05/08/06 - Dungiven's Kevin Lynch emerged victorious once again last weekend as he took his Subaru Impreza WRC to the top of the podium at the Dogleap Stages Rally. Backed by North West Motor Factors and Limavady Borough Council, the event marked round five of the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship.

Lynch had to work hard for his fourth consecutive Dogleap victory, as Cookstown man Glenn Allen was in top fettle with his Toyota Corolla WRC. While Lynch was quickest out of the blocks, it was Allen who led the rally after the second stage. Lynch replied to retake the lead and the topsy-turvy battle continued throughout the event.

In the end though, only one man could win and while both crews entered stage nine on equal times, it was Lynch who emerged from the test with a sizeable advantage. Allen had hit trouble, after pushing a little bit too hard in his Corolla.

"On the previous runs over the stage, I was braking on the crest for the chicane," Allen said. "But this time I braked a bit later. She took off on the crest and when we landed I was on the brakes. She must have got a lot of grip and just spun the two front tyres off their rims. Maybe I was pushing a wee bit too hard but what can you do. When you're against a man like Kevin, he's no pushover, that's for sure!"

With Allen out of contention, Lynch and navigator Martin McNicholl cruised home to record their fourth consecutive Dogleap victory, closing the gap to Allen in the championship standings.

"It was close but it was a win all the same," Lynch said. "We had a few niggly problems but nothing major. It's a good event but it isn't very technical so it's hard to find time. We broke a shaft at the end of the ninth stage and we had to go through the final stage with it. But other than that, it was a good day and a good rally!"

Sean Devine and Damien Duffin had a solid run in their Subaru Impreza to take second while Richard Cathcart and Killian Duffy had the drive of the rally to finish third in their Group N Impreza. It was Cathcart's first visit to the event, and he was unable to complete the recce, making his drive all the more impressive!

It wasn't an easy run for the Enniskillen man as Johnny McKenna led the Group N men from the start. He had amassed a 10 second advantage over Cathcart until the third run through the demanding 10-mile Cam stage.

"Midway through Cam, as we went over the jumps I selected fourth gear," McKenna recalled. "But when she landed, she must have gone into second. She let a rip out of her and I knew straight away something was wrong. We broke a timing belt and that was the end of our rally. Everything was going so well up to that point. It was Eugene's first time on the notes and he was doing really well, and our tyres were brilliant. But that's the way it goes."

In the end, it was Cathcart who took the final podium position, 10 seconds ahead of former N.I. Group N champions, Richard Hogg and Mark Hanna. Kevin O'Kane and Martin Brady brought their Subaru home in fifth position, while English visitors, Tristan Pye and Andrew Roughead, completed the top six.

Superdrive sponsored two wheel drive category

Mark Barnett and Frank Kelly had an electric battle throughout the event. Both men were 'on the door handles' and there was little to separate the two pilots. Five seconds ahead going into stage nine (of 10), it looked as though Kelly and navigator Aidan Donnelly had the upper hand. And when Barnett was forced to the sidelines with a broken half shaft a few miles into the test, it was Kelly emerged from the rally as the two wheel drive victor!

"We had a good clean run for the first time this year," Kelly said. "I didn't break a gearbox, I didn't get a puncture and I didn't visit the scenery! I was fighting with Mark Barnett all day - he was on fire! Both of us were flat out and going into stage nine there were five seconds between us. Unfortunately, he broke a half shaft so it was a disappointing end, but it let me go into the last stage and drive like a hooligan for a bit of craic!"

Kelly was not eligible to receive the Superdrive prize so it was second placed Bob Riddles and Vincent Fergus who took the honours, ahead of Paul and Peter Ward.

Round six - Lakeland Stages Rally

Round six of the Pacenotes backed series takes crews to Enniskillen for the Lakeland Stages Rally. Kicking off on 9 September, the all forest event will once again challenge the best of the N.I. series regulars!

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