RALLY NEWS NO.3
End of SS3 Slea Head/Sunday 1pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 Slea Head
1st (1) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC)
21.22
2nd (3) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza
WRC) 21.23
3rd (2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla
WRC) 21.32
4th (4) Patrick Elliott/Rory Kennedy (Impreza
WRC) 21.54
5th (5) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin
(Impreza WRC) 22.07
6th (10) Aaron MacHale/Eugene O'Donnell
(Corolla WRC) 22.18
7th (9) Martin Doherty/Andrew Cullen (Impreza
WRC) 22.20
8th (11) Noel Redmond/Sean Mullally (Impreza
WRC) 22.31
9th (32) James M & James F Stafford (Lancer
N) 22.38
10th (14) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N)
22.41
A slight skid up a bank into the Slea Head scenery cost
rally leader Ray Breen a few seconds in the 3rd
stage, but he just managed to hold on to his overall advantage
by 1s from Tim McNulty. McNulty was fastest through the stage in
his new Impreza WRC S11, the big Meath man saying “Not bad,
nothing major, going OK”. Breen said. “It was a long 5 left, I
guess I was just going too hard and it was damp. We went into
the scenery. The front right hand wheel was full of mud and
vibrating, but it should be OK for the next stage”.
Charlie Donnelly was 2nd fastest in the stage
and said. “We really enjoyed that. I think intermediate tyres
was the right choice. Although it had stopped raining the road
were still wet.” Patrick Elliott set a good pace in that stage
3 although he felt he was being cautious. Michael Barrable was
down the time sheets, Michael completely unsettled. JJ Fleming
had a straight on at a junction otherwise a good run. Aaron
MacHale had intercom troubles.
In Group N early joint leader Andrew Stewart had a
puncture and dropped a minute. Kevin Kelleher says he has now
woken up and was faster than group N leader James M Stafford.
Mark Alcorn in the Corolla seems to be fastest of the 2 wheel
drive brigade although Mike Quinn is going well in his Escort.
Maurice Moffett is kicking himself for not having fitted new
tyres for the Slea Head stage.
More news later.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
