MANX TALES NO.6               Grandstand/Service/Friday 2.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 10 Cringle
1st (1) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.05.45.2
2nd (2) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 1.05.46.2
3rd (3) Derek McGarrity/Diarmuid Falvey (Impreza WRC) 1.05.50.4
4th (4) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.06.33.9
5th (11) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza N) 1.08.01.4
6th (6) Gareth Jones/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 1.08.53.6
7th (16) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Ignis) 1.09.16.9
8th (12) Rory Galligan/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 1.09.36.2
9th (14) Ryan Champion/Craig Thorley (Lancer N) 1.09.38.4
10th (18) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 1.10.02.5
11th (17) Jonny Milner/Nick Beech (Lancer N) 1.10.34.2
12th (28) David Wright/Shelley Rogerson (Impreza N) 1.10.41.0

Eugene Donnelly turned in a stunning time for stage 10, Cringle, to move into the lead of this Rally Isle of Man.  Eugene was also fastest through stage 9 but only by a split second from Derek McGarrity. It was stage 10 that really told the story. Kenny McKinstry was first on the road and when he arrived into service he said “We landed sideways and badly over a jump in there and we must have hurt something in the gearbox.  Anyway, I was going as hard as I can go, Eugene took 8s so we have it all to do again. But sure it’s only a whisper”.  At that Kenny climbed out of his Subaru and was joined by Derek McGarrity, Kenny going on to say “I came down past the mines as hard as I want to go”.  Derek McGarrity said. “Too right, it’s like being on a bobsleigh down there”.  McGarrity went on to say. “Our car’s brilliant, going really well, but its big speed out there and I’ll just have to pull a wee bit more out. Eugene was very quick, I think the narrow stuff towards the end suits him”.  Eugene’s Corolla then arrived and he said. “We pushed very hard there, more than I wanted to, but the car felt really good, I was braking late although I never had a moment or lost time. I had it in my head that the Subarus would be quick so I thought we’ll push on.  Past the mines and on down the hill over the narrow stuff I just kept it in 6th gear toeing and heeling but stayed in 6th.  It was a little bit brave.  On the previous stage I had 3 small misdemeanours, once a slight stall at a hairpin when it wouldn’t select a gear, but everything has to be 100 per cent right”. 

Eamonn Boland knows that alright – he had 2 small spins at hairpins and was immediately down 20s.  Co driver Francis Regan joked “All go and no stop once or twice”  Gareth Jones was 13th overnight, shot up the leaderboard over the morning’s stages but lost a small bit of momentum through stages 9 and 10 when his Subaru had a little brake trouble and overshot a couple of junctions.

In Group N Mark Higgins continues to be the pace setter, his co driver Rory Kennedy saying “It was mighty down there past the mines, something else”.  Guy Wilks in the Super 1600 Suzuki said. “That was as good as we can expect. Mark took just over 2s. We did have a slight misunderstanding in our service before those 2 stages. We had old tyres on the back and I wanted them on the front as it is much easier to get the heat into them”.  Ryan Champion was deep in thought as he waited to go into service, the Yorkshire man saying “There’s nothing major wrong I just think we have a compromised set up in the suspension, not really good anywhere but not bad either.  I’m wondering what way to go with it”.  Ryan and Rory Galligan continue to have a massive battle with Ryan nibbling away at Rory’s times, just 2s separating the two.  Rory Galligan seems happy enough. 

Seamus Leonard continues to lead the Pirelli Tarmac championship group N contenders although he had a very lucky escape in stage 10 when his Lancer careered 40yards down a ditch following a square left corner. There was grass sticking out of every crevice in the Lancer, the back bumper was twisted and the exhaust burnt a hole through the bumper, but Seamus lost little time. Roy White reckons his Lancer needs a change of transfer shaft, that something is broken and the mechanics should be able to change it within the 20 minutes allotted for service, although apparently that involves a certain amount of hoking about with a magnet to get the broken splinters out.  Colm Murphy is back on the pace, his gearbox fixed and he’s chasing after Roy White.  Conrad Rautenbach spun his GpN Impreza at the hairpin up at Renague, otherwise OK. 

Phillip Morrow lost a few seconds when he spun his Lancer at the hairpin left in stage 9 not long after the start.  Jonny Milner also had a spin at that hairpin, Jonny also reckons his Lancer cutch is notchy, so he is not using it once he gets into the stage and hopes there will be enough time at final service tonight to change it. Gwyndaf Evans is struggling with a broken clutch pedal on his Lancer. Guy Woodcock has his Escort Maxi up into 17th o/a and leading his class despite some starter motor troubles and picking too soft a tyre for the drying roads.  Jimmy McRae is now into the lead of the Historic rally his post historic Porsche a second ahead of Adrian Kermode’s similar 911 with David Stokes 3rd and Gareth Lloyd 4th in his “classic” Escort.  Dessie Nutt is 8th and leads the full Historic class in his Porsche. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net