RALLY NEWS NO.4
End of stage 5/Sunday 4pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4
BUNNOE
1st (2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy
Toner (Corolla WRC) 34.58
2nd (3) Patrick Elliott/Rory
Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 35.10
3rd (6) Aaron MacHale/Paul Nagle
(Focus WRC) 35.14
4th (133) Adrian McElvaney/Paul
Goodman (Impreza WRC) 35.47
5th (5) Niall Maguire/Paul
McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 35.49
6th (8) Kevin Barrett/Barry
Goodman (Impreza WRC) 36.16
7th (9) Martin Doherty/Andrew
Cullen (Impreza WRC) 36.44
8th (10) Willie Fannin/Mick
Courtney (Impreza N) 36.51
9th (15) Ian Barrett/Eoin
O'Flaherty (Lancer N) 37.32
10th (20) Jack Sleator/Andrew
Purcell (Impreza WRC) 37.34
11th (14) PJ McGrath/Killian Duffy
(Lancer N) 37.36
12th (141) Peter Wilson/John
Kilmurray (Lancer N) 37.37
The leading cars were a few minutes late
emerging from stage 4 Bunnoe as the officials of the rally took time
out to help get a vet in to a cow that was giving birth at junction
12. At least it gave the lady (Yvonne) in Trainers Bar at the end
of the stage at Lisnageer time to dish out cups of coffee!! Charlie
Donnelly’s Corolla WRC appeared first on the road just a few minutes
beyond schedule and Charlie was fastest by 4s from Patrick Elliott
and Aaron MacHale. Charlie’s actual time for the 9.2 mile stage was
8m47s. Elliott and MacHale were on 8.51. Donnelly was immediately
into deep discussion with his brother Eugene and service supreme
Derek McGeehan about suspension settings, but overall he seemed
happy enough.
Patrick Elliott said he was going just about
as hard as he could and the car felt good. While Adrian McElvaney
also had a good run and he said he had switched on to a harder
compound tyre. Niall Maguire was just a few seconds slower than
Elliott and MacHale, the former champion was wiping the sweat from
his brown at stage finish which gave some indication of how hard he
was trying. Martin Doherty was a couple of seconds faster than Kevin
Barrett but really there was little in it. Jack Sleator fitted
harder tyres for that 2nd loop of stages and despite a
spin at a hairpin where he also couldn’t get reverse, still had a
much better time than his first trip over the stage.
Willie Fannin was searingly quick in group N
with a time of 9.17. Alan Ring had been in hot pursuit of the
flying Fannin but Alan lost approximately 30s with a front right
puncture. Gabriel Martin was 2nd fastest in his Lancer
but again there were only seconds separating the top group N drivers
with PJ McGrath, Ian Barrett, Peter Wilson and also Tadgh Linehan
who was running a little further back, all in the hunt.
Maurice Moffett was kicking himself for
having spun his Starlet at the uphill hairpin off the main road in
the stage, but interestingly he still had a good time, 9.34 as
against Rodney Wilton’s 9.40. Wilton is the highest placed 2 wheel
drive contender but he was slower 2nd time over the stage
for some reason. Looking back to the end of stage 3 – Daniel
Conaghan was leading class 12 in his Escort while Trevor Lancashire
was 2nd in cl.14 to Maurice Moffett. Rodney Wilton led
cl.13 and 11th overall with Ollie O’Reilly 2nd
in the class. More news after stage 6. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynes.net
