RALLY NEWS NO.3
Service – Ballinrobe – Sunday 1.20
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD
AFTER STAGE 4 The Neale
1st (3) Jim
Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 31.42
2nd (6)
Daniel & Michael Doherty (Impreza WRC) 31.57
3rd (7)
Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 32.19
4th (9) Ray
Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 32.34
5th (12) Noel
Redmond/Diarmuid Falvey (Impreza WRC) 32.40
(2) Patrick
Elliott/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 32.40
7th (11)
Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 32.47
8th (21) Sean
Devine/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 32.51
9th (10) Sean
Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 33.06
10th (8)
Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 32.19
Following Kevin Lynch’s
retirement on the opening stage, there has been further
disappointment in that Niall Maguire’s Subaru has stopped on a
road section on the way into stage 3. Current Dunlop National
Champion, Maguire, was lying 3rd after 2 stages,
but his Impreza exhaust manifold gasket blew, forcing the
Monaghan man to call it a day.
Out at the front of the rally,
Jim Harrison had a tremendous opening stage which gave him a
great start. Daniel Doherty was quickest on stage 2 and stage
4, with Harrison fastest on stage 3. It is a real nip and
tuck situation, with Harrison certainly having the edge, but
Donegal man Doherty making a real race of it, and by no means
discounting victory.
Charlie Donnelly has
slowly but surely got into the groove with brother Eugene’s
Corolla WRC, and on that 4th stage he was just 1s
slower than Harrison, which gives a fair indication that he is
certainly getting used to the car. Nearly all the top drivers
were saying here at service that their tyres were completely
shot, having done 4 stages on bone dry roads with quite
abrasive surfaces. They mostly started the rally on
intermediate tyres, and all say they are going out for the
afternoon leg on dry weather slicks.
Harrison is still suffering from
a headache but says he is enjoying the rally, while co driver
Harvey Bell remarked. “We are both suffering from flu, but its
great, although very frightening, over those Partry jumps”.
Ray Breen wasn’t even in the top 10 after the first stage,
following his spin and some brake troubles, and although his
Focus WRC brake pedal remains a bit spongy and erratic, he has
carved his way through the pack really well. Noel Redmond
has had a good run to 5th despite tyre worries.
Patrick Elliott in joint 5th reckons his Impreza is
set up too soft and he is going to ask the engineers to
stiffen the car at service. Melvyn Evans had a poor stage 2
when his Subaru brake pedal went to the floor, his confidence
was knocked, but he has kept on the pace.
Seamus Leonard makes up the top
10 and leads the gpN category. His co driver Gerry McVeigh
another to tell us that their tyres were knackered over the
last couple of stages. Gerry went on to say they had a very
long 5th gear 100 yards sideways moment, when
things went very quiet inside the car! By our unofficial
reckoning we have John Cairns 2nd gpN. Willie
Fannin 3rd and James O’Sullivan 4th.
The latter’s Lancer is suffering a blown exhaust. Michael
Curran got his new Lancer on to full song after a disastrous
first stage, and his times through stages 2, 3 and 4 have been
on a par with James O’Sullivan’s. Alan Ring is lying just
behind O’Sullivan in the gpN race, Alan reckoning his
suspension isn’t just right.
In the race for 2 wheel
drive honours it is a toss the coin situation for the lead
between Paddy Boyle in his Escort and Maurice Moffitt in his
Starlet rwd.
Further stories
include…Kevin Barrett lying just outside the leaderboard on
33.50. Kevin’s Triton Showers Subaru was held up on the first
stage behind slower cars, and he has battled to get back on to
the pace of the top 10, closing the gap now on every stage.
Aaron MacHale is finding great difficulty adjusting his
driving style to the Corolla WRC, Aaron’s total now 34.49, and
still a fair bit shy of the pace of the top cars. More news
later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
