RALLY NEWS NO.8
St Angelo Service/Sunday 1.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9
Ballintempo
1st (7) Matthew
Wilson/Michael Orr (Focus WRC) 1.35.14.7
2nd (6) Eamonn
Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.38.26.5
3rd (9) Glenn
Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 1.39.57.9
4th (8) Gareth
MacHale/Paul Nagle (Corolla WRC) 1.40.22.7
5th (1) Daniel
Carlsson/Mattias Andersson (Lancer N) 1.40.57.0
6th (2) Freddy Loix/Robin
Buysmans (Ignis) 1.42.14.1
7th (16) Roy
White/Stephen McAuley (Lancer N) 1.43.22.3
8th (10) Sean
Devine/Killian Duffy (Impreza WRC) 1.44.34.5
9th (15) George
Tracey/Jane O'Connor (Peugeot 206 WRC) 1.46.05.8
10th (45) Gordon
Coleman/James Gallagher (Lancer N) 1.46.07.3
Matthew Wilson found himself with an
almost 2 minute lead after the first of the forest stages this
morning when Eamonn Boland had a slow time and Kevin Lynch crashed
his Impreza WRC off the road. In theory this should have allowed
Wilson to ease right back but that was not so easy, as he explained.
“When I backed off I started to make stupid mistakes. I overshot a
chicane and had to reverse and then had a massive moment at a tight
right hander just at the end of stage 9. We had a big moment and the
car went into the undergrowth. I found as well it was a big
disadvantage to run first car on the road because of the loose
gravel”. Eamonn Boland said. “I’m only there, in the forests,
because I have to be, its damaging the car and I’m off to Cataluyna
Rally on Thursday”.
Another driver to go astray on
the tight right hander at the end of stage 9 was Glenn Allen. His
Corolla went off the road and damaged the radiator. Glenn reckons he
was on for a real good time, had Eamonn Boland’s Focus in his sights
but then the accident knocked that back. Gareth MacHale put his
Corolla off on the same corner and he lost quite a few seconds.
Daniel Carlsson was making a real charge to try to get past both
Allen and MacHale, but his Lancer got a front wheel puncture 9km
from the finish of the stage, so Daniel lost a lot of time. The
Swedish driver said “Also for 4km the sump guard came loose and
acted like a gravel plough, slowing the car right down, and then the
puncture. It was a right hand corner over a crest and the stone, it
was nothing”. Carlsson thumped the rear spoiler of his Lancer
really hard before continuing. “I think I had a real chance for 2nd
place. Now it is over. But we will go at full speed, I don’t give a
s..t if we have 4 punctures”.
Freddy Loix admitted that the
car was very slow through the opening forest stage because of the
tight corners and the little uphill sections, but went better
through Ballintempo, still not fantastic, but better. Roy White had
a good time through Ballintempo, the Clonmel man gradually getting
his confidence over the forest stages. Sean Devine lost a few
seconds when he overshot a junction. It was at a jump 200 turn
square right and his Subaru ploughed on past. The trouble for Sean
was that he is still having gearbox troubles and couldn’t find
reverse.
John McGlaughlin cut a tight
right hander too close and put his Lancer on its side which spoiled
a good run. John was up to 9th but dropped several
minutes and is now just a few seconds behind Noel McCarrick in 10th.
Noel had to slow to avoid McGlaughlin’s accident. Stephen Moore has
reportedly crashed his Impreza at the end of stage 9. Aaron MacHale
is not happy with the handling of his Lancer, feels it’s a throwback
to the damage that was caused to the right rear corner yesterday.
Shaun Gallagher had his Lancer sump guard come loose, also some
brake troubles. Shaun is in 15th place, just behind Jaan
Molder and just ahead of Aaron MacHale. Latest news is that Stephen
Moore has got going following his stage 9 accident – has only
dropped a couple of minutes and is back in 17th place.
Brian Lawlor has dropped 5 minutes in that tough stage 9, reason as
yet unknown.
More news later. BRIAN &
LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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