MOTOR SPORT/Column: Niall Maguire was back to his winning ways in round six of the Dunlop National Rally Championship. After crashing out of the previous round, the Ravens Rock Rally, Maguire's previous dominant championship lead of 26 points (over Cathal Arthurs) was dramatically reduced to 10 points over James Harrison, 78 to 68, with Arthurs third on 67.
But Maguire scored a narrow two-second win over Patrick Elliott in round six in Sligo, and now holds a massive 30-point lead over Elliott and Harrison.
Englishman Harrison was a non-starter in Sligo as he returned to Macclesfield, where his wife, Cathy, gave birth to a son, Stan, while turbo trouble cost Hyundai driver Arthurs.
Round seven is Sunday's Stonethrowers Rally run out of Clonmel by the Tipperary LC and MCC. This time the threat for Maguire could come from Kevin Lynch, winner of the Ravens Rock in Waterford.
Lynch swapped the lead with Maguire several times in Sligo, before crashing out on stage five, and while he is not in the championship running, Lynch will be seeking to make up for the lapse in the Waterford event.
Sunday's motor racing at Mondello Park brings out the club drivers and one of the strongest championships, the Havelin Stryker sports cars, is shaping up to be a titanic battle in the 1800cc class. After seven rounds Frank Cassidy leads on 99 points but only by the narrowest of margins from Keith Colmey on 98. Keith Dawson lies third on 86, while Andrew Dalton is a distant fourth on 56 points. In the 1600cc class Karl Dempsey leads on 120 points from Alan Watkins on 78, with Tristan Quinn third on 62.
Meanwhile, Dermot Carnegie has won five of the six rounds of the British Rallycross Championship and has closed up on championship leader Lawrence Gibson, who rolled his Metro 6R4 in the last round at Pembrey in Wales.
Gibson still leads on 525 points with Carnegie second on 500 and Mike Howlin well behind on 337.
Next event for the two leading Irish drivers is round seven, which takes place at Lydden in Kent on August 30th.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: Munster Car Club, V & V Run, West Cork, starting from Kinsley Hotel, Cork, at 11 am.
Sunday: Tipperary LC & MCC, Stonethrowers Stages Rally (SR), HQ at Clonmel Arms Hotel, Co Tipperary, event starts at 10 am; Motor Enthusiasts Club Race Meeting, Mondello Park, 2 pm.
