1969 DMC Snowdrop

Posted in 1969, Archives by September 25th, 2018
Photo: Richard St John Young
The Reid/Burnett Sunbeam Imp rounding "stables corner" at Parkanaur. This crew finished an excellent third overall, winning the Semi-Experts class into the bargain. We shall hear more of them methinks!

Article reproduced from MOTORWEEK dated March 15 1969.  Report and pictures by Richard St John Young.

Dungannon’s Stately Selectif.

The Dungannon Motor Club received an excellent entry for their Snowdrop Rally, held on Friday, March 7th 1969, 42 cars being on the list, including some very well known names indeed.

Winners Ronnie White and Harold Hagan charge into the courtyard at Parkanaur during the very interesting Selectif.

The route, which was mainly on Tulips, took in most of the lanes around Dungannon and surrounding district, and Clerk of the Course Gordon Taggart had also managed to fit in a magnificent selectif through the grounds of Parkanaur, home of well known rallyist Stanley Eakins.

Eventual winners were Ronnie White and Harold Hagan using Ronnie’s “old” Cooper S as the new one is being made ready for the “Circuit” at present.  

Second overall and winners of the Experts Class were Cahal Curley and Austin Frazer, who were out in Donald McEnaney’s bog-standard Cortina GT while the bold Donald spent the evening hammering the Curley Escort TC up and down Parkanaur to “break in the suspension”.  What a wonderful way to spend an evening!

Ulster Rally Champions, Cahal Curley and Austin Frazer, brought Donald McEnaney’s bog-standard Cortina GT into a well deserved second place overall.

Third overall and first in the semi-experts was the ex-Norman Thompson Sunbeam Imp of Bert Reid and Austin Burnett.  After a really quick drive, they would be some 71 points clear of the runners-up in that class, Ernie Oliver and Derek Turkington, also in an Imp.

There was only one non-starter, the NSU TT of Terry Harryman and Norman Taylor, who were unable to make the start in time, while some 13 crews failed to make it to the finish, notably Derek McMahon and Mike Hart, whose Renault Gordon succumbed to alternator bother early on.

Peter Little didn’t have much luck on the Snowdrop with his now famous Riley Elf, finishing 9th in Class.

Results:

Overall:  1st R. White/H. Hagan (Cooper S) 7.3;  2nd C. Curley/A. Frazer (Cortina GT) 9.4;  3rd B. Reid/A. Burnett (Sunbeam Imp Sport) 11.8.

Class Experts:  1st C. Curley/A. Frazer (Cortina GT) 9.4;  2nd Norman Reid/ Bryce Sands (Cooper S) 92.0;  3rd Leslie White/ Drew Todd (Lotus Cortina) 108.5.

Class Semi-Experts:  1st Bert Reid/ Austin Burnett (Sunbeam Imp Sport) 11.8;  2nd Ernie Oliver/ Derek Turkington (Hillman Imp) 83.2;  3rd  Patsy Lavery/ Miss Pat Johnson (Cortina 1500) 88.4.

Class Novices:  1st Harry Farr/ Jim Taggart (Ford Anglia) 17.5;  2nd A. Ferguson/ W. Ferguson (Hillman Imp) 46.6;  3rd D. Wilson/ David Sands (Cooper) 208.5.