RALLY NEWS NO.2 End of stage
1 – Sunday 2pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1
1st (3) Kevin Lynch/Gordon Noble (Impreza WRC) 9.22
(10) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 9.22
3rd (2) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC)
9.34
4th (5) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 9.35
5th (4) Patrick Elliott/David Moynihan (Impreza
WRC) 9.39
6th (9) Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC)
9.40
7th (8) Sean Devine/James McKee (Impreza WRC)
9.44
8th (17) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC)
9.45
9th (1) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Impreza
WRC) 9.49
10th (11) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC)
9.54
The lead cars set a fabulous pace through the opening stage
with, as can be seen above, Kevin Lynch and Charlie Donnelly equal
fastest. Lynch said “steady”. Charlie Donnelly said “That was
fine”. First on the road Niall Maguire felt he had a good run, but
it just didn’t show in the time sheets. Jim Harrison was in a bit
of a lather at stage finish saying the car overheated before the
start and he felt the clutch was slipping a bit because it was so
hot. “All very stressful” said the Macclesfield man. Patrick
Elliott made a real big effort on the opening stage of his home
rally, but he overshot a hairpin right junctions, saying “The car
just took off”. Ray Breen had a good run in his Focus WRC, saying
at the finish of the stage “That was hard work”.
Adrian McElvaney was slightly off the pace, the Monaghan
man’s time 9.56, Adrian saying “I never settled, don’t know whether
it was nerves or not”. Welshman Melvyn Evans was having a right
laugh at stage finish saying his glasses has slipped right down his
nose and he was poking at them underneath the rim of his crash
helmet.
Charlie Donnelly looked very comfortable with his equal
fastest time, but we hear from his brother Eugene who is driving the
assistant clerk of the course today, that Charlie’s Corolla has
suffered a stage 2 puncture and may have dropped as much as 40s.
Further stories include Noel Redmond saying his Impreza is
“brutal, way down on power”.
Willie Fannin was fastest group N 8s up on James O’Sullivan
who had brake troubles. Mike Curran was 1s back from O’Sullivan.
Alan Ring was a further 4s back.
Maurice Moffett and Enda Keenan were equal fastest in the 2
wheel drives, both on a time of 10.19, Moffett held up slightly
behind Gavin Harris. Paddy Boyle in his cl.13 Escort was 10.34.
More news later.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
