RALLY
NEWS NO.10 Ballinasloe Service/Sunday 4.15
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 16 Eglish
1st
(2) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 2.07.19.1
2nd
(1) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 2.07.57.6
3rd
(3) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Fabia WRC) 2.09.45.4
4th
(8) Peadar Hurson/Glenn Patterson (Impreza WRC) 2.10.45.8
5th
(4) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 2.11.12.2
6th
(5) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 2.11.48.5
7th
(15) Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle (Corolla WRC) 2.12.55.1
8th
(25) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 2.15.25.8
9th
(23) Garry Jennings/James O'Brien (Lancer N) 2.16.16.6
10th
(21) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 2.16.50.4
Austin
MacHale was fastest through stage 14 by 3s from Eugene Donnelly, but
through stages 15 and 16 Donnelly was the quicker of the two. When
the cars arrived in here to service it was fairly evident that the
sting had gone out of the race at the front. Eugene said. “We
settled a bit over the last few stages, I felt much more comfortable
although the roads are drying out and there’s a bit more grip. We
were on a nice pace, safe, no chances”. When we asked Austin
MacHale how hard he was going over the last few stages, he just
shook his head and said. “It was all over when we had the spin a few
stages back”.
Derek
McGarrity got the new clutch fitted in his Fabia and has been
setting reasonably quick times over the last few stages. Peadar
Hurson reports no dramas but is not closing in on Derek’s 3rd
place.
In Group N
Colm Murphy continues to drive at his own pace with a safe buffer to
Garry Jennings behind. Garry is nibbling away at Murphy’s
advantage, but little chance of closing the gap with only 1 stage
remaining. Seamus Leonard remains 3rd gpN, but is
dropping time on every stage to Jennings, Seamus having to run with
a standard gear box and he has been missing a few gears.
Emily
O’Mahony retired her hired Lancer when a fuse blew in the ignition.
Paul Dempsey now has his GpN Impreza up into the top 20 despite
yesterday’s delays.
Latest news
from the last few stages is that JJ Fleming has crashed his new
Focus WRC on a 4 left. The car is in the ditch not too badly
damaged. This should move Tony Davies up to 11th. Daragh
Raftery up to 12th. Alan Nesbitt, Paddy White and Donagh
Kelly make up the top 15. Denis Cronin would appear to have pulled
out of the rally following the accident damage earlier when he
incurred the punctures.
James
Cullen has now moved into the lead of the National rally ahead of
Paul Gallagher with Anthony O’Halloran 3rd. Cullen has
had a few small problems with the Porsche, but things have settled
down now and he is setting good times. Frank Cunningham is leading
the Historic part of the rally from Mervyn Johnston. Adrian Kermode
leads the Post Historics from Niall Creighton. Kieth Power is ahead
in the Junior section in his Puma from Dereck Deane (Escort).
More news
later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
