphy then won the Circuit of Munster, and Cork's Frank O Mahony, in a Subaru Legacy, beat Gilleece for second.
Murphy beat British EARS/MN champion Pete, Doughty on the Carrick on Suir Club's Ravens, Rock and Boland finished third. In Sligo, it was Murphy first again, challenged, over the opening stages by Donegal driver Hugh Martin Doherty in a BMW M3. Charlie Donnelly was third in an Escort Mk2.
Victory on the Clare round gave the championship to Murphy and Morrisey, the Carlow Waterford pair finishing over a minute ahead of Frank O'Mahony. Third by Norman Armstrong in an Escort Mk2 saw him take over second in the championship.
Frank Meagher came out of enforced retirement to win his home event, the Tipperary Stonethrowers, for a record eighth time, co driven by David Hogan. Gabriel Snow and Charlie Donnelly were second and third, respectively.
Murphy was out again in the Montague event near Portlaoise, where he scored his eighth win to bring his championship tally up to a max of 160 points. Liam O'Callaghan had an off, which caused him to retire with a damaged rad. Gilleece was second and Donal Bowens took third in his Group N Escort.
Murphy lost in Galway due to a blown turbo, the win going to O'Callaghan. Gilleece took third to narrow the points gap for Armstrong. Paul Harris won the penultimate round, driving a rent a drive McKinstry Subaru Legacy to victory on home territory, with fellow Donegal driver Hugh Martin Doherty second and Seamus Leonard third in an F2 Nissan.
Frank O'Mahony drove his McKinstry Subaru Legacy to victory on the final round in West Cork. Gilleece was second, and finished second also in the championship - a case of forever the bridesmaid, never the bride. Ray Breen of Waterford was third in his Metro 6R4, his best placing in a championship round.
Although Norman Armstrong dropped to third in the points, it was again, an other great year for this polished driver, winner of the two litre class at the wheel of his beautifully prepared Escort Mk2.
Murphy easily won the series on 160 points from Gilleece on 128, but on a cost ratio of car and running expenses versus points scored. Armstrong's 103 had to represent the best value for money. David Armstrong was fourth, on 93 Ray Breen fifth on 91, Ed Synan sixth on 91.
