RALLY NEWS NO.4
Service/Sunday/3pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6
1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 47.48
2nd (1) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 48.16
3rd (3) Aaron MacHale/Eugene O'Donnell (Focus WRC) 48.47
4th (5) Niall Maguire/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 49.53
5th (4) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (Impreza WRC) 50.42
6th (9) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 50.49
7th (7) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 51.13
8th (11) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Impreza N) 51.50
9th (21) Mike Moloney/Marie Casey (Escort) 52.04
10th (18) Gabriel Martin/Paddy Robinson (Lancer N) 52.07
Patrick Elliott was 30s in front leaving service after stage 3.
Charlie Donnelly clawed 2 back in stage 4, lost 5 in stage 5 and
pulled 5 back in stage 6 to leave the gap now 28s with 3 stages
remaining.
Aaron MacHale was fastest through stage 6, 2s ahead of Donnelly.
Aaron commented “These guys in front are going hard, I’m
surprised at their pace, we had a good run there although we have
a small intercom problem”. Charlie Donnelly also had
an intercom problem, an intermittent fault, and also lost some time
when his Corolla slid wide at a junction and sat on the hedge for
a few seconds. Patrick Elliott’s Subaru had slight damage
to the front when he arrived in here to service. Patrick said. “It
just got away from me over some bumps into a chicane but we lived
to tell the tale”.
Niall Maguire had a good run through that loop of stages, Niall
joking: “Everything’s a hundred per cent, I’m
even starting to understand the notes from this foreigner sitting
beside me, this Limerick man!” Denis Cronin in
5th is still struggling with his Subaru gearbox but he has speeded
up considerably and co driver Helen is holding his gear stick in
place, in 6th, in the stages! Helen was sweating at stage
finish and said: “Yet another job for me to do!”
Sean Gallagher in 7th still feels his car is down on power although
at least he has discovered why the anti lag was off for the first
few stages, or at least Kenny McKinstry discovered why it was off.
It would appear that Sean must have hit the button with his elbow
when the car went over a jump.
Alan Ring has moved into a clear lead in the group N category. His
great rival Willie Fannin lost a minute in stage 5 when he cut a
corner too tight, across the grass and hit a rock puncturing a tyre.
Kevin Kelleher has started to get on the pace after a slow start
and his total now is 52.18, 3rd in group N. Gabriel Martin
has moved into 2nd group N and set a fastest category time through
stage 6, despite being on wet weather tyres. The roads have now
dried up really well although there are still some mucky patches.
Tadgh Linehan is just a few seconds outside the top gpN crews, Tadgh
lucky to get away without a puncture having clicked the same stone
as Fannin.
Mike Moloney leads the 2 wheel drive category despite having got
held up in stage 5 by a smoke screen emitting from a Subaru in front
with a blown turbo. Coincidentally neither Daragh Raftery
or Jack Sleator in their respective Subarus have appeared here at
service yet. Paul Gallagher is on a total of 52.24 in his Corolla
and is 2nd best 2 wd ahead of Enda Keenan in his Escort who is on
52.39. Sean Lyons was in the hunt in his Escort but he slid off
twice in stage 4 and his total is now 53.27. Mick McQuaid is going
quite well on a total of 53.43. Further down the list Flannin McNamara
leads cl12 in his Escort. Thomas Fitzmaurice leads cl.15 in his
Escort Cosworth. David Roe cl.3 in his Civic. Pat Ryan cl.9 in his
Escort. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
