RALLY NEWS NO.11
Armagh – Saturday 2.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD
AFTER STAGE 14 Todds Leap
1st (3) Eugene
Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.32.33.6
2nd (5) Tim
McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 1.32.49.8
3rd (4) Derek
McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.33.14.2
4th (9) Eamonn
Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.33.21.0
5th (6) Austin
MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.33.43.1
6th (7) Peadar
Hurson/Damien Connolly (Impreza WRC) 1.33.54.8
7th (8) Matthew
Wilson/Scott Martin (Focus WRC) 1.34.05.9
8th (1) Mark
Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Focus WRC) 1.38.17.9
9th (18) Seamus
Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 1.38.36.6
10th (20) Alan
Nesbitt/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 1.39.06.3
In the bright afternoon
sunshine we had the incongruous sight here at The Mall in Armagh City of some
of British Isles’ most sophisticated rally cars and best drivers lining up for
the “in” control while beside them Ards Thirds and Armagh’s 4th
cricket teams played out their own drama on the beautiful lawns of the Mall.
It was vital for Ards that they win to keep their place in the league.
Vital as well for several of the rally drivers in their battle for both
Pirelli Tarmac and British championship points.
The rally turned on its
head on stage 13 when Mark Higgins’ Focus broke it’s drive shaft, Mark lost 4
minutes and the lead. Through stage 14 Mark lost another 2 plus minutes but
remarkably stayed in 8th place. The Buckley mechanics had an
initial survey of the car, shook their heads and said. “It doesn’t look good.”
Mark explained that whenever the prop shaft broke it thrashed about
underneath the car and destroyed the central tunnel and all the mountings.
There is nothing left for Neil Buckley to attach a new shaft to.
What they propose now is that they are going to adjust the electronic
transmission mode into front wheel drive and Mark will just have to drive the
car that way through the remaining 4 special stages, and hope to collect as
many British c/ship points as possible. One of the other drivers quipped. “You
can have a good race with Justin Dale in the Fiesta”. Mark sat
quietly on a little wall beside the green and shook his head – “I suppose
that’s rallying” he said. Interestingly before the rally Mark told us that
his usual Focus, what he calls his lucky one, was damaged last weekend and
he’s driving Paul Bird’s machine.
Mark Higgins’ misfortune
has changed the whole emphasis of the rally for Eugene Donnelly.
Prior to that he was content to sit in 2nd place and go for maximum
points. Then he was promoted into the lead but also lost time behind the
struggling Focus allowing Tim McNulty to close within 15s.
Eugene said after stage 14. “That was too close for comfort, we upped
the pace and had a good run, but basically the wee car is running out of puff.
I managed to take 1s out of Tim on that stage”. When asked about the anti
roll bar problem he said. “Yes, the pin on the right hand side rear broke
again, although maybe its because we’re running the hardest setting ever
although using a softer tyre.”
Tim McNulty said. “We have
nothing much left yet, we will go for a harder compound Pirelli tyre for the
last 4 stages. The rally win is there for the taking, but its there for
Eugene as well”. Derek McGarrity in 3rd found
that stage 14 pretty slippy and bumpy, and although Derek is setting really
good times, he just can’t match Donnelly and McNulty at the moment. Eamonn
Boland also had a good run, Eamonn saying. “Everything is perfect, we haven’t
altered the car at all, but I would still rather have the Subaru”.
Young Matthew Wilson still
has that hydraulic problem with the gear change, co driver Scott Martin
saying. “We lost a few seconds here and there through stage 14 with the gear
change and also because we have no handbrake now for the hairpins. Basically
whenever the hydraulic system goes down you can switch the hand brake to work
as a normal gear lever”. Austin MacHale caught and passed Mark Higgins
through that stage 14 but lost only a couple of seconds. Peadar Hurson had a 2nd
fastest time through stage 13, not quite so quick through 14, but going well.
In Group N David Higgins
was the fastest through stage 14 but is still back in14th place while Seamus
Leonard leads the category from Alan Nesbitt with Garry Jennings
3rd, Barry Clark 4th and Aaron MacHale 5th.
Aaron is registered for the Pirelli British championship so David Higgins is
more than anxious to get pas him. Garry Jennings remarked that
they were going OK, but “Nesbitt is wiping us, we don’t want to do anything
stupid and slide off, jeopardise the championship”. Alan Nesbitt
now has his gearbox problems sorted out. Barry Clark reckoned he was trying
too hard in 14 and over driving the car. While his team mate Lorna Smith lost
a lot of time when her Impreza jammed in 4th gear. Emma McKinstry
also lost time when her Lancer broke a front drive shaft. Justin Dale is in
15th with the Fiesta and leads S1600 from Brian O’Mahony whose Puma
has been off the road. Keith McElhinney leads cl.N3. Ernest McMillen MBE is
still going strong at the back of the field in his Suzuki Swift, 77 year old
Ernest happy to acknowledge he may the slowest man in the rally, but he is
really enjoying himself. Conor Harvey has retired his Peugeot
with mechanical problems in stage 11. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ
PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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