UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 12 Ayton 2

1^st (2) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Focus WRC) 1.18.30.6

2^nd (6) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.18.44.4

3^rd (3) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.20.10.3

4^th (7) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.20.21.1

5^th (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.20.26.2

6^th (5) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.22.57.9

7^th (26) Philip Morrow/Glenn Patterson (Lancer N) 1.24.36.9

8^th (15) Rory Galligan/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 1.24.39.0

9^th (24) Ryan Champion/Craig Thorley (Lancer N) 1.25.29.4

10^th (21) Craig & Roger Bennett (Focus WRC) 1.26.01.4

11^th (18) Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 1.26.16.0

12^th (10) David Higgins/Daniel Barritt (Lancer N) 1.26.17.6

On stages 11 and 12 Tim McNulty was fastest on the first, Mark Higgins fastest on the second.  When the cars arrived into service Mark Higgins commented “We did lose a couple of seconds at the end of stage 12, I caught a rock on a 90 right just at the end of the stage and smashed a rim. Ironically I beat Tim on that one by just over 2s.  I had no trouble through stage 11 and thought I had gone well. But Tim had a better time, he’s keeping me honest!”   When Tim himself arrived into service he was in no mood for chatting, his co driver Eugene O’Donnell saying that his sickness is no better, if anything it is worse, and when he told Tim there were still 9 stages to go, the equivalent of an Irish National rally, he nearly had a heart attack! 

Eugene Donnelly moved up from 4^th to 3^rd on that loop of stages getting ahead of Eamonn Boland, Eugene saying. “We changed the brakes and the settings, the car is good. It’s a matter now of keeping Eamonn and Derek at bay. I’ve been told to remember that this car is 6 years old and I’m under very strict instructions to bring it home in one piece! Even this morning we seemed to be having no problems, but then we had that massive trip into the barley field. There was a little crest before it and I had in my notes to brake before the crest. The car went light and I suddenly realised I wasn’t going to make the corner. So I just said “frig it”, put my put flat on the accelerator and cleared the ditch completely and went a good thousand yards through the field flat out. Then of course on the next stage there was so much debris around the radiators and coolers that the engine wanted to go on to safe mode!” 

Also talking in terms of safe mode is Derek McGarrity. His attitude when he arrived into service was, “Its not if this engine blows up, its when”.  What is heard to understand is that Derek went on to say that the car was going on and off cylinders and the temperature gauge went up to 130, the ECU was clicking into safe mode and yet he was still faster than Donnelly in stage 12, 3^rd fastest overall. Austin MacHale really does have mechanical problems, his Focus WRC gear change giving all sorts of bother and also the engine not quite right. Austin dropped a minute in stage 11, a few seconds in stage 12. 

Behind MacHale is the Group N battle with Rory Galligan still fastest by a couple of seconds on both stages 11 and 12 from Phillip Morrow. Rory reports no problems, neither does Phillip. Although Phillip would dearly like to win the gpN category there is no point in him going completely crazy as his main objective is to score maximum points in the Evo Challenge, and there is no real reward for beating Galligan in the official car. Garry Jennings continues to hold 4^th  group N and is the leading GpN points scorer at the minute amongst the Pirelli Tarmac Group N Championship runners.  Garry’s Lancer lost its front spoiler on an Edrum jump, the young Ulsterman saying. “That’s another £300 or so gone, I saw it disappearing into the ditch. It looked like it was all one piece and if anyone finds it and brings it back I’ll give them £50”.   Ryan Champion is 3^rd gpn 2^nd Evo Challenge, Ryan saying that he is going on the fast side of safe!  Stephen Petch, 5^th gpN, was nearly off in the same corner in Eyton as he tried to go off on last time through!  Alan Nesbitt is now 15^th overall and just behind Neil McCance in group N, Alan trying to pace himself but reckons he is now going too slowly. Neil McCance continues to have a good run.  Lorna Smith is running softer compound tyres at the front of her gpN Impreza and she was a lot happier through the last 2 stages.

In the Fiat Stilo Cup Shaun Woffindon is the sole survivor once again, his only real opposition Tom Metcalfe retiring with gear change difficulties early in the event.

In the National part of the rally Mark Jasper leads in his 6R4 from Tony Davies & Steve Fleck 2^nd and 3^rd in their Subarus. Steve Hendy is 4^th, John Price 5^th and Dave Kynaston 6^th. In the Stars of the Future James Wozencroft leads in his Suzuki from Carwyn Harries in his Peugeot with Gavin Bristow 3^rd in a Nova.

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

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