Fisher ‘excited’ about Galway return after two year break

ALASTAIR Fisher is ‘excited’ about making his rallying return this coming weekend at the Galway International, which is the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

The Ballinamallard man, who will again be partnered by experienced Omagh co-driver, Gordon Noble, won the event on its last running in February 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

The Galway International proved to be the only ITC event of 2020 because of the Coronavirus crisis and Fisher hasn’t been behind the wheel in anger since, so he’s eager to return to action.

“It’s pretty much two years to the date since we were last out, so we’re excited to get back out again,” he beamed.

While confident that he will have a say in who wins the event on Sunday, Fisher, who is number one seed, admits that the combination of a top class entry and his ring-rust means he’s not setting any targets initially.

Wesh duo, Merrion Evans and three-time British Rally champion Matt Edwards are among the top seeds, as is Feeney’s Callum Devine, Dromore’s Cathan McCourt, Josh Moffett, Jonathan Greer, Donagh Kelly, Declan Boyle and Kesh’s Garry Jennings, who rounds out a stunning top 10.

“We’re looking forward to it, there’s a really strong entry and I think everyone is excited about it,” Fisher added.

“There will be very stiff competition and everyone is up to speed now with the R5’s, everyone is on top of their game.

“The fact that everyone else has been competing over the last year, year and a half, will certainly give them an edge because when you haven’t been in the car, it takes a while to get your senses and your brain up to speed. But hopefully after a stage or two, we’ll be retuned and we’ll give it our best shot.”

Despite his lack of recent competitive action, Fisher is hoping that a good result in Galway can set him up for an Irish Tarmac Championship title tilt, a crown that has alluded him so far in his illustrious career.

“We’re going with a view to the championship,” he confirmed. “It’s important to start the first one and set yourself up to give yourself the best chance.

“It’s one of those things that has evaded us over the last few years, but it doesn’t mean it will happen this year either, so we’ll have to get our heads down and work hard.

“I’ve always liked Galway as an even and I’m quite fortunate that I’ve had a lot of good results in Galway over the years, so I have some confidence with that.

“It will just be about getting things fine-tunes, find a nice set-up that will allow me to push on with lots of confidence.”

Fisher and Noble will again compete in a Volkswagen Polo R5, the same machine he won in in 2020 and that decision was very deliberate.

“That was part of my thinking that you’re slipping back in and hopefully you’ll be back in the zone again,” he explained.

“I had an itch to give it [the Volkswagen] a go again. I felt we only scratched the surface with it in Galway 2020. I’d been keeping an eye on things over the last year, on what was looking good. It’s all about getting an edge, but I felt it was an easy car to sit into and go with the last time, so hopefully it will be the same this year.”

There is also plenty of local interest outside the top 10 seeds, with Ballygawley duo, Damien Toner and Denver Rafferty expected to be amongst the front-runners in the modified section.

Meanwhile, there will be plenty of North Tyrone interest in this weekend’s Galway International Rally.

Victoria Bridge’s Jason Mitchell is seeded 19th, with Clady’s Aidan Wray 20th and if their last outing on asphalt is anything to go by then those placings are very accurate.

At November’s Ulster Rally the pair were involved in a ding-dong event long tussle with Wray holding the upper hand until the final stage when Mitchell pipped him to ninth place overall, leaving the Clady car dealer in 10th.

Both would be delighted with that sort of return this coming weekend, but such is the wealth of talent above them in the seedings, they will know that won’t be easy.

There’s is quality throughout the massive entry list and two other local drivers will be keen to make their mark, with Drumquin’s Jason Dickson seeded 61st, while Strabane’s Ryan Caldwell is ranked 85th.

For Caldwell, he has only competed in a handful of rallies since dipping his toes in the sport’s waters alongside his drifting. The teenager is highly regarded in that world and is one of the top drift drivers in Ireland and the UK and he’s keen to make his mark on the stages too.

He will again be partnered in Galway by co-driver, Grace O’Brien, who has recently been included in the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, but that’s where any familiarity ends as it will be Caldwell’s first visit to the notoriously tricky season opener and it will be his first on tarmac behind the wheel of his new Rally4 Ford Fiesta.

On his debut in the machine, he won his class, finished first of the front-wheel-drive competitors and was a stunning 14th overall at the Cork Motor Club Rally Sprint just after Christmas.

If he can transfer that form into Galway, don’t be surprised to see him challenging for honours.