Mahon is back on course

By Stephen Leonard

BARRY Mahon together with co-driver and Ultan McGowan enjoyed a great weekend at the Jim Walsh Cork Forestry Rally.

The Bohernabreena man was looking to bounce back from a couple of difficult outings when he lined out in what was Round Four of the Valvoline Irish Forestry Championship.

The event consisted of six stages around the Mallow area of Cork and they made a strong start, finishing 25 seconds quicker than Polish driver Lukasz Czapnik on Stage One.

On Stage Two the pair were fastest again, emerging 24 seconds quicker than Kilkenny man Adrian Beattie.

“It was into service after that and then onto a long 16 km stage” recalled Mahon.

“We went very hard on this stage to try give us a comfortable cushion of a lead and it worked.

“We went 54 seconds quicker than anybody, which gave us a comfortable lead. We drove steady on the last three stages maintaining the lead and were delighted to arrive back into Mallow with the victory.

“We have had a lot of bad luck in Cork over the years so it was great to change that” he added.

In the championship McGowan still leads the Navigators division while Mahon has moved into second place in the Drivers Championship.

The dropped scores system in the champion-ship means that every drivers’ best five from seven results will count, so it is all to play for at the next event, Lakeland Rally in Enniskillen in September.