RALLY NEWS NO.11(A)
Clones Service/Sunday 5.45
(upgraded Sunday 7.15)
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 14
1st (1) Derek
McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.30.23.8
2nd (2) Eugene
Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.30.31.9
3rd (4) Andrew
Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 1.30.41.0
4th (5) Eamonn
Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.31.07.1
5th (7) Tim
McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.32.16.8
6th (3) Austin
MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.33.41.7
7th (16) Sean
Devine/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 1.36.06.1
8th (57) Garry
Jennings/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 1.36.48.6
9th (17) Willie
Fannin/Mick Courtney (Impreza N) 1.39.57.2
10th (20) Paddy
White/Graeme Stewart (Impreza WRC) 1.41.25.7
11TH (14) Aaron
MacHale/Ger McMonagle (Lancer N) 1.41.47.4
12TH (18) Alan
Nesbitt/Paddy Robinson (Impreza N) 1.41.51.3
Through stage 13 Andrew
Nesbitt was fastest and then again through stage 14 to try to claw
back the time lost with his stage 12 puncture. Eugene Donnelly had
a good run as well, but could only equal McGarrity through stage 13,
and then was a few seconds faster through 14. Eamonn Boland has
been sitting quietly in 4th place, setting good times,
but making no impression on the three battling in front. When asked
about his puncture Andrew Nesbitt told us. “I think it was a pot
hole before a jump that did the damage. When the car landed the tyre
was flat. I had to try half the stage on a flat wheel, so hopefully
there is no damage to the suspension. The car felt alright in the
next couple of stages. Trouble is supposed to come in threes, that
was a bent arm yesterday, a chicane this morning and now a
puncture”. Derek McGarrity said. “We’ve been going OK, but at the
start of that last stage (Garranroe) I cut a left hand corner too
tight, the wheels started to vibrate and I thought I had a puncture.
I was afraid then to commit to right handers in case it slid away.
When I realised that it was Ok, that it wasn’t punctured, I pushed
like a lunatic”. Eugene Donnelly said. “We kept it tidy and clean,
pushed really hard, had a great run on that stage after service. But
then with all the delays I found it really hard to get back into the
groove. The car has been handling well”.
Delays indeed ….the rally is
now running approximately 1 hour 30 minutes late, and the organisers
have decided to forgo stage 15, Altnaponer, and go straight to St
Angelo.
Tim McNulty has had another good stage
to hold on to 5th place. Austin MacHale had a rotten
stage 14, dropped more time. Austin’s trouble would appear to be a
damaged exhaust flange where it connects up to the exhaust
manifold. There are flames and heat shooting out of the gap and
starting to burn the bits and pieces surrounding it. Austin has
turned off the anti lag and is keeping the revs down, but he is in
grave danger of the whole car going up in smoke. The trouble started
yesterday and there was actually a car dispatched to MSport at
Cockermouth during the night. The new part arrived back here this
morning and was fitted, but it doesn’t seem to line up properly or
something, and Austin is in real trouble. So much so that he could
well retire. There is, however, some sunshine on Austin’s dark
horizon at the moment in that his son Gareth has just scored a
brilliant win on the Mitchelstown Forestry to increase his lead in
the Forestry Championship. Gareth was actually leading by 28s
starting the last stage, but his Corolla WRC stalled on the start
line and he dropped at least 20s, so he did well to keep John
McCarthy’s similar machine at bay. Especially as McCarthy was on
his home patch and has done the rally many times.
Here on the Circuit Sean
Devine survived a spin to hold on to 7t. Garry Jennings
is keeping it all together very nicely to lead Group N and stay in 8th
over
all. Willie Fannin is still
adjusting his Impreza suspension and diffs and holds 2nd
gpN.
LATEST NEWS: Andrew Nesbitt fastest
SS16 St Angelo on a time of 2.05.6. Derek McGarrity 2.05.9. Eugene
Donnelly 2.08.3. Eamonn Boland 2.08.4. Tim McNulty 2.07.9. Austin
MacHale & Sean Devine both on 2.12.4. Garry Jennings 2.18.3. Overall
McGarrity still leads starting Monday. Eugene Donnelly 10.5s in
arrears for 2nd. Andrew Nesbitt 06.4s behind Donnelly.
Big Monday battle…!
More news later. BRIAN &
LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
