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RALLY NEWS
NO.4 End of stage 4..Saturday 2.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4
1st (4) Hugh M Doherty/Billy McCullins (Escort WRC) 32.15
2nd (3) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Celica) 32.40
3rd (14) Eugene Ferry/John Gallagher (Escort) 32.47
4th (24) John & James Cairns (Impreza N) 33.05
5th (20) Joe McHugh/Dermot McHugh (Escort Cos N) 33.06
6th (5) Ivan Stewart/Joe Friel (Escort Cos) 33.10
7th (23) Andrew Stewart/Fabian McShane (Impreza) 34.04
8th (21) Rory Kennedy/Paul Goodman (Lancer N) 34.37
9th (19) Alan Nesbitt/David Smith (Escort) 34.45
10th (18) Maurice Moffett/Gavin Campbell (Peugeot rwd)35.02
Hugh Martin Doherty was far and away fastest through stage 4,
Doorin, his Escort WRC stopping the clocks on 6.07. Tim McNulty
in the Toyota recorded 6.10, while Eugene Ferry in the Mk2 Escort
was 6.20. Eugene was far from happy when he came up to
the tape beside Kelly's Garage, reporting that he had been held
up in the stage by George Robinson, and of course the road was
so narrow he couldn't squeeze past the Ballymena man's Escort
Cosworth. Tim McNulty wasn't over the moon either, he had
crunched the front left mudguard of his Celica. Meath man
Tim had only lost a few seconds with the small accident and happily
the steering was not affected.
Brendan Kelly went off the road for over 4 minutes on the first
stage, then set very quick times through stages 2 and 3, but
it all went wrong in stage 4 when he spun his DGM prepared Lancer
within sight of the flying finish. The Mitsubishi collected a
few bits of banks and hedges in the process, Brendan was forced
to reverse the car over the flying finish and up to the stop
car. In the midst of all this, Mac McKenna in the rwd Peugeot
came round the corner to be confronted with the big Lancer.
There were a few swear words used as McKenna had to slam on the
brakes, and in fact lost quite a few seconds in the process.
Maurice Moffett also met the stricken Lancer but we dont think
he lost quite as much time. The upshot of all this was that Brendan's
Lancer is stranded at the stage finish with a broken oil cooler
- while the Kelly family waited up at the junction at the main
road for him. Following Paul Gallagher's retirement Mac
McKenna is one of the leading candidates to win the Border championship.
Seamus Gallagher is going very hard in his Civic and is leading
the class despite having a back brake problem. Robbie Peoples
is going well and fighting for hisclass lead with Rodney Wilton.
Andrew Stewart has speeded up and is back in the gpN hunt, his
Lancer having had a new gearbox fitted at service.
Martin Howley from the "Fleet Inn" lost some time over
the first few stages when his Subaru suffered 2 cracked brake
discs. Martin felt the stages were very slippy. Some other totals
include - Mac McKenna on 35.09: Micky McArdle 35.05: Mervyn Wedlock
had a good time through stage 4, speeded up from earlier, and
his total is 35.53: Robbie Peopples is on 35.26: Seamus Gallagher
35.07: More later.BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON |
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