Despite an off road altercation, Jimmy McRae proved to be the class of the field on the 1982 Galway International Rally. In typical Galway Rally conditions, McRae and co-driver Ian Grindrod powered clear of fellow Opel Ascona driver Ger Buckley and the Talbot Sunbeam mounted John Coyne. McRae, who had won the Irish Tarmac Championship the previous year elected to give away his points on this event as he was now focusing the European Rally Championship. The extra points received by Buckley and Coyne in particular, were to have a major bearing on the result of the 1982 Championship.
