RALLY NEWS NO.8             End of stage 11 – Sunday 1pm

 

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 11

1st (1) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.28.00.0

      (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC)  1.28.00.0

3^rd (3) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Fabia WRC) 1.29.26.5

4^th (8) Peadar Hurson/Glenn Patterson (Impreza WRC) 1.29.53.0

5^th (4) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.30.11.7

6^th (5) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.30.58.3

7^th (6) Kevin Lynch/Gordon Noble (Impreza WRC) 1.31.56.4

8^th (15) Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle (Corolla WRC) 1.32.03.1    

9^th (11) Denis Cronin/Helen O'sullivan (Impreza WRC) 1.32.42.8

10^th (25) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 1.33.02.2

11^th (21) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 1.34.02.6

12^th (23) Garry Jennings/James O'Brien (Lancer N) 1.34.14.0

 

At 11.4 miles the Ballyfa stage is one of the longest on the rally, and one of the best stages as well from a real driving point of view.  Conditions were good, still bright sunshine, although the road was slightly damp, having been frosty earlier. Eugene Donnelly was fastest on 9.29.8. Austin MacHale recorded 9.34.2, which means the two are equal in overall terms.  Close stuff indeed.  Austin said. “I was a bit slow at the start but I had word from earlier that there might be still a few frost patches”.  Eugene Donnelly reported. “A good run, but I’m not absolutely convinced I had the right tyres”.  Third placed Derek McGarrity reported a clutch problem in his Fabia. When he lets the pedal out at the start line nothing seems to happen for about 3s and then the clutch comes in with a bang. Peadar Hurson had a good run, no real dramas. Eamonn Boland also went well.  Tim McNulty was just a few seconds down on the cars in front, his new model Impreza still not really set right for bumpy Irish tarmac. 

 

Although shown in 7^th place above following a reasonably good time in stage 11, Kevin Lynch decided to call it a day on the run out to stage 12, his Impreza transmission again just not working properly.  Gareth MacHale had an overshoot in that stage 11 and dropped a few seconds, Gareth just a wee bit disappointed.  Denis Cronin isn’t setting the world alight today, his stage times just off the boil, the West Cork man admitting he has lost all confidence in his tyres. Tony Davies is lying just outside the leaderboard, but spun his Impreza WRC and lost a bit of time. Ray Breen is getting on the pace now in his new Focus WRC and he is creeping up towards the leaderboard.

 

In Group N Colm Murphy is now driving for a finish. Seamus Leonard overcame his gearbox worries and is back on the pace, just ahead of Garry Jennings, but keeping him at bay.  While Willie Fannin, 4^th gpN, and 14 o/a turned in a scorching gpN time, fastest by far.  When asked why it had suddenly come good, Willie said he thought it was really down to a change of tyres. 

 

In the Historic Rally Sean Tracey had been leading the Post Historics in his BMW 2002, but the gearbox cried enough this morning and he has retired. This should leave Adrian Kermode leading the Post Historics in his Porsche while Mervyn Johnson and Frank Cunningham are having a great battle for the Historic honours in their Mini Coopers.

 

Looking back for just a minute – overnight class leaders included Peter Wilson in his Honda Civic leading class 2. Brendan Cumiskey led cl.3. Brian o’Mahony led cl.6 in his Puma. JP Ruth led cl.7 and Harry Cathcart led class 5.  Finally for now the rally is making a big effort to support the GOAL cause this weekend and we would ask everyone to do the best they can for help. 

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net