Cookstown's John McGlaughlin finished his rally season on a high by taking a top 10 position and fifth in the production category at last weekend's Cork '20' International Rally.
 
Driving his McGlaughlin's Bakery Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, John also secured second position in the Group N Irish Tarmac Championship standings!
 
In stark contrast to August's Ulster Rally, where John struggled with a down on power engine as well as a number of punctures, the 25-year-old driver encountered few dramas during the Cork event. With the Sunoco Fuels sponsored car back on song, John and navigator Stephen McAuley were brimming with confidence ahead of the two-day event.
 
As one of the main Group N title contenders, John still had a chance of lifting the prestigious title. Unfortunately, two non-finishes earlier in the year, combined with two events where the Cookstown driver struggled with mechanical problems, put him on the back foot ahead of the final championship round.
 
"I went to Cork with the intention of taking maximum championship points," McGlaughlin admitted. "But during the event I realised there was a problem with my pace notes - I hadn't made them fast enough for medium geared corners. It was a bit disheartening knowing that it was an issue with my own notes, but that's why we lost time on the Saturday."
 
Indeed, Saturday's fast and flowing stages didn't suit John, and combined with his pace note problem, he found himself lying 11th overall and sixth in class at the end of the leg. So when the Ears.ie backed pilot woke up to a splattering of rain on Sunday morning, things were looking promising.
 
"Sunday's stages were tighter and twistier," John recalled, "and with the rain making conditions slippery, I was in my element. Over the first loop of stages, we jumped two places. After that, we were too far behind anyone to make any impression so it was a case of getting home."
 
There was no need to push hard during the closing miles but the event had one final problem up its sleeve. A wrong tyre choice saw the car's grip levels diminish during the closing miles, and John had to slow down to ensure he reached the finish in one piece.
 
In the end, the Hilltop Fuels backed team secured ninth overall and fifth in Group N, which was more than enough to secure the runner-up position in the production category of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship. John also sealed sixth overall in the series, which put the icing on the cake for his rally season!
 
"I'm happy to have finished second in the championship," McGlaughlin admitted. "It has been a good battle all year, but I'm a wee bit disappointed for the team. There are always ifs and buts, and only for two non-finishes and two events with mechanical problems, the battle could have been even closer!"
 
With the season drawing to a close, John is now putting plans together for 2009. In the meantime, he would like to thank everyone who has helped him during the 2008 season: Davy McGlaughlin, McGlaughlin's Bakery, Hilltop Fuels, Kumho Tyres, Ears.ie, Sunoco Fuels, McNeill Motorsport and Roy Dempster. For more information, log on to www.jmcglaughlin.co.uk.