RALLY NEWS NO.13              Cookstown/Service/Monday 12.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 19 Boyds Mountain

1^ST (1) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 2.02.28.9

2^ND (4) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 2.02.47.6

3^RD (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 2.02.59.6

4^th (5) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 2.03.43.6

5^th (7) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 2.05.14.9

6^th (3) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 2.06.40.9

7^th (16) Sean Devine/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 2.11.31.8

8^th (57) Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 2.12.22.5

9th  (18) Alan Nesbitt/Paddy Robinson (Impreza N) 2.16.52.9

^10th  (20) Paddy White/Graeme Stewart (Impreza WRC) 2.16.55.8

^11th  (17) Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney (Impreza N) 2.17.03.8

12^th (21) Donagh Kelly/Adrian Deasy (Lancer) 2.17.32.5

The race rages on at the front of this Meteor Electrical Circuit of Ireland with the top drivers trying everything they know to gain some advantage.  If anything the pendulum has swung McGarrity’s way. He was fastest through stage 18, by just over a second from Nesbit, and in stage 19 it was Donnelly who was slightly faster.  Just over a second up on McGarrity who was 3s up on Nesbitt.  When you take into account the tortuous nature of the roads through the likes of Sturgeon’s Bridge and Boyd’s Mountain it is amazing how closely the times are matched. 

McGarrity commented here at Cookstown service. “There was a 3 left into 3 right into sudden turn hairpin right in my notes for that last stage. I was slowing down, dropping through the gears, but still the hairpin right caught me out, and it was a real hand brake job to get round”.  Derek’s co driver Dermot O’Gorman said. “There was a real bit of pace towards the end of the stage, couldn’t lift my head out of the notes, it was Mad Max’s pace!”  Eugene Donnelly commented. “We’re not having such a good run, I don’t know whether its me or the car. We are on new suspension and different settings from Galway. It worked well there in the damp, but its not going so well today. We’ll have a real good look at the car now before these 3 stages”.  Nesbitt had a problem at the same hairpin as McGarrity, and he told us. “We were going great, and then overshot this hairpin right, I actually slithered the car into a lane and reversed gently out, maybe lost 10 or 12 seconds”. 

Behind the leading three, Eamonn Boland said. “Everything’s perfect, no excuses”.  Tim McNulty in 5^th had a good run through stage 5, a few seconds quicker than Boland, and he said. “Quite pleased with that one”.  Austin MacHale, who had all sorts of problems with his Focus WRC yesterday, said here at Cookstown. “We’re just cruising, turned it down to one bar boost, we’re too far back to do anything about the cars in front with just 6 stages today.”  Sean Devine in 7^th had some damage to the front of his new Impreza WRC, Sean recounting a slithery moment on a square left over gravel, which resulted in his lovely new blue Subaru clattering into the scenery, and then a few miles further on a front tyre went down.  Through it all Sean lost just over a minute. 

Behind Sean is Garry Jennings in 8^th and leading Group N. Garry now with his sensible head on, and said “Steady away, we’re driving like two oul fellas”.  Willie Fannin has been really in the wars this morning with his Impreza, but has managed to hold on to 2^nd gpN, despite his car sliding about all over the place due to differential troubles, and also getting 2 punctures in stage 18. Alan Nesbitt is on a real charge and he is up to 10^th and 3^rd GpN. 

Paddy White was 10^th earlier this morning, didn’t enjoy the first stage out, dropped a few seconds, went well through 18 and 19, now 11^th. Donagh Kelly had come into the top 10 briefly, he is now back in 12^th, his Group A Lancer lost turbo boost through stage 19.  Aaron MacHale is just behind Kelly in 13^th, Aaron 4^th GpN, and reports the car handling really well, but still no power. Brian O’Mahony is keeping well in the hunt, he is in 14^th, despite his food poisoning and a puncture.  Peter Wilson in the Civic also had a puncture this morning – there are many rocks lining the roads in places. Michael McColgan is just inside the top 20 and he clipped a front wheel against a rock, but happily it didn’t puncture, although the steering is slightly out in his Lancer.  Conor McCloskey is just a few seconds behind O’Mahony and charging hard, looking forward to his 19^th birthday party tonight!! More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net