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RALLY NEWS
NO.7 Ballymena..finish..Saturday 5.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 10 (BALLYBOLEY) LAST STAGE
1st (23) Robert Woodside/Dean Beckett (Impreza) 37.31
2nd (8) Kevin O'Kane/Stephen Griffith (Impreza) 38.00
3rd (2) Derek McGarrity/MJ Morrissey (Impreza) 38.08
4th (4) Robin Philips/Mike Gibson (Celica) 38.22
5th (3) Denis Biggerstaff/Guy Carlisle (Metro 6R4) 38.25
6th (7) Richard Hall/Declan Campbell (Escort Cos) 38.53
7th (9) Richard Hogg/Mark Hanna (Lancer N) 39.01
8th (14) Keith White/David Lyness (Escort) 39.06
9th (10) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Celica) 39.13
10th (1) Eamonn Boland/Alun Cook (Subaru WRC) 39.15
It was certainly a red letter day for Robert Woodside winning
this Toshiba Rally, but even more special for Robin Philips who
pipped Denis Biggerstaff on the post to take the Woodland Furniture
NI Championship. Further back Raymond Mason and Raymond Johnston
tied for 2nd in gpN today, Mason gets the nod on fastest number
of stage times, and he wins the Woodland Furniture GpN title.
Robert Woodside put up a copybook performance today, led from
start to finish, and with the experienced Dean Beckett on the
pace notes never put a wheel wrong. One of the rally's
best kept secrets was that Robert's McKinstry Subaru lost 5th
and 6th gear on the 2nd visit to Slieveanorra and Robert had
to use all his skills to keep the car on the pace through the
final stages. Omagh man Kevin O'Kane held on to 2nd place
despite getting involved with the spinning John McKeown at the
end of stage 8. Derek McGarrity finished 3rd, a slight misfire
over the final couple of stages rendering a challenge to O'Kane
fruitless. Willie McKee in the "OO" Sunbeam crashed
heavily at the end of Ballyboley. The car was half sitting across
the track for the first few cars, and the David Greer mechanics
hoisted it out of the way before their man Robin Philips appeared.
That certainly did not decide the championship, although every
little helps. Biggerstaff was slightly in front going into
the last stage but found he could not get grip with the Metro,
Robin Philips put on new tyres and gave it everything he'd got,
and was 8s quicker through that final Ballyboley stage.
Denis was first to congratulate Robin, and commented "He
was going well, I wouldn't let him have it easy".
37 year old Robin Philips from Comber commented "We gave
it a real go, its been a good championship this year".
Robin's co-driver Mike Gibson said about that last stage "It
was shout, shout, shout on the notes!"
Richard Hogg has won group N overall, Glenn Allen finishes just
off the leaderboard and has won his class. Raymond Mason
and Raymond Johnston were 11th and 12th on the same total time
of 39.10. Our thanks to all who supported and helped with
the RallyNews service..
BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON
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