Glass wins on MSA Asphalt Rally debut

Darren Gass registered for the REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship at Signing-On for the fifth round, the ALMC Stages Rally, and came away with an outright win on the Dublin-based event. Driving a hired Subaru Impreza WRC, the 23-year old from Co. Armagh admitted to a few spins as he acclimatised himself to the unfamiliar car but managed to stay out of the trouble that affected so many of the other front-runners to take maximum Championship points at his first attempt.

2010 ALMC Stages winner Damian Cole had to be content with runner-up spot this time but, with James Morgan reading the notes in his Ford Focus WRC, the result strengthens his lead in the Championship as it passes the halfway stage. The weather was such that, as is so often the case, tyre choice was critical as parts of the stages became very slippery following intermittent rain showers.

For the second year running, Simon Mauger took third place in his Ford Escort MkII, this time with regular co-driver Brian Cammack helping to stave off the determined efforts of a whole host of very quick and well-driven Escorts, not least of which were those UK entries contesting the Millington Escort Challenge. At the City North Hotel finish, Mauger described his event as ‘not a good day at the office’ but he maintains his 2nd overall position in the points and next up is the Tyneside Stages, on the Otterburn Ranges, which he won last year.

Watch the MSA Aspalt Rally Championship on Motors TV


Andrew Haill