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RALLY NEWS NO.2
Service...Sunday 1.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1
1st (2) Eugene Ferry/John Gallagher (Escort) 9.06
2nd (14) Tom McGovern/Kevin McGovern (Escort) 9.17
3rd (5) Paul Gallagher/Karl Reid (Corolla) 9.20
4th (11) Conor Curley/Paul Hone (Escort) 9.22
5th (6) Gordon Rogers/Philip McEntee (Escort) 9.23
6th (3) Pat Higgins/Liam Higgins (Escort) 9.31
(9) Rodney Wilton/Peter Leahy (Escort) 9.31
8th (17) James Cassidy/Damien Duffin (Escort) 9.33
(18) Terence McHugh/Brian McMonagle (Escort) 9.33
10th (7) Gerry Smyth/Charles Adams (Escort) 9.42
This Party Mountain stage was damp and slippery for the familiarisation run,
but happily the bright winter sunshine and medium breeze has dried the road
out...the drivers now reporting it a fabulous stage. First on the road,
Eugene Ferry, was fastest through the first proper stage, Eugene saying when
he reached service here near Westport.."To tell you the truth I'm glad
to be hear in one piece, it was very hairy in places, the bumps are deceptive
and the car seemed to be stepping out on landing after the jumps".
Second fastest Tom McGovern reported a bit of a spin, so obviously he has a
bit more to come, perhaps even able to push Ferry through stages 2 and 3.
Paul Gallagher had a great run to 3rd fastest overall, and lead class 11 as
well, although the Letterkenny man also reported a spin on a fast piece of
stage.
Mervyn Wedlock was expected to be amongst the leading runners, but the Cavan
man dropped 7 minutes in the stage when his G4 Escort refused to turn in to a
"5 Right", a puncture causing the car to plough straight off the
road. Happily there was little damage, Mervyn arriving in here to
service well out of the hunt, but determined to carry on and get some miles
clocked up on his new gearbox. Conor Curley put on a good show to record 4th
fastest, and that was despite stalling his newly rebuilt Escort on the line.
Gordon Rogers commented "Room for improvement" after his 5th
fastest time. Pat Higgins in 6th remarked "I'm very twitchy,
having been out for a long time, a bit rusty".
Other stories included...Rodney Wilton being held up behind Gordon Percy -
Gordon slightly off the pace with a time of 10m, as he settles into the
course. Letterkenny man Paddy Boyce in the Manta posted a time of 9.59
but told us that his Opel's clutch was slipping for half the stage and he
doesn't think the car will last the day. Aidan Caddye had a good time
of 9.44 in his gpN Astra to lead the class and gpN overall. James
Cassidy's Escort was doing a great deal of "roaring" afte the
stage, James telling us that he had been off the road on the familiarisation
run, and damaged the exhaust. Tom Taafe finished the stage on 10.23, Tom
telling us that stopped on every crest to have a look at the other side!
Paddy O'Reilly lost time with a slipping fan belt, was caught by Tom McCann
in the stage. Aaron McHale had a problem with his Civic on the way to the
stage...more later..BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON
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