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RALLY: Scene is set for Statoil Galway International Car Rally

23 January 1999

Galway Motor Club sets the scene for the big Statoil Galway International car rally scheduled to take place on the earlier weekend of February 5th/6th/7th, 1999. Last year's winner Austin McHale is expected to contest his trusty Toyota Celica GT4 against the Toughmac/Subaru Ireland Impreza of Bertie Fisher; Celica GT4s of Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien, Armagh; Derek McGarrity/Victor Carruthers, Glengormley; Gavin Harris/Shaun Lafferty, Convoy; Charles Mavitty/ Barry Goodman, Enniskillen; and Thomas Mullen/ Clement Devaney from Sligo.

Ford Escort WRCs are the cars for Eamonn Boland from Wexford, the Statoil-backed WRC of Stephen Murphy from Bagenalstown, Co Carlow; Ray Breen/ Podge Newe from Slieverue, Waterford; and Pete Doughty/Lyn Jenkins of Nottingham. The 1980 and 1982 winner Jimmy McRae will again have a four wheel drive Porsche 911 4wd co-driven by Chris Patterson.

This will be the sixth year of Statoil's sponsorship of the first round of the Toshiba Equium Irish Rally Championship, which will again feature a 'rolling loop' system of stages for 1999. Crews will check in for scrutiny at Leisureland, Salthill on Friday evening from 3.00pm to 9.00pm. The competition will start from Eyre Square in the heart of Galway on Saturday morning, February 6th. That day the competitors will cover nine stages near Tuam in north Co Galway before returning to Galway for an overnight halt.

The Sunday restart has been brought forward, with service on the coast road between Oranmore and Galway from 9.40am, prior to tackling the famous Dyke Road spectator stage in the heart of Galway city. After that it is south towards Gort for eight more stages, and the first car is due back to Eyre Square finish arch on Sunday evening at 5.30pm. Progress of the Statoil Galway International rally may be checked on the Galway MC Website http://www.iol.ie/~jordane/. The Statoil Galway International rally will be shewn on TnaG (Teilifs na Gaeilge) on Saturday February 6th and Sunday 7th at 10.00pm each night. The popular RPM Motorsport programme returns to the screens with a 50 minute feature on the event on UTV on Thursday February 18th at 23.30 (11.30pm), repeated on Saturday 20th at 13.30 (1.30pm). A 'first' for Irish television will be its coverage on TV3 also on Saturday 20th at 16.00 (4.00pm), repeated on TV3 on Sunday February 21st at 23.30 (11.30pm). There will also be showings on Sky Sports 2, billed as "Motorsports" at times to be announced, approximately two weeks after the event.

The top dozen crews include

DRIVER CO-DRIVER CLASS/CAR LOCATION
1 Austin McHale Brian Murphy 13 Celica GT4 Rathcoole 
2 Toughmac/Subaru Ireland - 
Bertie Fisher Rory Kennedy A8 Impreza Ballinamallard 
3 Ian Greer Dean Beckett A8 Celica GT4 Hillsborough 
4 Andrew Nesbitt James O'Brien A8 Impreza Armagh 
5 Eamonn Boland Damien Morrissey A8 Escort WRC Wexford 
6 Stephen Murphy Michael Morrissey A8 Escort WRC Bagenalstown 
7 Pete Doughty Lyn Jenkins A8 Escort WRC Nottingham 
8 James Cullen Ellen Morgan Letterkenny 
9 David Greer Michael Reid A8 Celica GT4 Carryduff 
10 Jimmy McRae Chris Patterson 13 Porsche 911 4wd Lanarkshire 
11 Derek McGarrity/Victor Carruthers A8 Impreza Glengormley 
12 Ray Breen Podge Newe A8 Escort WRC Slieverue 


British entries so far confirmed include 
DRIVER CO-DRIVER CLASS/CAR LOCATION
Russell Brown Jack Cooke 11 Astra Keighley 
Bob Fowden Jerry Hynes 13 Escort Cosworth Llanelli 
Pete Doughty Lyn Jenkins A8 Escort WRC Nottingham 
Martin Melsome-Smith Colin Watson 13 Mazda 323T Keighley 
Jimmy McRae Chris Patterson 13 Porsche 911 4wd Lanarkshire 
Paul Fuchs Deklan McCoy 13 Porsche 911RSR Cirencester 

Historic entries include 
Martin Boyle Mark Rowan Anglia Ballymoney 
John P Hughes Jonathan Beattie C2 RS 2000 Killylea 
Mervyn Johnston B2 Cooper S Fermanagh 
John Keatley Maurice Beckett B5 Porsche 911 Magherafelt 
Philip McDowell Gordon Buckley B3 Cortina Mk2 Bangor 
Dessie Nutt Geraldine McBride B5 Porsche 911 Castlerock 
Joe Pat O'Kane Judy Hewitt C1 Avenger Magherafelt