RALLY NEWS NO.4
Toormakeady/Sunday 3.20
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER
STAGE 6 Partry
Mountain
1st (3) Jim
Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 47.42
2nd (6)
Daniel & Michael Doherty (Impreza WRC) 48.05
3rd (7)
Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 48.38
(9) Ray
Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 48.38
5th (2)
Patrick Elliott/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 49.01
6th (12) Noel
Redmond/Diarmuid Falvey (Impreza WRC) 49.21
7th (11)
Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 49.36
8th (21) Sean
Devine/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 49.39
9th (10) Sean
Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 50.00
10th (8)
Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 50.31
Stage 6 on this Mayo Rally was
always going to be pretty critical in overall results terms,
and Jim Harrison set the mountain roads alight with a time of
10.19. That was 8s faster than his closest pursuer Daniel
Doherty. Harrison’s lead leaving service in Ballinrobe was
15s, and the two tied through stage 5, Ballykeane. That
stunning time through stage 6 could well set the seal on a
victory run for Harrison. The Macclesfied man commented at
stage finish. “We went well, but having said that the car felt
very slightly down on power, and I think the manifold could be
cracked.” Donegal man Daniel Doherty quipped “We were down in
energy and out of power at stage finish”.
In the race for 3rd
place Charlie Donnelly seemed to lose a bit of momentum, and
admitted that on the first stage after service he was a bit
jumpy and nervous, which accounted for a slightly slower
time. Ray Breen on the other hand was absolutely flying
through stages 5 and 6, to draw equal with Donnelly.
Amazingly, Breen also admitted that his Focus WRC ran out of
brakes over the Partry Mountain stage, even to the extent that
he burst through the chicane with the middle pedal on the
floor boards!
Patrick Elliott in 5th
told us that his Impreza WRC suspension was slightly changed
at service, the car is handling better but he is disappointed
that the times are not fantastic. Noel Redmond makes up the
top 6, and he had a good run over Partry.
Further stories include
– Melvyn Evans finding his Impreza WRC a bit bouncy at the
back. Aaron MacHale admitted to a few mistakes with the gear
change, but he is getting more used to the car and the times
should start to flow. Kevin Barrett in the Triton Showers
Impreza is moving ever closer to the leaderboard, his total
now 50.48, and Kevin reported all well.
In Group N Seamus Leonard has
again been the fastest through stages 5 and 6. Willie Fannin
is his closest pursuer on 51.21, then James O’Sullivan on
51.33, and Alan Ring 52.04. Ring admitted to hitting the
chicane in stage 5. John Cairns was right in the gpN picture
but his Lancer has stopped in stage 5. Also stopped in that
Party test is Mac McKenna, his Peugeot rwd suffering a blown
oil pipe to the cooler. Maurice Moffett is highest placed 2
wd machine. Paddy Boyle is just behind in his Escort and leads
cl.13. Brian O’Mahony was flying in his Puma, but dropped
time in stage 4 when the car broke a drive shaft.
Finally for now, its
good to see so many people out helping with the rally,
including the Civil Defence. We also have the Irish Peugeot
205 Challenge competitors marshalling today, a scheme thought
up by series supreme Rory Galligan to put something back into
the sport.
More news later.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
