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RALLY
NEWS NO.4
Millstreet/service/Saturday 2.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 Lough Allua
1st (1) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 33.28
2nd (2) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 34.02
3rd (3) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla WRC) 34.02
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 MUSHERA
1st (1) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC)
43.07
2nd (2) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 43.52
3rd (4) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Celica GT4) 44.11
4th (8) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Impreza WRC) 45.34
5th (5) Donal O'Donovan/Pat Lordan (Celica GT4) 44.48
6th (19) Bob Fowden/Jerry Hynes (Lancer 5 N) 46.28
7th (16) Trevor Cathers/Dessie Wilson (Lancer 5 N) 46.36
8th (9) Ollie O'Donovan/David Moynihan (Subaru) 46.41
9th (7) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Corolla WRC) 47.11
10th (25) Dickie Curran/Anthony Donnelly (Lancer 6 N) 47.28
11th (23) Aaron MacHale/Elva Roe (Lancer 5 N) 47.32
No sign of Austin MacHale at the end of stage 5, Mushera.
We hear unconfirmed reports that his Corolla WRC has
stopped on a road section after Lough Allua with an
electrical problem. Huge crowds of spectators on the
road sections have caused large delays for some of the
drivers, and it is just possible that Austin MacHale could
appear into service, later rather than sooner, so we can't
say for sure, as yet, if he is in or out of the rally.
No such problems for Andrew Nesbitt at the front. The
Armagh man said "I'm pacing myself. I can hear a bit
of a grumble, possibly from the tyres, but I'm hearing
noises already". Such is the tension in the
Nesbitt camp as Andrew pursues his 2nd Tarmac Champion
title. Eamonn Boland is showing in 2nd place, and he
told us that he is getting a little hesitation in the gear
change, and the engineers are about to change the gearbox.
Peadar Hurson in 3rd place told us "We're taking it
cautious enough, it would be nice to finish a rally for a
change". Donal O'Donovan in 4th struggled
slightly through SS5, his GT4 filling up with smoke at one
point, the Dunmanway man remarking "It is annoying my
eyes, we have to keep the anti lag system on, when we turn
it off the revs roar up, something is not right".
Maurice Gass was 9s faster than Donal through that Mushera
stage, so Maurice is very much holding O'Donovan at bay.
Ollie O'Donovan had a spin in stage 5 which dropped him a
place on the leaderboard.
In group N Bob Fowden continues to lead and reports no
troubles. Trevor Cathers was 4s faster than the Welshman
through stage 5, so that fight certainly isn't over yet.
Cathers, gpN leader on the Tarmac Championship, and under
no real pressure from the Tarmac contenders behind, said
"There's no point in me going mad". Dickie Curran
was fastest of all the gpN drivers through 5, getting ahead
of Aaron MacHale whose Lancer clipped a bale and lost time.
News from earlier - Seamus Leonard's retirement was down to
broken drive shafts. Roy White lost 2 minutes when he spun
his lancer, and had to continue with broken intercooler,
down on power and ill handling. Further stories
include - Tom Holton losing time with a stage 2 puncture.
Kevin Barrett also lost time in stage 2 when his Triton
Showers Subaru damaged a wheel on a square corner. Paul
Alexander in the Evo7 is up to we think 13th on his first
trip in the dry in a Lancer. David James has lost the power
steering in his Escort. Kieran O'Neill was just outside the
top 12 in his Kadett and going well. Liam McCarthy's
Corolla WRC seems to be still down on power. More later.
BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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