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RALLY NEWS
NO.10 Milford service..Sat. 1.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 12 - ATLANTIC DRIVE
1st (3) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 1.31.49
2nd (1) James Cullen/Ellen Morgan (Impreza) 1.33.53
3rd (2) Austin McHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla) 1.34.10
4th (5) Ian Greer/Dean Beckett (Celica) 1.34.44
5th (9) Frank Meagher/Dermot O'Gorman (Escort WRC) 1.35.21
6th (11) Daniel & Michael Doherty (Impreza) 1.35.31
7th (8) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 1.36.17
8th (14) Hugh M Doherty/Mike Gibson (Escort WRC) 1.36.34
9th (24) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Nagle (Escort) 1.38.21
10th (35) Phillip Shaw/Nigel Frazer (Escort) 1.39.20
The great battle between James Cullen and Austin McHale is overshadowed
somewhat by the fantastic performance of Andrew Nesbitt at the
front, but James and Austin, and to a lesser extent, Greer, Meagher
& Daniel Doherty, are having a tremendous tussle, swopping
seconds on every stage. Of the 12 stages so far Andrew
Nesbitt has been fastest on all of them, but through Atlantic
Drive for example McHale was 1s slower than Cullen, whereas in
stage 11, Glen, James pulled 5 off the Toyota. It's a real ding
dong battle!
Andrew Nesbitt now has over 2 minutes in hand and commented here
at a very busy Milford service area "Now we have to keep
our concentration, probably easier to go hard, keep the pace
up". McHale was a bit happier with his tyre choice
for Atlantic, Cullen disappointed to drop a second. Ian
Greer in the Taranto de Pol Toyota was another a bit happier
with his tyre choice. Stephen Murphy dropped right off
the leaderboard when he got a puncture on the 2nd visit to Glen,
Murphy feels that he didn't hit the tyre or anything, and in
fact there is another tyre deflating as he arrived here at service.
Eugene Donnelly continues to lead the 2 wheel drive category,
highest placed modified car, and told us "I'm very relaxed
at the moment we're on a nice pace and I'm trying to conserve
the car. There is a long way to go". In fact when
we went over to talk to Eugene he was sitting with the headphones
on quietly singing to himself "I need someone to love"...
Philip Shaw, still leading class 11A convincingly said "We're
on a wee pace, happy with it, keeping it clean". Donie
O'Sullivan in the 2nd Bio Clear car told us "She (the car)
was very generous over the brows yesterday, we have changed the
suspension and now we're having a lovely run". Glenn
Allen reports no power below 5000 revs. Seamus Heron continues
to lead gpN and says he is keeping it steady - Seamus is in an
ADR hired Lancer and is still getting used to it. Brendan Kelly
is 1m27s behind Heron in the gpN race, Kelly landed on top of
a hedge in Glen, knocked off the front spoiler and would love
to have it back! Natalie Barratt is 3rd in gpN and "happy,
doing my own thing". Natalie was delayed yesterday
by slower cars. Eamonn Harvey has some power steering noises.
Joe McGurk is settling in to the Davy Greer Celica and now just
inside the top 20 - Joe has had 2 first stage national rally
retirements in this car. Eugene Ferry has retired his Escort.
Doyle brothers from Gilford have lost 8mins with electrical problems.
Noreen McDaid had a fan belt problem. Kerridge Rally - Dodd leads
from Wetton from Mann (N)..(after SS3)..BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON |
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