Rally News No.1 Ballymote Service
Sunday 12.15pm
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Two
1st (2) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 18.12
2nd (3) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus
WRC) 18.15
3rd (6) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza
WRC) 18.54
4th (5) Patrick Elliott/David Monyihan (Impreza
WRC) 18.55
5th (14) Michael Curran/Fabian McShane
(Lancer N) 19.04
6th (145) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza
WRC) 19.05
7th (7) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza
WRC) 19.14
8th (28) Ian Barrett/Eoin O’Flaherty
(Lancer N) 19.26
9th (16) Frank Wray/Joe McNulty (Lancer N)
19.27
10th (29) Ivan Stewart/Joe Friel (Escort
COS) 19.31
11th (31) Joe McHugh/Declan Gallagher
(Escort COS) 19.37
12th (12) Alan Ring/Derek Brannigan (Impreza
N) 19.43
Jim Harrison arrived into the service area here in
the sun drenched village of Ballymote and described his run over the
opening two stages as “a little bit bumpy in places but boy it is a
bit sweaty as well, but we are pretty much doing our own thing”.
Harrison was fastest over the opening 11.6 mile Ladies Bray stage by
four seconds from Ray Breen in his Dunlop shod Focus, while he
turned the tables on stage two by going fastest by one second to
leave the gap to the lead at just three seconds. Behind the leading
drivers the first major retirement was that of Charlie Donnelly who
having made the long trip overnight from the Jim Clarke rally, had
to retire his Corolla after stage one when the turbo failed. Also
in trouble is Patrick Elliott as his power steering has failed
loosing him over thirty seconds to rally leaders on the opening two
stages.
Niall Maguire had a trouble free run to hold third
but Kevin Barrett was in dire straights in the Triton Impreza having
lost fifth gear but the Maynooth man was confident that the
McKinstry mechanics would get the unit changed in service. Sean
Devine had a dreadful first stage when the intercom failed loosing
over a minute to the leaders but non competing co driver Martin
Brady was able to lend James McKee a helmet at the end of the stage
and Sean set a respectable time over stage two.
Michael Curran was sensational over the first
stage taking the group N lead with a time that was fourth fastest
overall and he actually caught and passed Alan Ring. By his own
admission Alan Ring had slowed to check on an off the road Willie
Fannin but admitted he had no answer to Curran’s pace. As we
mentioned Willie Fannin off the road on SS1 loosing at least a
minute and a half. Frank Wray was fastest GpN car on stage 2 while
young Ian Barrett is also going well in his Triton Lancer and lies 2nd
in GpN and is much happier with his pace following a switch back to
Patterson Pacenotes. Just off the leaderboard Gary McPhillips is
going hard in his Mk2 on a total of 19.59 while we provisionally
reckon that Anthony O’Halloran is fastest 2wd in his Manta on a
total of 19.54. Other totals include Maurice Moffett on 20.03,
Gordon Rodgers on 20.22. Late news is that Jack Sleator has stopped
with a suspected fuel problem in his Fabia WRC. More News Later
Michael Patterson & Zoe Todd
