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The Crosby Cedars Hotel Wexford Single Stage |
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RALLY NEWS NO.2 Service/Sunday 2pm UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 1st (2) David James/Ron Guha (Escort BDX) 10.36 2nd (17) Philip Shaw/Derek Brennigan (Escort) 10.39 3rd (6) Jimmy Lambert/James Coleman (Escort) 10.44 4th (5) John Nolan/John Smithwick (Escort) 10.45 5th (39) Thomas O'Rourke/John O'Rourke (Astra) 10.52 6th (19) Eamonn Murphy/Keith Martin (Escort) 10.58 7th (135) Garry Jennings/James O'Brien (Peugeot) 10.59 8th (16) Willie Fannin/Brian Duggan (Lancer N) 11.00 9th (18) Shay Power/Martin Croke (Escort) 11.02 10th (7) Tom Randles/Diarmuid Lynch (Escort) 11.06 **Car 29 James Stafford/M Stafford (Nova) credited with a time of 10.29 on the time card - has to be checked. David James, as expected was fastest out of the starting blocks, the Wexford man saying "No major problems, a good clean run, no spins, no moments, and may go on to slicks for the next stage. The road was dry part of the way and wet part of the way". His closest pursuer was Philip Shaw and he said "I went better than I thought I would, halfway through the stage the tyres went off. I'll get new ones fitted now, and we should be OK". Not so happy are William Carroll and Willie O'Dwyer. Carroll was 2nd on the road behind James but has not appeared here at service. His Escort Cosworth reportedly clipped something and has stopped. No word on O'Dwyer's 6R4, but there has been no sign of it here at service. We hear that Noel Redmond (No.26) has also crashed, as has Joe Curran in the Astra, but this has to be confirmed. Other stories include John Nolan losing a few seconds when he was off the road, happily with no damage. Indeed many of the top drivers reported overshoots and trips into the ditches, thanks to the slippery conditions. Jimmy Lambert was one of those, he said he was getting frustrated and then overshot a junction, but his tyres just weren't working properly. Tom Randles said "We had 2 overshoots, the front tyres wsere too hard a compound and it took me time to get to grips with the sequential box". John Hennessey reckons he lost some time when he caught a car in front. James Foley in the Civic was slowed when a plug lead came adrift, James saying "I'm embarrassed, the same thing happened 3 times in France". Trevor Culbert lost a mountain of time - over 3 minutes - because his Escort developed a very bad misfire. Paddy O'Reilly reported some clutch slip with his Ford. He reckoned that when he fitted the new twin plate clutch he put some grease on the cogs, and that may have melted. Shay Power had a broken gearstick in his Escort. Bolger in the Chevette reported an overshoot. Garry Jennings lost a few seconds when he came upon crashed cars, but he still set a pretty stunning time in his 1600cc Peugeot. New York based Tom Lawless was another to lose time when he caught a car, or as he said "caught a yoke"! Thomas O'Rourke was slightly delayed catching back numbers but still set a good time in his Astra. More later.. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
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