UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 21 FAYMORE
1st
(6) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Lancer WRC) 2.06.28.5
2nd
(19) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Lancer WRC) 2.07.01.6
3rd
(1) Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 2.07.43.7
4th
(5) Derek McGarrity/Chris Patterson (Impreza WRC) 2.08.06.9
5th
(8) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 2.09.23.4
6th
(9) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 2.10.32.3
7th
(4) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 2.10.58.5
8th
(15) Stephen Murphy/M Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 2.11.30.5
9th
(12) Paul Harris/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 2.12.54.6
10th
(17) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 2.12.55.2
Car No.3
Colin McRae/Nicky Grist (Metro 6R4): 2.12.27.6. Colin leads the
National rally – times now good enough for 9th o/a in
International.
Over this
morning’s stages Andrew Nesbitt was fastest on the first High Glen
from Mark Higgins. On the 2nd one of the loop, stage
18, Faymore, it was Gareth MacHale quickest from Nesbitt and then
Higgins. On the 3rd one of the loop, Atlantic Drive,
Andrew Nesbitt was again fastest from Mark Higgins, with Gareth
MacHale just a few seconds in arrears. Nesbitt has now built up
over half a minute of a lead on Mark Higgins with 3 stages to go.
Retirements this morning include Kevin Lynch who crashed out in
stage 18 and Matthew Wilson whose Focus stopped on stage 18. Paul
Harris lost several minutes when he slid his Corolla into a ditch
on a square left over gravel in Faymore. No damage and still
going.
Andrew
Nesbitt was fairly non committal here at service. There is big
pressure on now as regards trying to get this works Mitsubishi
through the last 3 stages and on to victory ramp. Andrew, wiping
the sweat from his brow after coming off Atlantic Drive, did say
the Drive was damp in places, still very slippy. Mark Higgins
said. “Its steady away now, we’ve got to be a bit careful but with
a 30s gap to Andrew I don’t want to throw it all away. Having
said that its not over yet. The first day was a disaster for us,
yesterday was great”. Gareth MacHale commented “We went well,
kept it neat and tidy, the car and the tyres are working really
well. You need to know High Glen, it was very slippy”.
Derek
McGarrity said about Atlantic Drive “It was horrendous, there is
new tarmac and its like ice, over the crests the back of the car
was trying to pass the front”. Derek also told of stalling the
car on the start line of stage 18 and losing a few seconds. Kevin
Lynch’s accident happened on that new tar section, co driver Allan
Harryman told us when he walked back to service. “It was as if oil
had risen to the surface in the heat yesterday and then a skiff of
rain just made it impossible. There was a Mk2 Escort crashed in
behind us and then Seamus McCusker crashed his F2000 Escort, but
got going”. Lynch knocked down a fence and his Impreza landed at
the front door of a house, don’t know if the householder had the
kettle on for him, but at least contractor Kevin is the right man
to put her in a new fence!
Matthew
Wilson’s Focus stopped with ECU problems, possibly related to the
earlier contact with a rock on the first stage this morning. In
Group N Shaun Gallagher dropped time when his Lancer broke its
front diff. Seamus Leonard now leads group N. Shaun Gallagher 2nd
Roy White 3rd.
More
later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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