 |
Rounds 8 & 9 BRDA MSA
2004-10-18 - By Philip Byrne
Dunlop Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year Eoin Murray was in impressive form at Mondello Park this weekend when he competed in the BRDA MSA British Rallycross at the Co. Kildare venue in his self run Peugeot 205.
 Setting fastest run times and winning all of his heats on the Saturday he put himself on pole for the Stock Hatch final on Saturday afternoon. A slipping clutch impeded his getaway off the line and dropped him to fourth by the first corner however a valiant fight back saw him pick off championship leader Adrian Horsley after just one lap and catching and passing Julian Godfrey with just a half lap to go. In the short space left to the line he closed on race leader Jamie Lea and they disputed the win right to the line with some deft defensive driving giving Lea the win by a margin of less than a car length.
Murray again set the fastest run time of the day on Sunday by a margin of 5sec. however despite this he had to settle for row two of the grid for the final. A great start saw him in second place, behind polesitter Adrian Horsley, after the first corner. At ‘the Hole in the Hedge’ on the second lap Murray made his move and got the lead. Under breaking at Dunlop Horsley speared into the rear of Murray’s car putting him totally sideways however Murray managed to pull it back from a 90 degree angle and still hold the lead. It was at this point that the rules of gentlemanly motorsport went out the window and Horsley unceremoniously drove Murray off the circuit and into the pit wall finishing his race after only two laps.
Horsley was lucky to hold his win and received only the merest of penalties, in the circumstances, of a fine of 100Euro and three further points for his licence an Irish official of the meeting commenting afterwards felt that to penalise Horsley further would have been seen as ‘’anti British’’.
Murray who raced in the European Alfa Challenge last season and took several podiums and fastest laps came fourth overall in that championship. He is now considering offers to compete in the World Alfa Romeo Challenge in 2005.
|
|
|
Send to a friend
// -->