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RALLY NEWS
NO.6 Tallaght..Saturday 6.15
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 (end of leg 1)
1st (2) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC)1.03.58
2nd (6) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Escort Cos) 1.04.33
3rd (1) Austin McHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla WRC) 1.05.13
4th (4) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Celica) 1.06.22
5th (23) Hugh Dunne/Greg Shinnors (Legacy) 1.06.43
6th (25) John Treacy/John Smithwick (Escort) 1.08.30
7th (22) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Lancer N) 1.09.33
8th (24) George Treacy/Alan Treacy (Impreza N) 1.10.00
9th (11) Dominic Loughran/Lisa Mangan (Sierra) 1.10.18
10th (26) Eugene Ferry/John Gallagher (Escort) 1.10.36
Rally leader Eamonn Boland was bathed in sweat when he finished
stage 8, Ballinascorney, the reverse of stage 1, Glensamole.
Eamonn's Subaru WRC was fitted up with dry weather tyres, but
the skies opened and the roads were virtually flooded for the
Subaru's attempt at the 7.7 mile twisty bumpy narrow tarmac test.
Eamonn said after the stage that he felt he was lucky even to
get through, let alone unscathed. The Wexford man's time
was 8m32s while a beaming Austin McHale stopped the clock on
8.10. Austin picked a cross between a wet and an intermediate
Pirelli and it really paid off. Peadar Hurson didn't do
so badly either, recording 8.20. Hugh Dunne in the Legacy did
8.21. Boland 8.32. Michael Barrable was lucky to hold on
to his 4th place, his Celica incurring a puncture half way through
the test. Earlier Michael had changed a driveshaft on a road
section, so he was actually a couple of places further back int
he queue than scheduled, but in the stage it was on the new tar
uphill, just before the hairpin, and despite a large "don't
cut" in his pace notes, Michael shaved the corner too tight
and punctured the wheel.
In group N Patrick Elliott scored a 9.06. George Treacy in the
Subaru 9.05, the two still locked in a big battle for showroom
honours. Not so happy at the end of the stage was Eugene
Ferry, his lovely Escort deranged at the front right corner,
Eugene hitting shiny tar halfway through and careering into a
bank on a "3 left". Peter McCullagh is just outside
the leaderboard on a time of 1.12.13, Peter having sent up to
the north for a replacement front left strut for his Escort Cosworth.
Tom Taafe is on a total of 1.15.41 and glad to get his Integra
through that 8th stage.
Some of the class leaders after stage 7 include - Patrick Elliott
leading gpN. John Treacy leading class 11. Dominic Loughran leading
class 13. Lloyd Hutchison on a bionic run as usual in his Mini,
leading class 15, and lying 15th overall, quite remarkable!
Brian Corey leads cl.12. Tom Taafe cl.3. Shaun Gallagher in his
Civic cl.10. Brian Flanagan in his newly acquired Micra kit car,
cl.5. Eugene Meegan cl.6. Roy White in his new Lancer was
16th but has slipped to 26th after a bad time in stage 5.
Meanwhile up in Limavady, Denis Biggerstaff won the Dogleap from
Richard Hogg with John Donnelly 3rd. Richard Hall & Keith
White tying for 4th and Raymmond Mason was 6th and won gpN. Woodland
Furntiure series leader Robin Phillips could only manage 9th.BRIAN
& LIZ PATTERSON (thanks to Noel Clarke) |
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