FOR the first time in years, there were no local class winners, however one of the great class battles within the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally was in Class 11F with all the major contenders aboard Honda Civics.
In the end it was won by Tralee's Darren Young and Pa Lawlor (Honda Civic), who finished 4.4 seconds ahead of the Clonakilty husband and wife crew of Eamonn and Lisa McCarthy, also in a Honda Civic.
‘We threw it (the win) away on the very last stage. I missed my braking point and overshot a junction in Caherbeg. From looking at the in-car (camera) we dropped about six seconds and we lost the class by 4.4 seconds. It was an opportunity lost for sure,’ Eamonn said.
Lisavaird's Cathal McCarthy led the class until Friday night's final stage where Eamonn McCarthy set the best (class) time to move from third into a four-second lead over Clondrohid's Barry O'Brien with Cathal McCarthy just four tenths of a second further behind in third.
Cathal McCarthy punched in the best stage time on Saturday morning's Ring stage to move just 0.4 of a second behind Eamonn McCarthy, however on the repeat of Ring, his rally ended when he crashed at the penultimate corner. Barry O'Brien's Honda Civic lost brakes and he rolled at the flying finish of the stage at Dunworley (SS9).
Eamonn concluded, 'We had an issue with the flat-shift. When I went for fourth gear I had to pull the lever twice, but it didn't cost us that much time.’
CLASS AWARDS
Class 10: Rosscarbery's William Buttimer guided Millstreet's Mikey P. Kelleher (Ford Escort) to a class win with Clonakilty's David Jennings/David Jennings (Ford Escort) taking second spot.
Class 11R: Lyre's Tim O'Donovan took his down on power Toyota Corolla to second in class, he was co-driven by Clonakilty's Vinny Bennett. Clonakilty's Mark Donovan and Rathmore based Inchinattin-native Ian Stanley on the notes were third in class.
Class 12: Ovens driver Noel Brady (Ford Escort) and Ballygarvan's Richard Davis finished second in class followed by Barryroe's Steve Roberts (Ford Escort) and Dunmanway's Jack Carroll.
Class 13: Donoughmore's Kenneth Cullinane/Robert O'Regan (Ford Escort) took victory by 21.6 seconds. Clonakilty's Micheál White was co-driver to Donegal's Corey Eves (Toyota Corolla), who finished third in class.
Class 18: Cardigan's Neil Williams (Ford Escort) and his Ownahincha co-driver Eamonn Hayes took top spot by over two minutes.
Class 19: Was won by Killarney's Fergus O'Meara (BMW M3) and his Ardfield co-driver Anthony O'Sullivan.
Class 22: Clonakilty's Seamus O'Donovan (Honda Civic) and Dunmanway's Daniel O'Donovan were second from Glandore's Pat Calnan and Leap's Ray Shanahan (Ford Fiesta R2).
The Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Junior Rally was won by Ladysbridge driver Darragh Walsh (Honda Civic), who was co-driven by Ardfield's Gary Lombard.
