RALLY NEWS NO.4 Charterhall Service - Friday 10.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7 Langton

1st (1) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 44.55.2
2nd (4) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 45.04.1
3rd (6) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 46.03.9
4th (5) David Higgins/Daniel Barritt (Accent WRC) 46.23.7
5th (15) Dougi Hall/Steve Egglestone (Focus WRC) 46.28.1
6th (3) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 46.57.9
7th (2) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Impreza WRC) 46.58.9
8th (7) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Lancer WRC) 47.18.0
9th (9) Paul Bird/Andrew Bargery (Focus WRC) 47.44.6
10th (8) Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin (Focus WRC) 47.56.6

Andrew Nesbitt was fastest again through stages 6 and 7, with Eugene Donnelly hard in Nesbitt's wheel tracks and only 8.9s behind overnight, but still Nesbitt's performance over the later stages this evening was pretty remarkable. Andrew commented here at service. "We had the wrong tyres again, the car was sliding about a lot, I've got the tyres wrong from the start. Hopefully God will be good to me tomorrow and we'll get it right some time. But we're here and we're happy". Eugene Donnelly said. "I'm very happy with my overnight position, I wouldn't say I got my tyre choice right, I wrote off the 2 front tyres and fitted the spares. Yes, Andy has a bit of a lead, but I'm not that bothered, more interested in where Derek McGarrity is and the Tarmac Championship". As for McGarrity, he commented. "My tyre choice was a disaster, it was like driving on gravel, all sideways and big tank slappers, and we went over the finish line of stage 6 backwards!" David Higgins in 4th, gradually getting to grips with his Hyundai WRC on tarmac, said. "We're working on the set-up, its still a bit soft over the bumps, but we're getting there. Every corner a little bit faster".

Interestingly, Dougi Hall was saying that, seeded 15th on the road, he was finding lots of mud being pulled out by the cars in front. There were at least 2 corners Dougi reckoned, that if he had been totally committed, he would have been off the road because of the mud. Tomorrow Dougi will run 5th and he says it will be a different ball game then! Austin MacHale went a bit better over the last few stages to hang on to 6th place. Jonny Milner did well to stay in 7th, his Subaru differential whining and leaking a massive amount of oil. Jonny really nursed the car this evening and did well to keep it going at all, let alone nicely placed on the leaderboard, and still in contention with the Pirelli BRC guys. Tim McNulty, who retired on the first stage when he put his S8 Subaru backwards into a ditch, has very kindly offered his differential to Jonny, which will keep him going in the rally.

Further stories include. Matthew Wilson bursting a wheel on the big jump in Eyemouth, only lost about 10s lucky enough, Matthew changed the set-up of his Focus WRC at service and is a lot happier. Paddy White is in gearbox trouble, all the oil seems to be gone and he's having trouble getting gears. Steve Perez had a huge 5th gear spin in stage 6, just missed a lot of telegraph poles and then got jammed between 2 fences. Very little damage to the Vodka Kick car but a few places on the leaderboard lost.
/> Super 1600 leader Guy Wilks, lying just outside the leaderboard and leading the category by quite a long way, commented. "I'm in a nice predicament, I'll look a bit of a tit if I throw the car off the road, there's no one chasing me at all. Anywhere where its slippy or bad gravel I just back right off, show respect". Guy is 12th overall and the next Super 1600 is Simon Hughes in 23rd almost 2m back. Barry Clark is 3rd Super 1600.

In Group N Paul Wedgbury still leads and is 11th overall. Roy White is 2nd and 23s back, Seb Ling 3rd 8s behind Clonmel man Roy. Rory Galligan is 4th gpN and best of the Evo Challenge contenders. Nik Elsmore now 5th in the category. Irishman James Foley up to 6th. Martin Sansom 7th.

More news in the morning. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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