RALLY NEWS NO.8            Grandstand/Friday/7.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 17 (end of day 2)
1st (1) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.44.37.6
2nd (2) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 1.45.06.6
3rd (3) Derek McGarrity/Diarmuid Falvey (Impreza WRC) 1.45.21.8
4th (4) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.46.27.7
5th (11) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza N)  1.48.08.6
6th (16) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Ignis) 1.50.55.2
7th (17) Jonny Milner/Nick Beech (Lancer N) 1.51.46.9
8th (27) Roy White/Stephen McAuley (Lancer N) 1.54.00.0**
9th (21) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 1.53.14.2
10th (15) Gwyndaf Evans/Huw Lewis (Lancer N) 1.53.34.5

**This is a notional time for Roy White – Tipperary man Roy stopped to make sure that Seamus Leonard & Gerry McVeigh were OK following their accident in stage 17 Cringle. Roy then stopped further up the road to alert the radio crew. More news on the accidents below.

Out at the front of the rally Eugene Donnelly demonstrated his mastery of the wet conditions by setting fastest times through stages 16 and 17, but even Eugene admitted to struggling over the desperately slippery roads.  Two top drivers who fell foul of the conditions were Ryan Champion and Seamus Leonard, both crashing, ironically within 100 yards of each other but with no direct connection apart from the road being even slippery than ice. 

Eugene Donnelly commented when he brought his Corolla WRC in here to service with a 29s lead.  “For 3 miles it was like ice, same as last year, and for at least a mile of that I said to Paul that we were passengers here. Eventually I almost let the car slither to a stop at the hairpin to get it all gathered together. Then I got good grip through the fog over the top of the Round Table and had a good run down past the mines and Glenneedle.  We had some cut.  OK we have almost 30s now but you know me, I’m a slow starter and I’ll probably give it all back in the morning, but tomorrow is a long day with the longest stage of the rally. Still, its good to have a cushion”.  Kenny McKinstry said. “We were very cautious, we were on Pirelli N3 tyres which we haven’t been on for years but worked well. The road up to the hairpin in Cringle was just pure dangerous. Still, we’re here which makes it a good day”. 

Derek McGarrity said. “We had a good run through the first stage after service but I threw it all away when I spun at the hairpin on to the main road in that last stage. It’s a shame, I had closed in on Kenny, but then I turfed it all away. At the same time I’m relieved to be here, ice has more grip and there’s a wee noise, a harshness, has come into the front right wheel. We will probably replace the hub”.   

It was before that section up to the hairpin that caught out both Ryan Champion and Seamus Leonard.  Reportedly Ryan knocked a wheel off his Lancer and was forced to a halt so losing 2nd group N. Seamus Leonard had been 3rd gpN but his Lancer ended up on its roof, fairly badly damaged, and his co driver Gerry was certainly dazed so the emergency services were called. Phillip Morrow got through the stage OK but he seems to have having a differential problem and is battling to get into service. Mark Higgins continues to lead the group N category and he said. “It’s the slippiest I’ve ever driven in my life. Its not through trying that hard, just covering the ground really. We have a few little problems with the car now, a few noises so we will try and preserve our position tomorrow, the championship is too valuable”.  Guy Wilks really struggled in the slippy conditions with his 2 wheel drive Suzuki. Guy said “It was ridiculously slippy, we were spinning wheels in 5th and 6th gear and I was short shifting to try and keep the grip. It was a hell of a dangerous challenge”. 

Gwyndaf Evans is having the gearbox changed in his Lancer here at service. Guy Woodcock is just outside the leaderboard and continues to lead his class despite ploughing into a chicane coming down from the mines. Woodcock’s Escort Maxi must have been a nightmare in those conditions. Earlier Darren Gass blocked the Baldhoon stage when he broke a wheel bearing on a narrow section, this saved Neil McCance a lot of heartache as he was struggling to get to service having damaged the rear suspension in stage 12 on the deceptive square left almost at the finish line. So this mean that Neil could reverse out of the stage and come straight to the grandstand. Nigel Cannell was forced to retire his Corsa because the new hub couldn’t be made to fit. HISTORICS – Jimmy McRae leads despite engine problems with his Porsche. Gareth Lloyd 2nd, David Stokes 3rd.  

More news in the morning. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net