RALLY NEWS NO.2 End of stage 1/Sunday
10.45am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Knockakeo
1st (1) Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC)
3.24
2nd (3) Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle (Corolla WRC)
3.27
3rd (4) John McCarthy/M Morrissey (Corolla WRC)
3.30
4th (2) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC)
3.34
5th (5) Kevin O'Kane/Martin Hanna (Impreza WRC)
3.40
(21) Brian Lawlor/Peter Kavanagh (Escort) 3.40
7th (17) Sean Devine/James McKee (Impreza N) 3.41
(23) Brian McGillen/David Doherty (Impreza N) 3.41
9th (22) Frank Kelly/Liam Brown (Escort) 3.43
10th (27) Peter McCullagh/Alan Dolan (Lancer N)
3.44
There was excitement as well as disappointment on the
opening stage, Knockakeo, of this Moonraker Rally. The excitement
came from some brilliant times from the top drivers, young Gareth
MacHale in his Corolla WRC just seconds away from Kevin Lynch in his
forest specification Impreza S9. There was disappointment when
Dominic McNeill’s Escort WRC went on fire a mile from the end of the
stage, and the Co. Antrim man was forced to call it a day. Also on
a downer was local man Pete Willoughby when his ex Aaron MacHale
hired Lancer broke its transmission leaving the start line of the
3.25 mile stage.
Kevin Lynch was on fine form when he reached stage finish,
saying “That massage in the Middleton Park Hotel has done me
wonders!”. Gareth MacHale commented. “We went well, but a bit
wild, getting a bit sideways, over driving the car, I’ll have to
tidy it up”. Second on the road, Glenn Allen, seemed a bit subdued,
but Glenn is suffering from a very heavy cold, a flu type thing, so
maybe its hardly surprising. John McCarthy was expected to scatter
the stones big time with his Corolla WRC on home ground, but the
Carricgtwohill agricultural contractor said “The car seems fine, I
was just not quick enough”.
Further stories from that first stage include Kevin O’Kane
doing well to set joint 5th fastest as his Impreza was
suffering a flat left rear tyre. Pat Norris was really struggling
with his Impreza, can’t get on to the left hand drive at all. Dermot
Kelly was held up a bit behind Dominic McNeill’s incident and his
time was 4.00. James Murphy reported an “OK” run, and he recorded
3.47. Trevor Harding was on 3.45. John McKeown felt he was being a
bit cautious but still set a good time of 3.47. Stephen Moore was
right on the Group N pace despite the rear right wheel of his
Impreza being all skewhiff. Obviously a locating shaft or something
had broken, and how he managed it set a time of 3.4 is a mystery!
Johnny McKenna did 3.49, the Magherafelt MC man saying that
they changed the spark plug leads of his lancer before the start,
but it was still fluttering between 3 and 4 cylinders in the stage.
Sean Devine was fastest gpN on 3.41. Kieran Shaw was to start at
No.18 but he never appeared. Brendan Kelly at 19 did 3.52. Patrick
Elliott at 20 3.49 with no real problems. Eddie Garry at 15 was on
4.16, Eddie saying that the rear suspension of his world rally car
was set far too low and the car was grounding out. John
McGlaughlin’s Lancer seems to have a cracked sump but he still set a
good time of 3.46. Brian McGillen’s Impreza lost power for the last
mile of the stage, so his equal fastest group N time in the ex
Seamus Leonard 2 door car looks pretty special.
Just outside the leaderboard James Coleman recorded 3.45 in
his Escort, so the battle for 2 wheel drive supremacy looks like its
going to be pretty hot and heavy today. Brian Lawlor has the edge
so far, but it’s a close run thing.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
