Rally News No.3 Ballymote
Service Sunday 2.45pm
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Five
1st (3) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus
WRC) 44.34
2nd (2) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza
WRC) 44.35
3rd (6) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Impreza
WRC) 45.37
4th (145) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza
WRC) 45.54
5th (7) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza
WRC) 46.38
6th (14) Michael Curran/Fabian McShane
(Lancer N) 46.40
7th (16) Frank Wray/Joe McNulty (Lancer
N) 47.02
8th (28) Ian Barrett/Eoin O’Flaherty
(Lancer N) 47.06
9th (5) Patrick Elliott/David Moynihan
(Impreza WRC) 47.20
10th (12) Alan Ring/Derek Brannigan (Impreza
N) 47.28
11th (30) Joe McHugh/Declan Gallagher
(Escort COS) 47.34
12th (31) David McNulty/Martin
McGarrity (Escort COS) 47.54
Ray Breen snatched the lead from Jim Harrison over
stage five, the second run over the torturous Ladies Brae stage with
a time three seconds faster to give him a slender one second lead
with three stages remaining. Breen is ruing his stage three
overshoot where he reckons he lost at least ten seconds but is now
happy with his pace. Jim Harrison has admitted that he has been
struggling all morning with a really sore shoulder but reckoned that
it had loosened up after a big jump in Ladies Brae but it is
hampering him non the less. Reigning Dunlop National champion Niall
Maguire is having a steady run in third and is driving with the
championship in mind, Niall telling us “so far so good”. Sean
Gallagher is flying in fourth but was a bit mystified as to how
Maguire took ten seconds off him in stage five were Sean thought he
had a good run.
Patrick Elliott has had no power steering at all
over that loop of stages and looked completely exhausted at the
service in control. The Cavan businessman telling us “if the team
can’t fix it here we are going to have to pack it in, it is just too
dangerous” referring to the fact that a WRC on big racing tyres is
virtually impossible to steer without power assistance. Also in
power steering woes is Ivan Stewart and he reckons they can’t fix
his Escort Cosworth and they are going to retire in service.
Missing from the WRC cars is Sean Devine who reportedly stopped on
stage three. David McNulty is just outside the top ten but has a
badly slipping clutch on his Escort.
Michael Curran continues to lead GpN but is happy
with his pace and is content to sit back and get to the finish even
though he is keeping an eye on the hard charging Frank Wray. Alan
Ring has picked up a vibration on the front left of the Munster
Joinery Impreza but still remains third in the category. Ian
Barrett is working hard in the Triton Lancer and reports a trouble
free run. In the 2wd race we have Anthony O’Hallaran on a total of
48.19 just ahead of Maurice Moffett on 48.28 with Trevor Lancashire
on 48.34. Just for note following Willie Fannin’s accident we have
used Alan Ring’s time of 8.35 provisionally as the nominal time for
SS3. More News Later Michael Patterson & Zoe Todd
