DUNMANWAY’S Jason McSweeney (Ford Escort Cosworth) swept to his second victory in this season's Irish Tarmac Historic Rally Championship with another fine performance, this time on his local event, the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally.

With Barryroe co-driver Dylan Doonan deputising for regular co-driver Liam Brennan, who was unavailable due to a family bereavement, they finished three minutes and 30.9 seconds ahead of the BMW M3 of Welsh visitors Adrian Evans/George Jones.

The Historic event didn't get underway until Saturday, and Dubliner Robert Barrable (BMW M3) led through the day's opening three stages. Then, on the second pass of the Kilbrittain he retired with engine problems. McSweeney inherited top spot and was some 41.9 seconds ahead of the Ford Escort of Sixmilebridge driver Tommy McDonagh.

However, McSweeney had steering issues with his Ford Escort Cosworth as he explained: ‘When you turn in (the steering wheel) for corners, it's very hard to turn back out.’

On the final run of Dunworley, the car stalled at the uphill hairpin. By the conclusion of the day's eight stages, the Dunmanway/Barryroe combination were a minute and 46.4 seconds ahead of Evans/Jones.

After Sunday's first loop of three stages and with the Evans/Jones in difficulty, McSweeney had the cushion of a three minutes and 54.8-second lead.

However, the repeat and final loop was fraught with problems – the rear differential stopped functioning on his home stage at Ballinacarriga and the Escort Cosworth WRC kept cutting out. Low fuel pressure brought extra concerns through Sam's Cross.

To add to an increasing number of issues, the intercom system stopped working – not even a change of helmets brought a solution. In the end it was all about coaxing the car to the finish ramp and subsequent final control.

‘Even with the buffer of a strong lead it was a really nervous finish, every minute felt like an hour. From the finish ramp we still had to make it back to the final control at parc ferme and that was a very nervous journey too,’ McSweeney said.

‘To win your home event is very special. Tom (Gahan) will have the car checked over and all ready for the Circuit of Ireland at the start of April.'

Newcestown's Ray O'Sullivan and his Waterfall co-driver Alan Whyte at the service park during Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

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Unlike previous years, the local participation – particularly in the top 50 seeds – was not at its previous levels with just seven local drivers. As well as Daniel Cronin, David Guest and Cal McCarthy, only Dunmanway's Conor McCarthy (Ford Fiesta Rally3), Kilcrohane's Jer O'Donovan (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Clonakilty's Kevin Kelleher (Ford Escort) and Rosscarbery's Jason O'Mahony were amongst the top 50 starters, seeded at 28, 30, 39 48 respectively.

O'Donovan and Kelleher were respective retirements on SS9 and SS10, while both McCarthy and O'Mahony finished under Super Rally.

McCarthy bowed out on SS4 (Kilbrittain) when he damaged the rear right wheel; he re-joined under Super Rally to get some seat time. The Dunmanway driver had no seat time in the RC2 car or any rally car for that matter – it's an onerous task to get on any decent pace in the circumstances.

O'Mahony, in the ex-Philip Cross Ford Escort that was fitted with a 2.5 litre engine, had to swap helmets with his co-driving brother Jonathan to try and sort an intercom problem. On SS6, the second run of Kilbrittain, as they approached a square left they had no power steering and couldn't prevent the car from nosing into a tree stump with the impact breaking a track control and cross-member – there was also some cosmetic damage. Overnight repairs including a new wing wheel arch saw them re-join the action for some enjoyable seat time.

The Pike's Eamonn MCcarthy (Honda Civic) was a Class 11F winner. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

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Locals crews did have some success with Class 9 featuring a West Cork one-two-three. Bandon's Donie O'Brien and Drinagh's Ciaran Daly (Vauxhall Nova) took a start-to-finish victory and finished an emphatic eight minutes and. 2.2 seconds ahead of the Schull/Rosscarbery crew of Dean McSweeney/Brian Keohane. Clonakilty's Jonathan Carroll/Barry McCarthy (MG ZR) were third.

Class 10 was another West Cork top three with Clonakilty's David Jennings/David Jennings Jr (Ford Escort) taking the spoils, seven minutes and 28.2 seconds ahead of the Ford Escort of Skibbereen's Frank Hurley and Bandon's Adrian Phelan. Ballinascarthy's James Symington (Hillman Avenger) and co-driven by Timoleague's Mike Lynch were third.

Victory in the hotly-contested Class 11F was annexed by The Pike's Eamonn McCarthy (Honda Civic), who finished one minute and 36.1 seconds ahead of the similar car of Ballinhassig's Barry McIntyre.

In Class 22, Glandore's Pat Calnan/Ray Shanahan (Ford Fiesta R2) took second place, over five minutes ahead of Rossmore's Seamus O'Donovan and Dunmanway's Daniel O'Donovan (Honda Civic).

Glandore's Pat Calnan (right) and Leap's Ray Shanahan (Ford Fiesta R2) finished second in Class 22. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

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For the second year in succession Ardfield co-driver Gary Lombard partnered Ladysbridge driver Darragh Walsh (Honda Civic) to victory in the Junior category. They were quickest on all but one of the five stages they contested. They finished one minute and 11 seconds ahead of the similar Honda Civic of Glanmire's Kyle Browne and his Knocknagree co-driver Mark O'Leary.