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RALLY NEWS NO.6 Service/Saturday/3.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 Lough Allua
1st (5) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Impreza WRC) 53.00.4
2nd (2) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC 53.34.4)
3rd (1) Markko Martin/Dave Senior (Impreza WRC) 54.04.4
4th (4) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Lancer WRC) 54.16.5
5th (3) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 54.29.5
6th (9) Gareth Jones/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 54.43.1
7th (7) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 46.27.3
8th (10) Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Floene (Focus WRC) 56.34.1
9th (17) Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 56.42.6
10th (12) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 57.02.5
Through the Fuhiry and Lough Allua stages Guy Wilks was again fastest,
the young Englishman leading this talented field a merry dance.
Guy commented here at service in control. “We have a bit of
a buffer now, I’m trying to control it from the front. There
are some tricky surfaces. That last stage was very greasy at the
start and I backed off before we got into the narrow road.”
Second placed Mark Higgins commented. “The car is great, really
pleased with it but I felt I drove badly on that last stage, didn’t
get into the rhythm but overall I enjoyed it”. Markko Martin
said. “I’m finding it not easy, I am being very careful,
80 per cent all the time, conditions are difficult”.
Andrew Nesbitt said. “Everything is good”. Eugene Donnelly
told us. “We had a good run on that last stage. That was my
first good one of the rally. Fuhiry was a bit better as well, but
we had a bad recce for the first 2 stages, and the car had a misfire.
I’m delighted to be back on the pace, but there’s a
huge gap to the guys in front.” Gareth Jones rounds off the
top 6, Gareth saying. “Not too bad, but we have been making
wrong tyre choices, have to have a re-think”. Austin MacHale
came into service in control and immediately climbed out of his
Focus and said. “I’m balloxed, let my stretch my legs!”
Young Norwegian driver Andreas Mikkelsen commented. “It is
difficult, the roads, but good fun”. Melvyn Evans in 9th told
of intercom problems through the Fuhiry stage, co driver Sean Mullally
joking “I must have swallowed the mike”. Quick as a
flash Melvyn came back “Well you mouth’s big enough
Sean!” Ray Breen in 10th was having wiper problems with his
Focus.
James Foley in 11th continues to lead group N, James saying that
he was on wet tyres through Fuhiry. They got a bit shredded and
he had to take it reasonably carefully through the tight section
at the start of Lough Allua.
Liam McCarthy in 12th said his Corolla WRC was sliding about a good
bit, co driver Kieran Murphy commenting “At the same time,
just glad to be here”.
Colm Murphy in 13th and 2nd gpN felt he was too safe with his tyre
choice. PJ McGrath in 14th said he was going better, found the stages
very nice. Roy White in 15th said he has the tracking of his FESP
Lancer fixed after hitting it against a rock and he had a good run.
Making up the top 20 – George Cullen is 16th and says he has
been making too many small mistakes. Keith Cronin in 17th, 4th in
gpN, is going like a train considering he has no experience of group
N motoring on asphalt stages. Steve Perez in 18th is settling down
to the job in his Focus WRC. Kevin Kelleher in 19th says he’s
driving the socks off his Lancer, sideways everywhere and just can’t
believe the speed of the gpN guys at the front. Alan Ring is 20th,
said he is getting wound up now and his big concern is his battle
with Kevin Kelleher for 023 Tiles Southern 4 points. Kevin O’Donoghue
has survived a stage 4 puncture and is 21st o/a just ahead of Willie
Fannin. Brian O’Mahony is 23rd and leading his class in his
Puma, O’Mahony held up very slightly behind the struggling
Ian Barrett, Ian’s Lancer with some mechanical problems. Phil
Collins is running in the National rally in his Mk2 Escort and has
been flying all day, mixing times with the Internationals but slowed
slightly through stages 5 and 6 when his Escort broke an anti roll
bar. Co driver Derek Brannigan saying “That’s the first
time ever Phil has gone quiet, 320 horse power under his bum and
all over the road!”
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with
thanks to Mary Mulcahy)..and Martin Brady.
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