STEPHEN MURPHY of Garryhill, Co Carlow, has won the RIAC/Coras Vard National Rally Championship for the second successive year, driving the Statoil Ford Escort RS Cosworth. He will receive his award tomorrow night at a reception in the Bridge Hotel, Waterford.
John Gilleece, the Belfast dentist, was second driving another Escort Cosworth, having overtaken Norman Armstrong in the final round for runner up. Armstrong drove his Escort Mk2 to good effect to again win the two litre class, beating Eamonn Boland's Escort Cosworth for third overall.
Murphy goes rallying at a rather less frenetic pace in the Finol Elf Killarney Historic Rally on the first weekend in December for which he has hired a Ford Escort MI, and he should be a leading contender for the post historic section honours.
The next two rounds of the RIAC Hewison Trophy Championship will be held at Mondello Park next weekend. After nine rounds there is a new leader, as J.J. Farrell has moved ahead of Clive Peterson by two marks. Eamonn Byrne is still well down in eighth place, trailing Farrell by 30 points, the price of missing three rounds.
But there is no one better than Byrne in the game of catch up, and, he remains firm favourite to add a fifth Hewison Trophy title to his, autotest record.
The Dalcassian MCC (Limerick) motorcycle trial listed for Sunday is off, which means there are no motorcycling event North or South this weekend. The MCUI (Southern Centre) Trials Championship 97 will be run over eight rounds. Dates for the first four rounds are: January 19th Dublin & District MCC Jacob Cup Trial; February 16th - Leinster MC Stapleton Cup, March 2nd - MEC Montrose Cup; March 29th Youghal MCC.
The annual Inter Centre Conference of the Motorcycle Union of Ireland will take place at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, Co Down, on Saturday, December 14th.
