RALLY NEWS NO.6 Clonakilty
Service/Saturday 6pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 (end
of day 1)
1st (3) Liam McCarthy/Kieran
Murphy (Impreza WRC) 54.23.4
2nd (4) Denis Cronin/Helen
O'Sullivan (Impreza WRC) 54.23.7
3rd (12) Tony Davies/Jakes Kelly
(Impreza WRC) 55.21.9
4th (8) Steve Fleck/Mark
Aspinall (Impreza WRC) 55.29.0
5th (24) Ashley Field/Janice
Hooley (Darrian) 55.49.0
6th (11) John Dalton/Gwynfor
Jones (Darrian) 55.53.4
7th (7) Bob Fowden/Jerry Hynes (Impreza
WRC) 56.13.8
8th (6) JJ Fleming/Robbie Ward
(Focus WRC) 56.29.1
9th (15) James O'Sullivan/Kieran
O'Callaghan (Lancer N) 56.52.4
10th (10) Phil Collins/Derek
Brannigan (Escort) 56.58.5
There has been a fabulous battle for the leading positions
over the last few stages, and as can be seen above, Liam McCarthy
has the most slender of advantages going into day 2 of this West
Cork Rally. Stage 7 had to be abandoned because of a large crowd
emerging from a pub in the stage following the conclusion of the
Wales/Ireland rugby match. (Wales 32 Ireland 20). It was felt on
safety grounds that the stage should not run. Anyway, Denis
Cronin was 1s faster than Liam McCarthy, but it was not enough to
put Cronin back into the lead. McCarthy is running his Impreza
WRC engine in a very safe boost mode to try to counteract the
overheating problem. Denis Cronin reports no problems. Tony
Davies is having a fabulous run, he has hauled himself up from 10th
to 3rd over the course of the day, and there is a
promise of more to come in day 2. Steve Fleck admitted to having
a poor enough stage 8, Davies was 17s faster, so Fleck has to
settle for 4th in the overnight order.
Ashley Field has been stunningly quick all day in his
Darrian to hold 5th place, but did back off ever so
slightly through stage 8, reckoning his Darrian’s sub frame was
possibly cracked after a heavy landing over a big jump. No such
caution from fellow Darrian pilot John Dalton who was 14s faster
than Field through that stage 8, and is now just 4s behind. Bob
Fowden is looking pretty sound in 7th, his flu somewhat
dissipated, the Welshman looking forward to Sunday. JJ Fleming
pronounced himself happy just to finish the day all in one piece
following his stage 2 accident. The Galway man fairly secure in 8th
place.
James O’Sullivan in 9th overall continues to
lead the GjpN despite his Lancer engine drinking gallons of
water. Phil Collins is driving his heart out and holds a good 10th,
but by Phil’s high standards he is disappointed to be only 3rd
in the 2 wheel drive category.
There is a plethora of drivers just outside the leader
board waiting to pounce – Mark Morgan is on 58.02 and right up
there behind O’Sullivan in Group N. Kevin Kelleher is doing
brilliantly in his first run in a Lancer and is 3rd in
GpN on a total of 58.08. Kevin O’Donoghue speeded up a bit in
stage 8 and is on 58.44. Willie Power is going nicely in his V6
Opel powered Darrian and his total is 57.34. PJ McGrath has
58.24. George Thaw has got the active transmission sorted on his
Impreza, the brakes are now working and he is going to try and
attack on Sunday, his total 58.27. John Hickey continues to have
a clutch pedal that jams down, John having a very exciting drive
indeed, quite pleased to have, for a change, finished the first
day of a 2 day rally, his total 59.57.5. Gwyndaf Evans dropped
time in stage 8, was passed by 3 cars when his Escort suffered
some sort of prop shaft trouble. Peter Lloyd has a total of 59.05
in his Impreza, he’s had a few niggly mechanical problems this
afternoon. Dominic Naughton has crashed his Saxo out on stage 4,
driver and cod river OK. More news in the morning. BRIAN & LIZ
PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
