CONNAUGHT WINS IRISH HILLCLIMB OPENERS

After a stone picked up in the timing belt had led to bent valves in Simon McKinley’s Lant-Warrior during Saturday’s practice session at Felthard-on-Sea, the defending champion shared Dermot Nolan’s Reynard-Vauxhall/Connaught to win the opening round of the CCE Irish Hillclimb Championship in Wexford, well clear of David James’ Mitsubishi Evo. Former champion Paul O’Connell chased hard at Duncannon the following day but had to settle for second place in his Delta-Warrior behind McKinley, who stormed to a second win in the Reynard following overnight repairs to a broken wishbone sustained at the bumpy Felthard 'climb.