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The 2009 rally season has kicked off in earnest with last week-end’s running of the Birr Stages Rally, the opening round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Patrick Elliott has made rather a habit of winning in recent times. Last year he clinched the Dunlop National Rally Championship with six wins. He started 2009 in a similar vein, winning the opening round in Birr two weeks ago. And on Sunday he added the latest success to his portfolio of wins with victory on the 2009 TF Royal Hotel and Theatre Mayo Stages Rally.

Ambrose Gaughan from Foxford and his Lahardane co-driver Derek Molloy claimed one of the best results of their rally careers to date, with second in class nine on Sunday’s Cavan Stages Rally. Competing in a Toyota Corolla the pair had a trouble-free run to finish 53rd overall from a starting position of 146th, recording a great result against some very strong opposition.

After an extended break of over two months, the Dunlop National Rally Championship resumed with Sunday’s circuit of Munster Stages Rally. The Limerick based rally was won by Niall Maguire, the Monaghan Subaru driver taking his third successive victory of recent weeks after championship rival Patrick Elliott put his similar car off the road on the final stage.

Sligo was the destination for a mini-Mayo invasion at the weekend as no fewer than 16 local rally crews descended on the county for the Sligo Stages Rally, round six of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, and round five of the HASS Border Rally Championship.

With the rally season drawing to a close for 2009, attention is now moving to the end of year awards ceremonies where competitors are honoured for their year's efforts and achievements. The HASS Border Rally Championship has always been a popular series with Mayo competitors, with the class based structure allowing all crews an opportunity to compete for the overall title. In 2009 local honour was upheld by competitors in class two, with Ciaran Walsh from Ballinrobe and his Tubbercurry co-driver Aidan Gannon emerging victorious in the category ahead of Castlebar's Brendan Corcoran.

The Mayo and District Motorsport club were well represented at last Sunday’s Connacht mini-stages rally based out of Grange in Sligo, with over 10 crews starting the extremely tough event.