Flanagan’s ‘Irish-Italian’ Job for Mini Cooper S

In a plan reminiscent of the iconic film The Italian Job, Ireland’s Kevin Flanagan spent Easter weekend fitting his Mini Cooper S in to a friend’s Mercedes Sprinter van. Why? Let Flanagan explain: “I was wondering how to get the Mini and Pete Gallagher's Evo to Dover; one of the Scottish lads suggested Five Star Vehicle Deliveries in Kilmarnock. It seems that the plan is to put ours and a couple of the Scottish cars on one transporter.”

The Five Star vehicle will leave Aberdeen with the Evos of Groundwater and Louden, plus a service barge, then pick up the two Irish cars in Kilmarnock. Flanagan, who finished 34th overall and third in SuperModified 1 in Sol RB17, this year has Vanessa Hamilton as co-driver, having struck up a close friendship with her and husband Robin, having also serviced on the Edinburgh couple’s MG Metro 6R4.

After a successful test loading, Flanagan will head off on Thursday (April 25), towing the Gallagher Evo VI. Although it will be a round trip of about 500 miles, Flanagan describes it as: “simple enough. I drive to Belfast, catch the ferry to Cairnryan, after which it is about an hour and a half to Kilmarnock. Then back later the same day.”

On his second visit with the Dublin Crystal/Peter Green Motorsport Evo VI, Gallagher will have local co-driver Rene Forde on the notes: “The engine got a bit of a refresh over the winter and I had a shakedown on a local event; the car was going well, so I am hoping for better luck this year. We broke a driveshaft on the first stage on Saturday last year, borrowed one from Geoff Phelps (fantastic for competitors in the same class to lend a hand, typical of the camaraderie in Barbados) and got out for a few stages later on, then finished ninth in the Sunday Cup.”

Sol Rally Barbados and Flow King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 60th Anniversary in 2017; Sol RB19 marks the 12th year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company, and the fourth by communications provider Flow.

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