1986 Dublin University Rally

Yeates Moves Ahead in Hella East Coast Rally Championship.

This report by Paul Phelan is reproduced from Motoring News, Wednesday 8th January 1986.

AFTER a tight, slippery, 80 mile route through the lanes of South Wicklow and North Wexford, only two crews managed to complete the full route in Dublin University’s Droichead Nua Rally, round three of the Hella East Coast Championship, and at the finish back in Woodenbridge, it was the Shell Peugeot 205GTi of reigning National champions David Yeates and Paul Phelan which was out in front by five minutes, putting Yeates into the lead of the 1985/6 Hella ECCO series as well.

Wexford pair George Leech/Eddie Harris, in their Kadett SR, were the other ones to visit every point, and they duly took runner up spot, followed at a respectable distance by last year’s Droichead Nua winners, Alan Hudson and Ivan Sheane in their Avoca Haulage Escort. Perhaps overawed at running at number one, Hudson and Sheane thought they had had a terrible night, but when results went up, discovered that most others had been even worse! Their tally included a wrong approach and a wrong departure, leaving them 39m behind the Opel crew, but they did still take third place.

Stan Gibson and Vincent Fagan, in their 1300 Escort, had a good run, despite being in largely unknown territory when the route went deep into Co Wexford, and took a splendid fourth overall, easily winning the novice class and beating all the semis, and most of the experts into the bargain. They even had time for a trip into the scenery on the way to the last point! Their nearest novice rivals were old sparring partners Eddie Horan and Noel Keegan, who brought their 1600 Escort into seventh, but 87m behind, while Jim Burrell and Greg Richardson took the semi-expert class this time in their Kadett, despite a major problem caused by a non-goer.

Northern visitors Stanley Gordon/Gavin Campbell didn’t repeat their good form in the first two rounds, visiting quite a few places they shouldn’t have, and the Peugeot was a lowly 10th out of the 13 finishers. Casualties during the night included the Alfasud of Dan Quinn/Ted Gaffney, with vanishing oil pressure, while Chevette mounted Peter McCullagh/Don Foley had nothing but frustration. The car refused to run on the way from Woodenbridge out to the start control, quite a distance away. After 15 minutes, the car was cured, but they decided there wasn’t much point in going on, as they were already at maximum lateness. Imagine their reaction to discover later that as the start control hadn’t been manned(!) everyone started from the first time point, 17. minutes after their due time.

David Yeates’ win puts him into a two point lead in the Hella East Coast series, with Stantey Gordon now second, and Gavin Campbell leading the navigators’ section,

Paul Phelan

Results – 1986 Dublin University Droichead Nua Rally.

1. D. Yeates/P. Phelan (Peugeot 20SGTi) 12m;
2. G. Leech/E. Harris (Kadett SR) §7m;
3. A. Hudson/I. Sheane (Escort 1600) 56m;
4. S. Gibson/V. Fagan (Escort 1300) 66m;
5. N. Odlun/L. Murphy (Avenger 1600) 74m;
6. T. Coude/R. Dooley (Avenger 1600) 148m;
7. E. Horan/N. Keegan (Escort 1600) 153m;
8. J. Burreli/G. Richardson (Kadett SR) 163m;
9. N. Coleborn/P. Higgins (Escort 1300) 175m;
10. S, Gordon/G. Campbell (Peugeot 20SGTi) 178m.