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RALLY NEWS
NO.3 Service (near Dunlavin)..Sat..noon
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3
1st (6) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Escort Cos) 23.14
2nd (2) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 23.22
3rd (4) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Celica) 23.57
4th (23) Hugh Dunne/Greg Shinnors (Legacy) 24.53
5th (1) Austin McHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla WRC) 25.00
6th (25) John Treacy/John Smithwick (Escort) 25.01
The above times are from the first few cars only...
Austin McHale was fastest through stage 2 and equal fastest with
Peadar Hurson through stage 3 to quickly haul himself from nowhere
in the classification, on to the leaderboard. It was quite a
remarkable turn around by McHale after losing 2 minutes on stage
1 following suspension damage. Peadar Hurson has opened many
eyes, showing flashes of the brilliance which made him National
Champion a few years ago. Peadar reports the stages greasy but
otherwise OK. Eamonn Boland feels he is going just a wee
bit too easy. Michael Barrable reckons his Toyota is all over
the road and handling badly. Hugh Dunne has pulled back
some time after his first stage puncture and he was another to
reckon that the roads are deceptively slippery. Dominic
Loughran is on a total of 25.45 and he feels that he is just
going too slow.
Patrick Elliott is the highest placed gpN car that we have so
far on a total of 25.16 with George Treacy, still settling in
to his new Prodrive built Subaru on 25.29. Elliott reported
a very big moment on a 2 left over flat crest when his Lancer
stepped out and clipped the rear quarter panel. A bit of damage
but no real time loss. Michael Shaw's gpN Lancer suffered
an early puncture and is out of the reckoning for the moment.
John Treacy is setting the pace for the rest of the Mk2 Escort
boys, Eugene Ferry saying he has no answer to the flying Kilkenny
man. Young Sarah Murray has put her Micra through a hedge on
stage 1 after passing another competitor. Sarah managed
to keep going but there is damage to engine mountings etc.
Sean Keenan, driving the development Corsa, dropped a load of
time in stage 2 when he had to stop and change a wheel.
Some more totals from the early car include ...Tom Holton on
27.32. Tom Taafe is on 28.12 having managed to fix a steering
arm which was bent on the first stage.
Austin McHale may have a small road penalty applied for late
arrival at stage 1 - the penalty is not shown on the above times.
Kevin Barrett in the Triton Showers Subaru had a small turbo
problem in stage 1, finished the stage OK and got to the mechanics,
but no sign of the Maynooth man after stage 3. Car 48,
Edward & Owen O'Neill in the Civic, had a lucky escape at
the hairpin in stage 1 when they lost it and clipped a wheel.
More news later from service..BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON |
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