1975 Monaghan Drumlin

Posted in Archives by July 13th, 2020

This report is reproduced from an item in the Irish Times on 20th October 1975.

1975 Monaghan Drumlin Rally

The top entries were:

  1. Ron Neely / Derek Smyth, Fermanagh (Cooper S) Class 5
  2. Sean Campbell / Paul Phelan, Newry (RS2000) Class 2
  3. John Tansey / Derek Johnston, Dublin (BMW 2002) Class 6
  4. James Doherty / Kenny Johnston, Limerick (Avenger GT) Class 1
  5. John Coyne / Patrick Potts, Dublin (Sunbeam Stiletto) Class 3
  6. John Farrell / Christie Farrell, Navan (Mexico) Class 2
  7. T. P. Smith / Leslie Fannin, Monaghan (Escort RS1300) Class 4
  8. Frank O’Rourke / R. Harris, Wexford (Ascona) Class 2
  9. Des Bruton / Richard Bruton, Dublin (Chrysler Imp) Class 3
  10. David Yeates / Rae Inglis, Dunboyne (Kadette) Class 1

Doherty Tops Rally Placings.

Limerick driver James Doherty scored the first ever victory in a National Championship rally with a Group One car when he brought his Hillman Avenger GT into first place in the County Monaghan Motor Club’s Drumlin Rally which finished near Monaghan town yesterday morning after a 225-mile course which brought the field through 47 checkpoints.  He was navigated by Dubliner Kenny Johnston, who now takes over the lead in the navigators’ section of the 1975 championship.

Twelve marks behind in second place were the pre-rally favourites, Sean Campbell and Paul Phelan in another Group One car, a Ford Escort RS2000, whilst the clean sweep by standard cars was completed by Dunboyne driver David Yeates, who shared an Opel Kadette with Rae Inglis and finished third, only losing the struggle for second place with the Campbell/Phelan partnership on the single special stage at Dartry, near Cootehill.

Fermanagh driver Ron Neely was navigated to fourth place by Derek Smyth from Limavady, and still retains the lead in the Driver Championship series, although Campbell has now closed to within three marks and two events still to go.  Ger Buckley and John Caplice, from Cork, retired from the event when they went outside the time limit after one particularly tricky piece of “off-map” navigation which caught everybody to varying degrees.

Sixteen of the 28 starters completed the event.

Overall Placings:

  1. J. Doherty/K. Johnston (Avenger GT) 12 Road + 10 Stage = 22
  2. S. Campbell/P. Phelan (Escort RS2000) 27 + 7.7 = 34.7
  3. D. Yeates/R. Inglis (Opel Kadette) 26 + 10.1 = 36.1
  4. R. Neely/D. Smyth (Mini Cooper S) 33 + 11.7 = 44.7
  5. T.P. Smith/L. Fannin (Capri 3000) 44 + 10.8 = 54.8
  6. J. Tansey/D. Johnston (BMW 2002) 86 + 12.2 = 98.2
  7. M. Leonard/I. Humphries (Capri 1600) 156 + 25.2 = 181.2
  8. R. Douglas/I. Ferguson (Escort Mexico) 177 + 18.9 = 195.9
  9. J. Coyne/P. Potts (Sunbeam Stiletto) 192 + 7.2 = 199.3
  10. J. Farrell/C. Farrell (Escort Mexico) 282 + 7.8 = 289.8