RALLY NEWS NO.8            End of Barnes Gap/Sunday 12.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 Barnes Gap

1^st (3) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.11.15.6

2^nd (6) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.12.36.5

3^rd (5) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.13.15.4

4^th (9) Sean Devine/Killian Duffy (Impreza WRC) 1.14.51.2

5^th (11) Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy (Lance3r N) 1.15.03.2

6^th (8) Gareth Jones/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 1.15.04.7

7^th (16) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 1.15.35.2

8^th (21) James Cullen/Reba Graham (Lancer N) 1.15.52.1

9^th (19) Roy White/Stephen McAuley (Lancer N) 1.16.53.5

10^th (23) John McGlaughlin/David McElroy (Lancer N) 1.16.55.1

11^th (26) Connor McCloskey/Crawford Henderson (Lancer N) 1.17.05.9

12^th (4) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 1.17.12.5

The Barnes Gap stage was always going to be a tough opener for this 2^nd day of the Circuit of Ireland but it caused an even bigger upset than expected when Peadar Hurson’s Impreza slithered off the road about a mile into the stage. It was a slippy damp place under trees on a tight right hander and it is possible that the Impreza just under steered.  It ended up on its roof with the back poking on to the road which held up a few of the following drivers, and of course Boland and MacHale took a few seconds to ascertain that Peadar and co driver Damien Connolly were unhurt.  This leaves Eugene Donnelly very much out on his own now at the front of this Circuit.  One of his main rivals, Derek McGarrity, was adjudged over maximum lateness yesterday, and although he finished the day in 3^rd place the road penalties after a first stage clutch change when in the lead, put paid to his dream of a 4 consecutive Circuit win.  Now for Peadar Hurson the chances of a fine Circuit result have also gone down the drain. Another major threat to Donnelly’s supremacy was Tim McNulty, but he was knocked back with punctures and was 14^th overnight, although has started today just after the first few cars on safety grounds.  Tim set 5^th fastest time through Barnes Gap.

Eugene Donnelly was fastest through that stage 8, and evidence of just how hard he was trying was that when he took a few seconds to talk to us, the front brakes were boiling. He had little more time than to say that the stage was very slippy, everything was alright, but he had to go to get some air around the brakes. Interestingly, news from the following stage, SS9, Rousky, is that Eamonn Boland was fastest and Donnelly was only 5^th fastest, so maybe he has decided to try and save the car. 

Further stories from stage 8 – Sean Devine said he was nearly off the road on a very tight section and one of his Subaru front wheels was full of mud.  Group N leader Garry Jennings had a sticking throttle at stage finish. Garry was again fastest of the gpN runners, his closest pursuer in overall terms, Seamus Leonard, was 9s slower and found the stage very slippery.  Roy White set 2^nd fastest gpN time for the stage and told us he changed his Lancer rear diff which has made an improvement to the car.  Connor McCloskey was pushing hard this morning but went for the hand brake on a tight right hander and clipped a gate post.       

The National and Historic competitors join in this morning led by Niall McShea in his Orion.  It is a happy day for one driver in the National part of the rally, Aidan Toner in car 146.  His wife Roisin gave birth to their first baby during the night, a little girl to be called Kayley (hope we got the spelling correct!!).

Looking away from the Circuit for a minute – after the first stage of the Wicklow Forestry Stephen Moore led in his newly acquired Focus WRC with Brian McGillen & Donie O’Sullivan tying for 2^nd.  John McCarthy 4^th. Kenny McKinstry was No.1 seed but retired on the first stage when his Impreza WRC had an electrical problem after a big jump. Brian Lawlor crashed past the flying finish on a square left and apparently the ambulance has gone in to make sure he’s OK.

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

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