RALLY NEWS NO.10              Omagh Service/Sunday 3.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 11 Barnes Gap 2

1^st (3) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.41.03.3

2^nd (6) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.43.13.5

3^rd (5) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.43.25.5

4^th (8) Gareth Jones/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 1.44.50.7

5^th (11) Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy (Lance3r N) 1.45.36.7

6^th (9) Sean Devine/Killian Duffy (Impreza WRC) 1.45.48.6

7^th (16) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 1.46.17.0

8^th (4) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 1.46.51.2

9^th (19) Roy White/Stephen McAuley (Lancer N) 1.47.51.2

10^th (23) John McGlaughlin/David McElroy (Lancer N) 1.48.15.2

Tim McNulty set fastest time in his Pierse backed Subaru through stage 11 by just 0.2 of a second from Eugene Donnelly.  These 2 were out on their own really. Gareth Jones and Garry Jennings both went hard through the stage. Both Austin MacHale and Eamonn Boland were very slightly off the pace, although MacHale was 8s faster than Boland to leave the race between the two for 2^nd place very tight indeed.  It transpires that both MacHale and Boland had front left punctures.  James Cullen also had a front left puncture and dropped 2 minutes. The front left wheel of Garry Jennings Lancer was damaged but the tyre did not deflate. It was a similar story with McNulty’s Impreza WRC.  It seems more than possible that some of the National competitors pulled a rock or something out of a bank. 

Further down the results sheet Andrew Bushe has moved into the lead of class A6 in his Peugeot following the retirement of young Cork man Brian O’Mahony. Brian’s Puma went straight on at a crest into a tight corner and slithered hundreds of yards down a field.  Alan Cathcart/Paddy Flanagan have moved into the lead in class N3.  Eugene Meegan did lead the class in a similar Honda Civic R but he has pulled in.  Conor Harvey/Brian Boyle now lead class N2, Conor just having finished building his Civic the day before the rally. Tommy Doyle did lead that class but has dropped back following a puncture.

In the Wicklow Forestry Rally Brian McGillen, driving a new Stan Harper Impreza N12, is leading with 2 stages remaining.  Brian is 7s ahead of Donie O’Sullivan.  Donie is driving Ollie O’Donovan’s P2000 Subaru WRC and at the last service there were lots of bits and pieces getting changed so hopefully the car will keep going. John McCarthy was a further 1s back in his Corolla WRC and Kevin O’Kane was 15s back in 4^th place.  Series leader Stephen Moore had led initially but put his newly acquired Focus WRC off the road on the 2^nd stage. Moore is still going but running well back. Trevor Harding also retired, his Impreza suffering fuel problems. Adrian Heatherington and co driver Terry Walkinshaw were the best of the 2 wheel drive contenders 2s ahead of Paul Staunton, again with 2 stages remaining.       

Back here in Omagh Service Camillus Bradley led the National section after their first 3 stages with Damien Gallagher 2^nd, Seamus McCusker 3^rd. All the leader drivers were talking of very slippy conditions. Paul Gallagher put his Corolla off the road at a 6 left through a very slippy farmyard and was stuck for many minutes. Niall McShea’s Orion had back axle link trouble in stage 2 and he was marooned close to the same farmyard. The spectating Seamus Devine had his van in a lane close by and was able to produce enough tools and hammers and bolts and things to get the Orion mobile again! Niall, with Mrs McShea on the pace notes, is having a ball. 

Further stores from the main rally include Pat Kirk having put his Lancer off the road at a stage 10 hairpin, got going but then retired. Nigel Hicklin has decided to pull out of the rally as he was unhappy in his Corolla WRC. We did a story earlier about Ernest McMillen’s co driver Desi McGlade losing his glasses in a stream when he was pushing their stricken Swift back on to the road in stage 4. Following the end of the rally yesterday Desi got into his road car, drove back up to the scene of the accident, hoked about the stream and found his errant spectacles!! Fair play to Desi!!!

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with thanks to Ian Beasant & Michael Patterson)

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