RALLY NEWS NO.4  End of stage 6 Partry/Sunday 3.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 PARTY MOUNTAIN

1^st (2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 47.57

2^nd (3) Patrick Elliott/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 47.59

3^rd (6) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 48.43

4^th (4) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 48.58

5^th (10) Michael Curran/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 49.07

6^th (18) Kevin Kelleher/Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 49.37

7^th (19) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Impreza N) 49.59    

8^th (17) Martin Doherty/Andrew Cullen (Impreza WRC) 50.05

9^th (9) Noel McCarrick/Paddy Robinson (Impreza WRC) 50.16

10^th (26) PJ McGrath/Killian Duffy (Impreza N) 51.53

 

When the leading cars left service outside Ballinrobe the sun was strong in the sky and the roads were pretty dry.  That picture had changed by the time they arrived at stage 5, Ballyheane, with cold driving rain making the roads streaming wet. Some of the top cars were on dry weather tyres but they just had to stick with it until they reached temporary service here at the end of the Partry Mountain stage.

 

Charlie Donnelly was one of the ones affected, his Corolla running on slick dry weather rubber.  Patrick Elliott was fastest in the stage although by just 1s from Niall Maguire with Donnelly a further 1s back – all very close.  Patrick Elliott stalled his Impreza in stage 5 and lost a few seconds there otherwise the position at the front could be even closer.

 

Glenn Allen hit a good pace through stages 5 and 6 to hold on to 3^rd place, although Glenn reckons that anyone who did the rally last year would certainly have an advantage over the Partry test. Aaron MacHale was in the top 10 after stage 5 but his Corolla is reportedly stopped in stage 6, parked just after Coleman’s Bridge. 

 

Michael Curran’s sgroup N lead was coming under pressure from Kevin Kelleher, the latter slightly the faster of the 2 through stages 3, 4 and 5.  It has to be said though that Michael lost a few seconds with a puncture. In stage 6 the long Partry test, Curran really got the finger out, set a time of 11m11s for the 19.9km stage. Alan Ring did 11.16 and Kevin Kelleher was down on 11.27 having had a spin and a stall in the stage. 

 

We mentioned on the last RallyNews that Paul Kiely had felt the differential starting to play up earlier and indeed Paul has just ground to a halt at the end of stage 6 Partry, his Lancer suffering transmission trouble, but at least he had the consolation of setting some respectable times.

 

In the 2 wheel drive category Maurice Moffett appeared to be leading after stage 4 from Dominic McLaughlin although there are still a lot of times to come in and we do hear that Mark Alcorn in the Corolla is setting the roads alight, but running further back.  Gordon Rogers had been leading but there don’t appear to be any times for him.

 

Midland MC is running the Midland Moto Stages Rally on Sunday 9^th April out of Roscommon. It is the 2^nd round of the Sleator Opel championship and Eoin Longworth is here on this event and has regulations with him. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

(with thanks to Derek Brannigan and Dougie Hughes)