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RALLY NEWS
NO.6 End of stage 6...Saturday 4.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6
1st (2) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Subaru WRC) 58.02
2nd (4) Frank Meagher/Dermot O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 58.17
3rd (1) Ian Greer/Dean Beckett (Corolla WRC) 58.30
4th (3) Austin McHale/Joe Downey (Corolla WRC) 59.35
5th (6) Donal O'Donovan/MJ Morrissey (Celica) 59.45
6th (5) Kenny McKinstry/Sean Mullally (Subaru WRC) 1.00.18
7th (14) Niall McShea/Michael Orr (Saxo) 1.02.02
8th (18) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Nagle (Escort G3) 1.02.32
9th (9) Frank O'Mahony/Hugh McPhillips (Subaru) 1.02.45
10th (24) Roy White/Des Cooney (Lancer N) 1.03.28
Frank Meagher followed his stage 5 fastest time with another
one here at stage 6, the 2nd attempt at Ballindangan. The
Cloneen man stopped the clocks on 9.35 for the 11.4 mile stage,
Andrew Nesbitt was on 9.40, Ian Greer 9.41. Austin McHale looked
pretty grim when he stopped at stage finish and refused to comment
on whether his clutch was OK or not, just shrugging his shoulders
at his time of 9.54. O'Donovan was 9.56 and McKinstry 10.06.
The rally is starting to settle in to a pattern but it is still
completely unpredictable at the front. Meagher has got the bit
well and truly between his teeth, and is on a huge charge, Nesbitt
more a matter of controlled aggression. Ian Greer started
the rally seemingly fairly relaxed, but he was far from that
when he finished this stage 6. Nesbitt reported the stage
damp towards the start and then dry and very fast at the end.
He reckoned his choice of dry weather Pirellis was correct, but
the pressure is certainly on. McKinstry is still slightly off
the pace in the lhd Subaru and is having to give best to Donal
O'Donovan in 5th, Donal slowed slightly with water injection
problems, but his Celica was still 10s ahead of the gold WRC.
Niall McShea is doing brilliantly to hold on to 7th place in
his Denis & Mary Ryan supported Citroen. The Fermanagh
man beaming from ear to ear when he finished the stage, and saying
"Its taken me a year and a half to get to grips with this
yoke, but boy she's going now".
Eugene Donnelly in 8th, has his Escorrt G3 brakes sorted now,
his only problem a slight misfire. Sean Gallagher is up to 2nd
in the modified division, lying just outside the top 10, with
Greg McCormack 3rd. Tom Randles was expected to make an impression
in the modifieds, but he has reportedly crashed his fluorescent
orange Escort in stage 5. Frank O'Mahony slipped to 9th on this
6th stage having spun and got jammed at a junction. In group
N Roy White is still very much in command, his time in stage
6 10.26 - Liam Davis was on 10.48 but seemed to have slight tyre
trouble, Nigel Hickland is 10.50, Nigel's main quest class points
in the Southern 4 series. In the Ford Ka Championship Oliver
Stanley was leading after stage 5, just 1s ahead of John O'Dowd
with John Carroll 3rd. In the Inter Nation contest cross channell
visitor Woffingden was lying 3rd behind Irish drivers Stanley
& O'Dowd. More news later...BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON |
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