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RALLY NEWS NO.3 Saturday/Service/Ballynakeery/11am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 Mullaghanish
1st (2) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 18.54.9
2nd (5) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Impreza WRC) 18.58.6
3rd (1) Markko Martin/Dave Senior (Impreza WRC) 19.13.8
4th (4) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Lancer WRC) 19.24.0
5th (9) Gareth Jones/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 19.29.8
6th (8) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 19.33.4
7th (3) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 19.38.3
8th (10) Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Floene (Focus WRC) 20.00.4
9th (7) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 20.04.4
10th (12) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 20.06.8
The above times are still very provisional as there was a slight
hiccup with communications between the flying finish and the stop
car on stage 1.
Mark Higgins reports a clean run so far. Provisionally Guy Wilks
was leading after stage 1 but lost a few seconds with an overshoot
on stage 2. Markko Martin reports all well up to now, the Estonian
bedding himself in to the Irish roads in the Kenny McKinstry’s
Impreza WRC S9. Andrew Nesbitt still has some brake problems with
his Lancer. Gareth Jones could well be further up the leaderboard
above, the young Welshman right on the pace and had Eamonn Boland
in his sights at the end of stage 2. Eamonn reported a misfire in
his Focus WRC. Andreas Mikkelsen had a dented door on his Focus
WRC but it didn’t seem to be any problem for the young Norwegian.
Ray Breen said he was still bedding himself in. Melvyn Evans is
just outside the leaderboard, Melvyn being slightly cautious and
has been given some breathing space in terms of the 023 Tiles championship
as his big rival Denis Cronin lost a mountain of time on stage 2
when his Impreza suffered a puncture just half a mile into the stage.
Pirelli Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly was unflustered after the
2 stages, Eugene still with plenty of speed up his sleeve. Steve
Perez reports a soft brake pedal on his Focus WRC. George Cullen
has put his Impreza up a bank, slight damage and stalled.
Munster Joinery man Alan Ring was being a wee bit cautious over
the first couple of stages but he is still 2nd provisionally in
the gpN category to Kevin Kelleher. Colm Murphy is on a total of
21.46.6, well ahead of his Pirelli Tarmac C/ship group N rival Roy
White who is on 22.08.7. Roy’s Lancer suffered the same problem
as on the Ulster when the centre differential electronics started
to play up. He managed to change the brain but that seems to have
affected the power of the car. James Foley has had a good run so
far and is on 20.31.5. Keith Cronin on his first tarmac rally with
his gpN Lancer is on 20.52.5 and was held up when he caught 2 different
cars.
Aaron MacHale’s Corolla suffered a puncture on Mullaghanish
and he stopped to change the offending wheel. When he managed to
get going Glyn Jones crashed into the Corolla and has damaged the
steering. Jones also had a coming together with a cow so he had
a fairly dramatic stage!
Brian O’Mahony has been catching cars, his Puma also suffering
a misted up screen. Kevin O’Donoghue has no sooner passed
the stricken Aaron MacHale when he failed to hear the next pace
note and he knocked off his rear bumper on a 4 right. No sign of
David James here at the in control to service. Phil Collins had
2 scorching times to open up with in his Mk2 Escort.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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