Parts for car recovery and other

Last weekend’s IRC Rally Scotland didn’t provide 21 year old Alastair Fisher the end to a superb season he had hoped for, but nevertheless the young Co. Tyrone driver had shown great speed on this International event. Things began well for Alastair and co driver Barry McNulty as they lay joint 4th overall after the opening two Thursday evening spectator tests at Scone Palace. The first real stage of the event was Friday morning’s Craigvinean test, and things started well as PPG Lancer recorded second fastest Group N time, behind Scotsman Dave Weston Jnr, despite a half spin by Alastair. However the next stage was not to prove as fortunate for Alastair. “We were having a good run through the stage, until a hairpin right. Exiting the corner I just hesitated on the throttle for a split second and the car aquaplaned on top of the mud, we just went a foot off line and clipped a log, bending the wishbone. We lost about 15 seconds but the McGarrity Motorsport/ Pro-Tec team did a great job to repair it in service.” ”We were really pushing, but we had to complete the last 6 kilometres of the stage with a rear wheel puncture. What we didn’t realise was that it would eventually lead to our retirement. We damaged a brake pipe and calliper, which left us with no brakes for the final stage before service. Unfortunately it was a short service and despite the team’s best efforts the system wouldn’t bleed and we simply ran out of time. It was naturally very disappointing but in saying that generally this season has been good for us.”

Indeed it’s been a great season for Alastair, starting off in his familiar ST Fiesta, in which he won the first round of the Irish Fiesta series in Galway. It was the move into a new Pro-Tec built Group N Mitsubishi Evo 9 however that really sparked off interest in the young driver eventually landing him a Pirelli Yellow Jersey after his splendid third place finish on the Manx International. “My first event in the Evo was the Bulldog Rally, and my first on tarmac was in Killarney were we battled for 2nd in Group N and eventually claimed third. We narrowly missed out on the overall Group N Tarmac Championship after our troubles in Cork, but finishing third in both the British and Irish Championships along qualifying for the Pirelli Shoot-out were highly satisfying. I suppose looking back at it,  the 3rd place on the Manx, 2nd on the Ulster and 2nd overall on the Northern Ireland Championship, Lakeland and Glens of Antrim gravel rallies were the highlights. Above all I have really enjoyed this year, and all credit also to my co-drivers Rory Kennedy and Barry McNulty.”

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