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RALLY NEWS
NO.4 End of stage 4..Sunday 3.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4
1st (1) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Impreza) 35.52
2nd (4) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Nagle (Escort G3) 36.35
3rd (20) Tim McNulty/Julian Nangle (Celica GT4) 36.57
4th (6) David Armstrong/Herbie Blackburn (Escort Cos) 37.01
5th (7) Sean McArdle/Paul McCann (Celica GT4) 37.34
6th (10) Norman Armstrong/Ciaran Kelly (Escort) 37.35
(12) Mac McKenna/John Loughran (Peugeot rwd) 37.35
8th (15) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Lancer N) 37.41
9th (22) James Cole/John Clarke (Escort Cos) 37.42
10th (9) Micky McArdle/Ger McMonagle (BMW M3) 37.56
Weather conditions cheered up somewhat for stage 4, Inishmore
- it was slightly damp at the start, and then bone dry for most
of the way. Niall Maguire was fastest and appeared unflustered.
Eugene Donnelly really went hard in the G3 Escort to score 2nd
fastest time from Tim McNulty. McNulty slowed slightly
when his Toyota when he clipped a rear wheel on a left hand hairpin.
David Armstrong lost time at the stage start when co-driver Herbie
had to get out and push start the car. Whenever he got back in,
he was all of a dither, with no belts on, as the clock ticked
towards the 5-4-3-2-1-GO...
Sean McArdle had a smooth run to equal 4th fastest time with
Patrick Elliott. Sean a lot happier on the right tyres.
Micky McArdle set a good time through the stage, but the Ardee
man was very worried about a vibration at the rear of his BMW.
Mac McKenna was the fastest of the class 11A brigade, with a
time of 8.52, Norman Armstrong on 8.53. Glenn Allen recorded
a 9.01 and he was pretty shocked when he saw Armstrong's time.
Amazingly Mac McKenna's time was achieved despite a slight stall
at the hairpin. Mervyn Wedlock described his stage as "brilliant",
and certainly he was well on the pace with 9.02. In class
11 Trevor Lancashire is doing the business, his total now 38.14.
James and Ann Foley, by their own high standards, are not having
a good day. Their time for stage 4 - 9.10 - to put them
on a total of 39.13. James laughed at stage finish "I was
on slicks in the wet and now I'm on wets in the dry!"
There was no sign of Mick McQuaid at the end of stage 4, nor
Dessie Keenan who we think retired earlier.
Patrick Elliott is now calling the gpN category very much his
own property. The Cavan man had a superb time through stage
4 and his closest gpN challenger, Joe McHugh, is now almost 1
minute back, with Sean Gallagher another 13 behind the Donegal
men's Escort Cosworth.
Ernest McMillen retired earlier in the day, his Suzuki suffering
an electrical problem coming off the start ramp. Car 94
Barney Greenan retired his Escort just yards from the start ramp
when the points closed up and it took half an hour to find the
problem. More news later..BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON..(with thanks
to Jack..) |
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