WATCH: We took a spin along the ALMC rally course last weekend..It was fun!
Meath driver Jonathan Pringle took the laurels at the ALMC motor rally on Sunday over three loops of three stages around the Rathmolyon, Longwood, Ballivor and Kildalkey areas that covered 120 kilometres.
Pringle diced with Damian Toner, who took second place, throughout the day and survived a broken strut half way through the final stage.
Pringle had eight seconds to spare over Toner, who is from Armagh, with antoher Meath driver, Eugene Meegan in third place.
(WATCH: Joe Rayfus takes the VW Golf GTi for a gentle spin at the ALMC Rally)
Moynalty driver James Cassidy was in ninth position overall. The Moynalty man
was accompanied by Roscommon woman Jane Collins in a Ford Escort.
Donegal driver Gavin Kelly, with Darragh Mullan from Sligo on the pace-notes,
was first in Group N and seventh overall in a Mitsubishi Evo 9.
The organisation of the rally was a big undertaking for the ALMC officials who deserve enormous credit along with the 200 other officials who were on duty.
The pre-rally workload would have been huge and that was evident in the remarks by Clerk of the Course John Carroll at the briefing for the crews at the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim on Sunday morning at 8am.
“I am privileged to be part of a very hard-working and enthusiastic rally team who have given countless hours of their personal time to bring us to the start line today,” he commented.
Also addressing the crews was chief medical officer Dr Paul Rea and safety officer Noel Devlin who reminded the crews that the Gardai would be monitoring the event and that a speed van was likely to be lurking on the open sections of road between the stages. “Just take it easy, you are on public roads between stages,” commented the safety officer.
After that briefing, it was off to the service area at Oaktree Business Park where there was a control, in and out, manned by diligent officials throughout the day as the cars exited on schedule to the first stage close to Rathmolyon.
The first car was due at stage one at 10.25am and was due at the final stage of the day at 4.42pm with one-minute intervals separating the starters on each of the nine stages.
RESULTS
TOP 10
1, Jonathan Pringle/Paul Sheridan (Escort) 61m 03s.
2, Damian Toner/Martin Toner (Escort) 61m 11s.
3, Eugene Meegan/Sarah Whelan (BMW M1) 62m 22s.
4, Colin Byrne/Stephen Quin (Escort) 63m 58s.
5, Liam Bowhan/Martin Connolly (Starlet) 64m 34s.
6, Gary Cassidy/Paul Kelly (Civic) 64m 37s.
7, Gavin Kelly/Darragh Mullen (Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 64m 51s.
8, Paraic Cummins/Kevin Reilly (Fiesta) 65m 30s.
9, James Cassidy/Jane Collins (Escort) 65m 37s.
10, Jason Black/Jack McKenna (Starlet) 66m 16s.
HISTORICS
1, Rob Smith/Alun Cook (Escort) 66m 14s.
2, Stanley Orr/Stephen McAuley (Escort) 67m 15s.
3, Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver (Escort) 67m 19s.
JUNIORS
1, Darren Barrett/Lorcan Moore (Civic) 45m 42s.
2, Shane Kenneally/Jer Connors (Civic) 45m 51s