RALLY
NEWS NO.8
From end of Stage 11/Sunday 1.20
UNOFFICIAL
LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 11
Ballyfa
1st
(1) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.32.01.8
2nd
(2) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 1.32.20.0
3rd
(6) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.33.15.0
4th
(11) Peadar Hurson/Damien Connolly (Impreza WRC) 1.33.25.4
5th
(3) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.33.52.8
6th
(4) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 1.34.22.1
7th
(8) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 1.34.24.0
8th
(5) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.34.40.2
9th
(138) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 1.37.47.2
10th
(9) Gareth Jones/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 1.38.07.5
11th
(139) Philip Morrow/Derek Brannigan (Lancer N) 1.38.07.3
12th
(22) James Foley/Dominic Markey (Lancer N) 1.38.07.2
Tim
McNulty piled on the pressure through stage 11 Ballyfa, his Pierse
backed Subaru fastest overall and probably most important for Tim
almost 3s faster then Eugene Donnelly.
The gap between 1st and 2nd starting
the day was 33s approximately and is down now to less than 20s
with 7 stages remaining. Donnelly
thought yesterday that McNulty would have the edge over today’s
fast stages, and at the moment that is the way it is turning out.
There
is also a huge battle going on for 3rd place between
Eamonn Boland and Peadar Hurson. Peadar feeling that he is just
too cautious and Eamonn was almost 5s faster. Derek McGarrity went
well but his time was almost 13s slower than McNulty. Ray Breen
had some gearbox troubles after stage 10, he said the box was
changed at service and the car is now perfect.
Andrew Nesbitt finished that stage 11 in a reasonably good
time, and says his gearbox trouble is now fixed, he himself is
getting bedded in.
Austin
MacHale switched on to slicks for that stage and he set a good
time and said it went well. Gareth Jones also speeded up after his
earlier problems when he was off the road and parked on a wall for
a short period.
In
Group
N Colm
Murphy was far and away fastest, 10s quicker than Phillip Morrow
and 12s faster than James Foley. Murphy switched on to slick tyres
and said they were fabulous although Plum Tyndall of RPM said that
he then saw Murphy having a massive spin at a fast square left
junction in stage 12 which must have cost some time. James Foley
also switched on to slicks but whatever way his car was set up he
said it was like driving on ball bearings. Willie Fannin is 4th
group N, 13th overall 20s back on Foley.
Just
outside the above leaderboard we have Hugh M Doherty & Paddy
White in their respective World Rally Subarus. Then its James
Cullen, Kevin Kelleher and Alan Ring. Ring had a spin at a hairpin
in stage 11. James Cullen is having to pump his Lancer’s brakes
and is struggling to set the times in his older model Mitsubishi.
In
the Historics Frank Cunningham was up to 2nd but
retired his Escort when he burst the sump.
Gronholm
has won Swedish Rally from Loeb, Carlsson 3rd and Galli
4th after gearbox trouble.
More
news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
(our thanks to
Carmel
for the supply of cups of very welcome tea!)
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