The Fisher name back on top spot in Galway
Alastair Fisher’s victory in the Modern Tyre Services backed VW Polo R5 on the Galway Rally brought back many poignant memories for rally fans throughout Ireland. Alastair’s victory came 21 years since his uncle Bertie’s victory on the event.
With twenty Irish Tarmac Rally Championship victories to his name, the legendary Bertie Fisher is still the most successful rally driver in Irish rallying history.
Bertie’s 19th victory came on the 1999 Galway International Rally when his nephew Alastair was just 11 years old. Driving a Prodrive Subaru Impreza 555, Bertie and Rory Kennedy took victory on a wet and windy Galway Rally.
Like this years event, the 1999 rally attracted all the top names in Irish rallying and Bertie’s Impreza faced stiff opposition from the likes of Ian Greer in a TTE Toyota Celica GT4 as well as the Subaru Imprezas of Derek McGarrity and Andrew Nesbitt. That years event too ran in very wet and windy conditions but Bertie displayed all his experience and mastery and took an impressive victory.
Fast forward twenty-one years later, Alastair took his first ever Tarmac Championship victory in the Modern Tyre Services back VW Polo R5. Co-driven by Gordon Noble, the pair led the rally from start to finish against one of the best entries seen in Ireland in years with the top twenty cars virtually all state of the art R5 cars.
Speaking afterwards, Alastair Fisher commented; “It’s a great feeling to take our first Irish Tarmac win and secure a strong start to the season. I am delighted to put the Fisher name back on the Galway Rally trophy once again. Uncle Bertie was my inspiration growing up and to secure a win in the Irish Tarmac Championship has brought a lot of happiness to my family and I, along with the wider Irish rallying community who followed Uncle Bertie’s rallying exploits.”
With 45 branches across Ireland, Modern Tyres has been supporting Alastair Fisher for 8 years as he progressed through the WRC Academy, the Junior World Rally Championship, the British Rally Championship and now the Irish Tarmac Championship.
