Limerick Motor Club hosts Hillclimb event in Ballingarry

LIMERICK Motor Club staged a successful two-day Hillclimb around scenic Ballingarry last weekend.

Highlights from a local view point included:

Saturday:

Class 1A: Saloons to 1400cc:

4th Nigel Shanahan 1 Minute 31.23 seconds.

Nigel, a regular co driver in rallies, was having his first drive in an event for 26 years.

Class 2: Saloon cars to 1650cc:

1st Joe Clifford, Honda Civic Kilmallock 1:20.05.

2nd Thomas Sheedy, Honda Civic 1:20.55.

Class 3A: saloons to 2100cc and sports cars to 1650cc:

4th John Kennedy. 

Class 3B: saloons over 2100cc:

3rd Willie Barrett, Honda Civic 1:16.84.

Class 8A: rally cars to 1650cc two valves per cylinder:

4th Grainne Caplis, Opel Corsa.

Class 8B: rally cars to 1650cc four valves per cylinder:

3rd Donal O'Sullivan, Templeglantine, Honda Civc, 1:32.84.

Class 9B: rally cars to 2100cc four valves per cylinder: 

2nd Paul Purtill, Ford Escort 1:12.39.

3rd Aidan Walsh, Kilcornan, Ford Escort 1:21.71.

Class 10: Rally cars over 2100cc:

1st Declan Gannon Grange, Ford Fiesta 1:13.23.

2nd Stephen Bawn Ford, Fiesta 1:26.23.

Class 1B: Fiat Cinquecento and Seicento:

4th Richard O’Donoghue TD 1:34.96.

Richard's first competitive event.

The overall winner was Christopher Snow, Oldcastle, Co Meath, with a magnificent drive in his front wheel drive 2000cc Honda Civic in extremely wet conditions for the first two timed runs with the road improving for runs 3,4 and 5.

Sunday:

Competitors enjoyed better weather conditions, with sunshine and no rain.

Class1A:

3rd Andrew Ryan, Ford Escort 1:18.93.

4th Ger Ryan Ford Escort 1:21.78.

Father and son sharing a car.

Class 1B:

4th Richard O'Donoghue TD, Fiat Seicento, 1:31.78.

Class 2:

1st Thomas Sheedy 1:13.32.

2nd Joe Clifford 1:15.41.

Class 3B:

2nd Willie Barrett 1:07.65.

4th Maurice Meskell , Ardagh, Ford Escort MkI 1:09.24.

Class 4 Historics:

1st Thomas Slattery, Ford Lotus Cortina MkI  1:29.21.

Class 8A:

1st Kieran Burke, Ford Escort 1:14.92.

Class 9A:

1st Cathal Mulcaire,  Rathkeale, Ford Escort MkII 1:09.39.

2nd Liam Mulcaire Rathkeale Ford Escort MkII 1:12.10, father of Cathal.

3rd Michael Walsh 1:22.81.

4th Dan Mulcahy, Kilcolman, Ford Escort 1:34.53.

9B:

2nd Paul Purtill, Ford Escort 1:07.16.

3rd Sean Moran 1:09.68.

4th Aidan Walsh, Kilcornan, Ford Escort 1:13.19.

Class 10:

1st John O'Connor, Mitsubishi Mirage 1:05.38 and 3rd overall.

2nd Declan Gannon, Ford Fiesta 1:12.28.

The better road conditions meant the big single seater cars could use their power to dominated the top of the leader board.

First overall was John Donnelly from Omagh, Co Tyrone in a Pilbeam MP62 set a time of 59.92 seconds to marginally deny Ben O’Brien from Kildimo and his Gould GR37 Judd the top spot.