Jonny Greer and Niall Burns extended their championship lead with a commanding victory at Bishopscourt on Saturday.
The pair took the early lead after stage one of the Race and Rally Bishopscourt Stages. The Citroen powered crew were 2.2s faster than Derek McGarrity and Graham Henderson who hold second, 0.9s ahead of Gareth Sayers and Gareth Gilchrist.
Desi Henry and Paddy Robinson were fourth ahead of Aaron McLaughlin and Darren Curran, who reckoned it took a bit of time before their tyres started working.
They extended their lead after stage two. The reigning champion opted for a harder compound tyre for the second test and the decision worked wonders as he finished the stage almost four seconds faster than the chasing Derek McGarrity and Graham Henderson.
McGarrity reported no issues at the stage finish. He extended the gap between himself and third placed Gareth Sayers and Gareth Gilchrist but so far the former champion is struggling to find an answer to Greer’s pace. Six seconds separate rally leader Greer and McGarrity.
At the halfway point Jonny Greer and Niall Burns continue to lead the Race and Rally Bishopscourt Stages but Derek McGarrity and Graham Henderson narrowed their advantage to 3.7s.
Greer lost 2.3s to his rival through the third test after catching another competing car. A number of passing places have been built into the circuit to allow crews to safely get past but the car in front of Greer failed to see him behind.
After following the slower car for some time, Greer eventually managed to get past but the damage had been done and he reckons he lost around five seconds.
Meanwhile, Desi Henry and Paddy Robinson have climbed up to third overall at the expense of Gareth Sayers and Gareth Gilchrist who now hold fourth. Aaron McLaughlin and Darren Curran are fifth with Joe McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney up to sixth after Aidan Wray failed to finish the stage.
After the lunch break the rain started falling ahead of stage four but that failed to slow the Race and Rally Bishopscourt Stages leader Jonny Greer. He and navigator Niall Burns dominated the damp test, setting the pace in their stunning Citroen by almost five seconds to extend their lead to 9.5s over Derek McGarrity and Graham Henderson.
With two stages to go, McGarrity was starting to lose touch with the leaders but he held a strong command of second position over Desi Henry and Paddy Robinson.
Aaron McLaughlin managed to get ahead of Gareth Sayers to take fourth overall and with Sayers in fifth, Joe McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney are sixth.
With one stage to go, Jonny Greer and Niall Burns are on the verge of victory. With rain falling at Bishopscourt Race Circuit, they really mastered the conditions and almost doubled their advantage to 17.8s. Derek McGarrity and Graham Henderson are second but Desi Henry and Paddy Robinson are only 4.5s behind them.
Behind the top of three crews, there were plenty of dramas during that fifth stage. Aaron McLaughlin spun and then lost more time with another incident.
On the final stage Greer and Burns kept their cool to clinch the event and take there first win of the 2023 season.
Drama on the final test saw Desi Henry break a shaft near the stage finish. Derek McGarrity was unable to get around the car and hit the back of the Citroen before pushing it over the stage finish line. Both crews lost time and at the moment, it appears as though Gareth Sayers has taken second from McGarrity.
Joe McGonigle spun, hit the trackside tyres and stalled, dropping him down the order. Jason Dickson also lost time with an incident that forced him to reverse. Their dramas allowed Stuart Biggerstaff to climb three places up to fifth overall, while Gareth Sayers and Gareth Gilchrist hold on to fourth.
Another stunning time on the final stage for Stephen Whitford and Jonny Hart in their Micra sealed the 2WD award for the front-wheel-drive crew.
The next event is the Maiden City Stages on April 22nd.
