Cork Motor Club hosted the 1,000 Shakes Navigation Trial, with COC Nial Murphy and team lining out a 110-mile route based north of Macroom at Aghinagh GAA.
With the event being a counting round of the National Navigation Championship and Munster Navigation Trial Championship, there was local interest and much to play for.
Expert crew James Fitzgerald and Ken Carmody were first on the road and after tallying the first two time cards, they were ahead of the rest of the pack on eight penalties. Pakie Duffy and Evin Hughes were the nearest challenger on ten penalties with Colin Duffy/Sam Johnston and Patsy McDonagh/Patrick Corcoran just further back on 14 penalties.
Fitzgerald and Carmody would only drop a further two penalties on Card 3 leaving them on ten penalties. The Semi-Expert crew of Owen Murphy and Shane Maguire would be best of the rest on that card, dropping just 3 penalties going from 5th to 3rd overall before the final card. McDonagh/Corcoran had a strong sheet too, dropping four to move to 2nd Overall. Duffy/Hughes would drop 43 on Card 3 to put them out of contention for the overall win.
Three crews – Fitzgerald/Carmody, Murphy/Maguire and Alan Shinnors/Denis O’Donovan – would clean the final sheet, handing Fitzgerald/Carmody the win.
McDonagh/Corcoran dropped six but had just enough to retain 2nd Overall and 1st Semi-Expert crew, finishing a single penalty ahead of Murphy/Maguire.
Colin Duffy and Sam Johnston went into the event provisionally leading the national series and left with 4th OA and 1st Expert. Duffy/Hughes recovered to take 5th OA and 2nd in Class. Ryan Farrell also made the trip down, sitting with Mark Phelan. They would take 7th OA and 3rd Semi-Expert.
James and Ciaran French were top Novice and 9th OA, with David Beamish and Gary Kelleher rounding out the top ten as 1st Beginner.
Monaghan Motor Club’s Drumlin Navigation Trial
Next on the calendar and takes place on 3 February.
It is a counting round of the National, Border and Club championships.
County Monaghan Motor Club 