RALLY NEWS NO.7
Ballinasloe Service/Sunday 11.30am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER
STAGE 10
1st (1) Austin MacHale/Brian
Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.18.25.8
2nd (2) Eugene
Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.18.32.2
3rd (3) Derek
McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Fabia WRC) 1.19.40.3
4th (8) Peadar
Hurson/Glenn Patterson (Impreza WRC) 1.20.01.6
5th (4) Eamonn
Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.20.27.7
6th (5) Tim
McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.20.55.0
7th (15) Gareth MacHale/Paul
Nagle (Corolla WRC) 1.21.54.4
8th (6) Kevin
Lynch/Gordon Noble (Impreza WRC) 1.21.59.2
9th (11) Denis
Cronin/Helen O'sullivan (Impreza WRC) 1.22.26.0
10th (25) Colm
Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 1.22.39.9
It has certainly been a pretty hectic
race over the first two stages of this second day of this First
Choice Flooring Galway International Rally. Austin MacHale piled
the pressure on to get ahead of Eugene Donnelly, while Peadar Hurson
slipped off the road in stage 9, albeit briefly, but it was enough
to let Derek McGarrity through into 3rd place. Jonny
Milner was running just outside the top 10 and he has stopped in
stage 10, just after a house with bales, the bales have been
disturbed, so whether Jonny’s Skoda has been in amongst them, we
don’t know as yet.
Once again we have beautiful blue
skies and sunshine, but the roads are treacherously slippery with
overnight frost on top of shiny tar, with a coating of mud in many
places. Overnight leader Eugene Donnelly told us when he came in
here to Ballinasloe service. “I was warned it was going to be slippy
and it certainly was. I was very cautious in my tyre choice, full
wets which were good for the first of the 2 stages, but not great
for the 2nd. But still I’m happy enough.” Austin MacHale
reported that he had gone well, but still got caught out at a square
right on stage 10, where he spun his Focus and touched a back wheel
against the scenery, losing about 5s. Austin commented after last
night’s finish “Today I’ve been the hare, tomorrow I’ll be the
hound!” True words…..
Peadar Hurson said that he
went straight on at a square right in stage 9 and he lost about
30s. At least the car seems to be going better after a change of
ECU. Derek McGarrity reported a really good run, as did
Eamonn Boland and Tim McNulty. Gareth MacHale spun on both of this
morning’s stages, looked a littl4e shaken when he came into service,
and said that his Corolla was getting no grip at the back at all, he
reckoned he should have picked a wet tyre. Denis Cronin made his by
now customary slow start, dropped some time on stage 9, started to
go well on stage 10. Kevin Lynch made a real charge this morning,
but it all went wrong when his Impreza landed on top of a small wall
for 15s or so in stage 9. Then on stage 10 the gearbox started to
play up. By the way we didn’t do Kevin full justice last night – he
set fastest time on the penultimate stage on his charge back
following his fan belt problem.
In Group N this morning, Colm Murphy
has a pretty good lead, said he is taking it pretty easy to preserve
the car for the Circuit of Ireland. Seamus Leonard is 2nd
gpN but is having serious gear box trouble. Garry Jennings is 3rd
and set fastest gpN time through stage 10. Willie Fannin is 14th
overall, 4th gpN, and reported no grip at all but still
set a good time.
Just to recap, Paul Gallagher is
leading the National section by 4s from James Cullen with Pat Kelly
3rd in his Subaru. Anthony O’Halloran (Manta) 4th.
Finally for now, an impassioned plea for help – some RPM camera
tapes in a backpack disappeared up at the top of the mountain on
stage 7. Plum Tyndall of RPM is offering a reward for their safe
return. They are no use to anyone – they will only fit broadcast
cameras. If anyone can help please get in touch with us at the
silver Vito in service or leave at Rally HQ, the Radison Hotel in
Galway.
More news to follow. BRIAN
& LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
