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RALLY
NEWS NO.2
St.Angleo/Saturday 11.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 St.Angelo
1st (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 4.47.6
2nd (9) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 4.53.4
3rd (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 4.55.8
4th (8) Maurice Gass/James McKee (Accent WRC) 4.58.8
5th (12) Daniel & Michael Doherty (Impreza WRC) 5.00.1
6th (10) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 5.00.7
7th (23) Garry Jennings/Paul Garry (Lancer N) 5.01.02
8th (2) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 5.07.5
9th (20) Keith McIvor/David Burns (Lancer N) 5.07.6
10th (16) Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry (Lancer N) 5.10.8
"My shortest rally ever" grimaced Tapio Laukkanen as he surveyed the
charred engine bay of his Impreza on the first special stage of this Circuit of
Ireland. Tapio looked to have made a flying start of this first stage, but as he
approached the finish line, clouds of smoke trailing behind the car, and then a
sudden spurt of flame signified all was definitely not well. Tapio brought
the car to a halt with flames bursting from under the bonnet, and within a
couple of minutes marshals had helped to douse the conflagration. It would
appear that an oil pipe had come adrift and spread hot lubricant on to the
exhausts. That is speculation, but one thing is for sure, Tapio is out.
Not good for his Pirelli Tarmac Championship aspirations following his first
round win in Galway.
Austin MacHale did not make the best of starts either, the Dubliner spinning his
Focus WRC round the tyres, and then stalling the engine. Even fastest
overall on this first stage, Derek McGarrity, wasn't particularly happy. Co
driver Dermot O'Gorman reporting. "We made a disastrous start, caught out
by the lights and then when I said "go go" to Derek, he was afraid to
go in case he was accused of a jump start." Eugene Donnelly was slightly
disappointed to be only 3rd fastest, thought he had gone a bit better. Most of
the top drivers just reported at stage finish that they were being cautious
enough, just happy to get through the first stage at the start of 3 long days of
rallying. Donie O'Sullivan pronounced himself surprised to be 2nd fastest.
Paddy White felt that his Impreza clutch was slipping. Daniel Doherty put
his Subaru off the road slightly at the farmyard. Aaron MacHale had a half
spin in his GpN Lancer, while Dessie Keenan's similar car cut out mid stage.
Fastest of the early Group N runners was Garry Jennings in the Fisher
Engineering backed Lancer, Garry just saying at stage finish "It feels like
a big car in there". Robbie McGurk we imaged would be right up there
with the leaders, but surprisingly his time was 13s slower than Jennings.
Interestingly, Robbie's co driver Rory Kennedy is running in the London Marathon
tomorrow week, along with Paul harris, and they are raising funds for Spina
Bifida for their efforts. Fastest 2 wheel drive so far was Glen Wilson in his
Escort Maxi and that was despite, in his own words, "a spin a stall and a
bit of wonking about". Guy Woodcock in a similar
car was 5s slower than the Keady driver. No further news on the Easter
Stages except that Kieran Shaw led after the first stage from Kevin Lynch. More
news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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