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RALLY
NEWS NO.5
Dingle/Service/Sunday 4.45 www.rallynews.net
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6
1st (4) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 43.38
2nd (1) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 43.58
3rd (2) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 44.21
4th (21) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Impreza WRC) 45.06
5th (14) JJ Fleming/Robbie Ward (Impreza WRC) 45.17
6th (15) George Cullen/Pat Cashman (Impreza 555) 45.28
7th (5) Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 45.35
8th (7) Adrian McElvaney/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 45.41
9th (20) Andrew Stewart/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 45.55
10th (10) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Corolla WRC) 46.30
Through the Minard Castle stage it was Jim Harrison fastest by 4s from Donie
O'Sullivan. Kevin Lynch was 3rd fastest just 2s in arrears and Niall Maguire
4th quickest. In stage 6, Conor Pass, it was again Jim Harrison
fastest, this time Maguire was 2nd fastest, O'Sullivan equal 3rd fastest
with Ray Breen, and Lynch well off the pace.
O'Sullivan commented here at service. "There's a lot left in the car,
but I'm concentrating on getting the miles done and just trying to do enough
to win the rally. The car is not going back to the UK to Msport before the
Circuit. It is a more difficult car to drive than the Subaru, but maybe more
rewarding. We stalled at the start of stage 5, it was uphill, Paul was on
the hand brake and we didn't quite co-ordinate". Jim
Harrison brought the McKinstry Subaru into service with the back bumper now
smashed as well as the front one, testimony to just how hard he is trying.
Niall Maguire was having a sip of tea in the Stan Harper motorhome as he
recounted. "It's a very difficult day, tyre choice, slippy roads, very
difficult". Kevin Lynch was sitting beside him nodding agreement,
and said. "Its not blending too well for us today either".
Mystery surrounds the whereabouts at this moment of Denis Cronin and his
Celica. Denis finished stage 6, in 4th place overall, but had bounced
over some stones towards stage finish and punctured a tyre. It seemed
like it would be a simple matter to get the wheel changed and on down to
service. At the moment there is no sign of him, or the car. We did
hear a whisper of some clutch trouble, so maybe that is part of it all.
In Group N Andrew Stewart turned the wick up again through stages 5 and 6
and set fastest group N times. Gabriel Martin was 2nd fastest through
stage 5 in gpN, Peter Clifford 2nd fastest gpN through stage 6. At the
moment, 2nd in group N in approximately 12th overall is Martin on 46.39.
Willie Fannin is just behind on 46.43. Clifford just behind that on
46.49.
In the race for 2 wheel drive honours John Rooney in the BMW would appear to
have just edged ahead of Anthony O'Halloran in the Manta, the latter
reporting a pinion problem in his Opel's differential. David McNulty is
lying just inside the top 20 in his Escort Cosworth and leading his class.
Paddy White brought his new car into service after stage 6 and reported a
slipping clutch. Paddy has decided to call it a day as he had to get away
early anyway, as he is flying out to the US tomorrow - back on Tuesday and
ready to do his Circuit recce on Wednesday.
More news after last stage. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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