Bertie Fisher, Rory Kennedy and the Toughmac Subaru Ireland Rally team have decided, in the best interests of the sport, to accept the decision of the stewards to reverse the result of the AA Circuit of Ireland and award first place to Austin McHale and Brian Murphy.
In a statement issued yesterday, Fisher congratulated his rivals and accepted that they took a legitimate course of action to challenge what they believed to be an unjust penalty.
"To appeal against the decision of the stewards, which is our right, would be to ask for the penalty to be re-instated and it is not within the nature or sporting code of this team to attempt to win rallies anywhere other than on the roads and special stages," said Fisher.
Meanwhile, business as normal resumes in the Red Mills National Championship of which round three is Sunday's Glencarn Hotel Monaghan Rally. Not only has the entry reached its permitted maximum of 130, but there are 45 crews on the standby list.
Defending champion John Gilleece in his Ford Escort RS Cosworth will no doubt face the strongest challenge from last year's winner, Charlie Donnelly. Having changed from his trusty Opel Manta to a Toyota Celica GT4, Donnelly has not enjoyed much success. Although he is not contesting all the nationals this year, he will be anxious for a morale boosting second successive Monaghan win.
Victory in Monaghan would see Gilleece well on the road to two-ina-row championship titles, but he may yet come under pressure from Michael Barrable who will have his Toyota Celica GT4 converted to right-hand-drive.
Status Motorsport, Ireland's newest motor racing team, make their European debut this weekend at Zolder in Belgium. The Dublin team has entered Mark Kershaw and Michael Keohane in the opening rounds of the Formula Opel EU Series.
Kershaw (19), from Brittas, Co Dublin, competed in the Formula Opel support races for last year's Spanish and British Grands Prix and represented Ireland in the Nations Cup at Donington.
Keohane (17), from Clonakilty, Co Cork, has made the transition to Formula Opel via karting and Formula Ford 1600.
