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RALLY NEWS
NO.4 End of stage 3 - Saturday 2.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3
1st (2) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Subaru WRC) 29.07
2nd (1) Ian Greer/Dean Beckett (Corolla WRC) 29.08
3rd (4) Frank Meagher/Dermot O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 29.20
4th (3) Austin McHale/Joe Downey (Corolla WRC) 29.55
5th (6) Donal O'Donovan/MJ Morrissey (Celica) 30.01
6th (5) Kenny McKinstry/Sean Mullally (Subaru WRC) 30.11
7th (14) Niall McShea/Michael Orr (Saxo) 31.06
8th (18) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Nagle (Escort G3) 31.18
9th (9) Frank O'Mahony/Hugh McPhillips (Subaru) 31.24
10th (24) Roy White/Des Cooney (Lancer N) 31.32
Just 3s separated the fastest three drivers through stage 3,
Ballindangan. Ian Greer was fastest with 9.43. Meagher had 9.44,
Nesbitt 9.45. Austin McHale, his Corolla's clutch now a
whole lot better, was just a smidgeon slower on 9.49. Greer
commented after the 11.4 mile test "That was my first stage
in the dry in the car, not too bad." Nesbitt reported
that his Impreza WRC's water injection system malfunctioned during
the stage. Frank Meagher's co driver Dermot O'Gorman, when
discovering they were 2nd fastest, whooped "Thats the effing
job!" Austin McHale felt that the clutch had more
or less sorted itself out and his Toyota is back on song.
Kenny McKinstry's time was inexpicably slow, over 20s down on
Greer, and Kenny had thought he had gone pretty well. O'Donovan
was also quite a few seconds down on the fastest cars, and he
observed "Maybe I'm getting too old for this crack".
Really though, it has to be remembered that Donal's car is years
behind the technology of these World Rally Cars at the front
of the field. Sean McArdle lost time when he encountered
a runaway horse on the road. Eugene Donnelly was the fastest
of the modified cars with a time of 10.16. Greg McCormack
in the Mk2 Escort is going really well, lying just outside the
top 10 with a total of 31.53. Tom Randles is still being
a bit cautious and his total of 33.04. Johnny O'Sullivan
is still worried by a misfire, his total 32.08 in his quest for
the Southern 4 champion's title. Niall McShea continues to stun
the opposition with his performance in the little 1600cc Saxo,
and reports no problems.
In group N Roy White still leads but he is going to have to keep
a weather eye out for Gerry McVeigh. Gerry made a slow start,
but was 10s faster than the FESP Lancer. Seamus Heron was
very much in the gpN picture but his Lancer is stopped in stage
3, possibly with a puncture. Liam Davis is keeping it all together
and his total 32.22. In the Historics after the first couple
of stages, Lloyd Hutchinson had his Mini's nose in front of Martin
Freestone, John Farrell 3rd and John Keatley 4th. Those first
4 are all post historics, Dessie Nutt in the Porsche was 5th
in the list, and first proper Historic. In the Ford Ka division
- O'Dowd leads the irish contenders, Woffingden the English with
Woffingden 9s in front of O'Dowd. Other Ka stories include -
Denise Ryan, Barry Barrable and Denning all crashed in SS2. John
Carroll has power steering probs. More later.BRIAN & LIZ
PATTERSON
LATEST - Nesbitt 11 secs up on Greer stage 4.... |
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