|
|
|
|
|
|
RALLY NEWS
NO.4 Service..Sunday 3.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5
1st (4) Paul Harris/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza) 44.02
2nd (3) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Impreza) 44.28
3rd (10) Anthony O'Halloran/Sean Moriarty (Impreza) 44.44
4th (6) Tim McNulty/Greg Shinnors (Celica) 45.07
5th (16) Richard Casey/Christina Madden (Escort) 45.20
6th (11) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Celica) 45.31
7th (24) Ollie O'Donovan/David Moyniham (RS2000) 45.33
8th (9) Hugh M Doherty/Billy McCullins (Escort WRC) 46.01
9th (15) Joe McGurk/Arthur Kierans (Celica) 46.34
10th (19) Philip Shaw/Bridget Averall (Escort) 46.35
To recap on our last Rally News - Paul Harris led this Clare
Stages Rally initially, but then dropped well over 20s in stage
2 with power steering trouble to let Donal O'Donovn into the
lead. West Cork man O'Donovn crashed out on stage 3 and
it was thought that Tim McNulty would lead after stage 3 but
Harris set equal fastest time with Anthony O'Halloran to move
into the lead, 3s ahead of McNulty. O'Halloran had been in 9th
place, but that equal fastest time on his home, Ruan, stage,
catapulted Anthony in the McKinstry Subaru right up the leaderboard.
There was another top retirement when George Cullen was forced
to call it a day, his Celica's clutch kaput.
Dunlop championship leader Niall Maguire commented here at service
"I can't go any harder". Harris said "We're
going hard, but having to shift from 4th to 6th gear, there's
no point in going near 5th, its wild hard to drive like that".
McNulty lost a fair bit of time in stage 5 when his Celica developed
a problem nd lost power...reason as yet unknown Anthony O'Halloran
could be even further up the leaderboard - he was quicker than
Maguire through stages 3, 4 and 5, but his Subaru is fluffing
for one mile from the start of each stage, and Anthony has to
wait before he swicthes on the anti lag.
Hugh M Doherty had moved up to 3rd place after stage 3, was still
well in the hunt after stage 4, and that was despite having big
clutch troubles with his Escort WRC, but then the Donegal man
put the black machine through a hedge in stage 5. It was
a fast medium right tightens into square right. The Ford went
over a stone wall, went 6 or 700 yards up the field before getting
out a gate on to the road. Well over a minute lost.
Latest reports are that stage 5 was blockd when Pat Mullane got
his Escort jammed between 2 hedges. Other stories include..Ollie
O'Donovn had an overshoot in stage 5. Patrick Elliott continues
to lead group N. Brian Flanagan & Ted Gaffney had a
lucky escape when their Nissan Micra Kit Car suffered sheared
wheel studs on the downhill section into Ruan village. They were
forced to retire but because John O'Dowd did not compete on this
one, they have tied up class 5 in the Dunlop national championship.
Pat & Jim Casey have retired their Escort because of electrical
problems. Dessie Keenan is now on a total of 48.07, losing
time with that bent axle although the handling is slightly better
with new front tyres fitted. Kevin Barrett is on 46.43 in the
Triton Showers Subaru and reports no problems. More news to follow..BRIAN
& LIZ PATTERSON
|
|
|
|
|
