|
RALLY NEWS NO.4
Service Letterkenny/Friday 5pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6
1st (3) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC)
32.15.8
2nd (1) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 32.21.1
3rd (2) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC)
32.34.8
4th (5) Kevin Lynch/Gordon Noble (Impreza WRC) 32.50.2
5th (7) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC)
33.03.8
6th (6) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 33.04.8
7th (4) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 33.59.4
8th (10) Paul Harris/John McCafferty (Impreza WRC)
34.08.8
9th (9) Steve Perez/Neil Dashfield (Focus WRC) 34.50.0
10th (59) Shaun Gallagher/Charlie McGinty (Lancer N)
34.56.4
Through stages 5 and 6 there were only seconds between the top
drivers, with Andrew Nesbitt 2.5s faster than Eugene Donnelly
through stage 5 while on stage 6 Nesbitt was again fastest, this
time by 0.3 of a second from Kevin Lynch. Tight stuff indeed. When
the cars arrived into service first on the road, Eugene Donnelly,
commented. “We’ve been using every inch of the road where it was
safe, the little gear cut problem is annoying but we will have to
live with it for the moment. I was a little bit worried about the
spectators in places. At the junctions mostly its fine, but between
junctions, perhaps its residents, they are quite close to the
road.” Andrew Nesbitt in a way echoed Eugene’s thoughts when he
said. “We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable rally”. Andrew
went on to say that at the same point on the rally last year he was
down on time, this year he is up and going really well.
Derek McGarrity gave awry smile when he recounted standing at the
start of stage 5, talking to Paul Kiely and saying he couldn’t
understand how Kevin Lynch had stalled his Subaru at the start of
stage 4. Derek said he’d never stalled the Subaru. Yes, you’ve
guessed it……he stalled at the start of stage 5. Derek told us then
“Luckily the car re-started immediately so I only dropped a few
seconds.” At that Derek grabbed his little baby son Sam and gave
him a big hug….it was a side of Derek that few people are used to
seeing!
Kevin Lynch recovered his composure after his stage 4 stall, it did
take the edge of his performance this afternoon, but it’s a long
long way to go on this rally, and Mr. KPL certainly can’t be written
off just yet. Eamonn Boland turned in some cracker times this
afternoon, as did Tim McNulty in the Pierse Impreza, and again
neither of these two can be ignored in leaderboard terms. Certainly
McNulty commented. “We’re really getting with it now”.
Those not so happy included Paul Harris who has dropped back with
further gearbox troubles in his Subaru. Steve Perez had the brakes
stick on in his Vodka Kick Focus WRC and lost quite a few seconds.
Austin MacHale is still struggling slightly with his Focus WRC,
although he is going better than earlier. Cathal Arthurs started to
speed up a bit in his Accent and is just outside the leaderboard on
34.58.9. Then there is a gaggle of WRCs, Kevin Barrett, Maurice Gass,
Denis Biggerstaff, Neil McKinnon and Hugh Martin Doherty all right
on the pace.
In Group N Shaun Gallagher is the pace setter, Seamus Leonard is up
to 2nd, 7s behind Gallagher. While Roy White is back in 3rd
having dropped a few seconds in stage 5 when he spun his Lancer. Roy
said “I’ve been braking a bit too early, but I pushed my luck when I
braked too late over a crest into a downhill square right. At least
the car hasn’t missed a beat all day”. Garry Jennings is 4th
gpN and starting to wonder is his Lancer getting a bit long in the
tooth. Willie Fannin is 5th and said his Impreza is
rolling about too much. Andrew Stewart is 6th. Colm
Murphy 7th following an overshoot.
Phil Collins still leads the 2 wheel drive/National category in his
Escort. More news to follow. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
* LIVE SMS RESULTS: Text RALLY ITC to 53503 for Irish mobiles. Text
RALLY ITC to 60066 for
UK
mobiles. (30cents Irl. 25p
UK)
|
