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RALLY NEWS NO.2 End of stage 1 - Saturday - Noon
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Lough Golagh
1st (1) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 6.48
2nd (6) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 6.54
3rd (15) Ivan Stewart/Joe Friel (Esc.Cos) 7.10
4th (5) Paul Harris/John McCafferty (Impreza) 7.13
5th (2) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 7.18
6th (14) James Gillen/Sinead McCafferty (Impreza) 7.20
(7) Cahal Arthurs/Jakes Kelly (Accent WRC) 7.20
8th (16) Sean Devine/John McElhinney (Impreza WRC) 7.21
9th (18) Andrew Stewart/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 7.23
(19) Darragh Raftery/John Carroll (Impreza WRC) 7.23
(32) Damian Gallagher/Mac Walsh (Escort) 7.23
Jim Harrison set the pace on the opening stage, the Macclesfield man
reporting no real problem, but as their Impreza WRC coasted to a halt in the bright
sunshine at the end of the first stage, his co-driver Harvey Bell commented.
"I've never seen so many bumps and jumps in the one stage. I need some sort of a
rubber stamp for the notes 'bump/jump'. It was as hairy as hell in there".
Second on the road, Niall Maguire, said. "I thought I was doing alright until I
saw Harrison's time!" Patrick Elliott should have been next up at the end of
the road, but the Cavan man's Impreza suffered a puncture and he dropped
several minutes.
Tim McNulty followed up his Cork 20 form of last weekend with a quick run,
but he told us that his Subaru dropped off a cylinder halafway through the stage
costing him some time, so he ended up 6s down on Jim Harrison. Whether the
car can be restored to full health, we will find out shortly.
Other stories from that first stage included Sean Gallagher having a spin.
Cahal Arthurs lost his way a little on the notes, but otherwise OK. Hugh Martin
Doherty had a fair run with a time of 7.30. Kevin Barrett recorded 7.38.
Local man Joe McHugh was just off the leaderboard on 7.32. Ivan Stewart went
really well considering he is in an older model car, and as ever Ivan looked
remarkably unflappable at stage finish.
Letterkenny man Andrew Stewart was fastest Group N, Andrew hasn't been out
for a while and is still settling in to his hired Lancer. Also in gpN Willie
Fannin recorded 7.24. James O'Sullivan 7.35 and not happy with the way his car
was bouncing about all over the road. Brendan Kelly had a good run, his time
7.26. Gabriel Martin 7.43. Rory Kennedy was more than a little annoyed when he
reached stage finish, his time in his hired gpN Lancer 7.59. Rory was held up
at the scene of Pat Donegan's accident. Happily Pat and Damian Garvey were
uninjured, but did not have the "OK" board out to let the following drivers know.
Mike Curran was also held up, although set a good time of 7.35.
As can be seen from the leaderboard Damian Gallagher was fastes 2 wheel drive
car. Camillus Bradley did 7.34. Paul Gallagher was down on 7.52, having
slowed slightly at Donegan's accident, but his main problem was his Corolla's
handling, just not right. Normal quick man Maurice Moffett recorded 7.52, the
Monaghan man describing his Starlet's handling and the bumps in the stage, as
"brutal". More news after stage 2. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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