BY MARTIN WALSH
DRINAGH navigator Denis O’Donovan notched up a tenth Carbery Night Navigation Trial victory following an anxious wait that only ended on the eve of the rally when he finally secured Ballincollig’s Brian Duggan (Toyota Starlet) to drive him on the 80-mile encounter.
On the event itself, they put up a strong performance in what proved to be an exciting journey that was ultimately decided on a tie-break when the Mogeely/Ballincollig crew of James Fitzgerald Ken Carmody (Subaru Impreza) also finished with just one penalty.
As both were in the Expert class and both dropped time at the same location, Duggan/O’Donovan got the verdict as their Toyota Starlet was of the two-wheel drive variety as against the four-wheel drive mode of the Subaru Impreza crewed by Fitzgerald/Carmody.
The event that doubled as the second counting round of the Motorsport Ireland National Navigation and Munster Navigation Championships was based at the Kilmurry GAA complex and had 35 Time Points.
The weather was a cocktail of rain, mist and fog. Top seeds and opening round winners Monaghan’s Andy Mackarel and Limerick’s Greg Shinnors (Subaru Impreza) dropped time at TP 5 and TP7 near Bengour. Duggan/O’Donovan and Fitzgerald/Carmody had no such problems. In fact they kept a clean sheet until TP32 when they collected a penalty at a crossroads not far from Newcestown.
Their nearest challengers were Longford pair Colin Duffy/Sam Johnston (Subaru Impreza), who finished the event with two penalties – one at TP2 and the other, not surprisingly, at TP32. Mackarel/Shinnors had to be content with fourth overall – a position also decided on a tie-break when they got the verdict over the Monaghan crew of Michael Carbin/Conor Mohan on the ‘furthest cleanest’ ruling.
Elsewhere, Donoughmore navigator Patrick O’Leary and his driver Declan Burke (Toyota Starlet) were seventh overall. The Rosscarbery/Leap crew of Brian O’Mahony/Amy Gallwey (Subaru Impreza) retired between TP1 and TP2.
Elsewhere, the Leap crew of James and Ciaran French (Subaru Forester) finished second in the Novice category and 12th overall. Inchigeelagh navigator Eamonn Creedon and his driver Kieran Lynch (Toyota Starlet) were third in the same category and fourteenth overall. Ovens driver Owen Murphy and Ulsterman John McCay (Subaru Impreza) won the Beginners section.
Results: 1. B. Duggan/D. O'Donovan (Toyota Starlet) 1 penalty; 2. J. Fitzgerald/K. Carmody (Subaru Impreza) 1 pen; 3. C. Duffy/S. Johnson (Subaru Impreza) 2pens; 4. A. Mackarel/G. Shinnors (Subaru Impreza) 7pens; 5. M. Carbin/C. Mohan (Subaru Legacy) 7pens; 6. R. O'Neill/S. O'Neill (Subaru Impreza) 9pens; 7. D. Burke/P. O'Leary (Toyota Starlet) 14pens; 8. S. McConnell/A. McDonald (Subaru Impreza) 15pens; 9. P. MacDonagh/P. Corcoran (Subaru Impreza) 15pens; 10. P. Duffy/Evin Hughes (Subaru Impreza) 23pens.
