RALLY NEWS NO.3 Service/Sunday 1pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 Brogan
1st (1) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 24.10
(3) Patrick Elliott/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 24.10
3rd (2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 24.12
4th (4) Adrian McElvaney/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 24.15
5th (5) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 24.24
6th (6) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 24.35
7th (8) Michael Barrable/M Morrissey (Focus WRC) 24.47
8th (10) Aaron MacHale/Craig Parry (Corolla WRC) 25.05
9th (7) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 25.06
10th (9) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 25.09
Its hot and heavy stuff at the front of this Monaghan Rally with
Patrick Elliott leading after the first stage, his Subaru overshooting
a junction in stage 2, which allowed Charlie Donnelly into the
lead after that 2nd stage. Charlie however wasn’t fantastically
quick in stage 3 where his tyres went off the boil in the warm
sunshine. In stage 3 Elliott set a fastest time to move into the
joint lead with Ray Breen. As can be seen above, Charlie Donnelly
is only a couple of seconds behind in 3rd place, and interestingly
Adrian McElvaney was fastest through stage 2, by 1s from Charlie
Donnelly, who was 4s faster than Breen.
Breen commented here at service in control. “We’re
going OK but it is very slippy in places, there is a fine line,
and no tell tale signs on the road, very hard to commit. The car
is 100 per cent but we were trying a little experiment with the
anti lag, being able to change it with a button on the steering
wheel. But there was a 3s delay it was a bit confusing and we
scrapped the idea”. Charlie Donnelly said he went OK but
reckons he needed to pick a harder compound tyre. Patrick Elliott’s
co driver Rory Kennedy said their overshoot at a junction in stage
2 was an absolutely huge affair. Perhaps fortunate to lose so
little time.
Adrian McElvaney commented. “We seem to be lacking in top
speed in the fast sections although having said that there are
places I could go harder, but other spots maybe I’d be better
not going any harder, we’ve had a few near ones!”
Niall Maguire has been setting a great pace but the 5 times winner
of this rally lost a few seconds in stage 2 when a rear tyre deflated,
Niall not sure if he clipped a stone or anything, but down it
went anyway. Glenn Allen was setting a cracking pace through the
first couple of stages but his Corolla WRC seemed to slow in stage
3. Glenn saying that whenever he changed up a gear with the paddle
shift the engine seems to go flat, which sounds suspiciously like
further ECU trouble or electronic troubles. Michael Barrable has
come up to 7th place, Michael saying. “I’m comfortable
with the pace at the moment, we’ve tried a few tweaks, there’s
a lot left in the car particularly over the real fast stuff”.
Kevin Barrett said. “We’re bedding in”. While
Sean Devine, also in an Impreza WRC, reported “We’re
getting there slowly but surely”. Aaron MacHale said his
Corolla seems to be bottoming out over the jumps. Martin Doherty
is having a good run so far, is really enjoying the sunshine,
his Impreza WRC on a total of 25.10. Hugh M Doherty still have
that vibration in 5th and 6th gear in his Impreza WRC and also
the dashboard readout seems to have gone haywire and he is really
struggling.
In Group N Alan Ring is edging ahead although he said he missed
a few gears in his Impreza N12 through the first stage. Alan’s
total is 25.31. Willie Fannin 25.35. PJ McGrath is on 25.55. Ian
Barrett on 25.58 having set a 2nd fastest GpN time through stage
3. Tadgh Linehan is a long way from his Cork base and he’s
going OK, on a total of 26.17. Kevin Kelleher has had poor reward
for driving all the way from Clonakilty, co-driver Martin leaving
at 3.30 yesterday morning to pick Kevin up in Dublin to arrive
into the Hillgrove at 8am for the recce. Anyway, the pair have
dropped 2 minutes on the 2nd stage because of a puncture. Kevin
said there was a rock in the road right in front of him and he
couldn’t avoid it. He reckons also the clutch is giving
a little bit of trouble.
In the Modified section of the rally Maurice Moffett seems to
be setting the pace now in his Starlet on a total of 25.37. Trevor
Lancashire is on 26.05 and Enda Keenan on 26.09. Mark Alcorn was
fastest modified on the opening stage but has retired his Corolla
TC with a rattling crank shaft/main bearings. Mac McKenna didn’t
reach the first stage in his Peugeot 205 rwd before his engine
cried enough. Enda Keenan is driving a brand new and lovely black
Mk2 Escort, and he has blooded the new car, knocking the tail
light out against the Monaghan scenery in a big drift! Circuit
of Ireland modified winner Camillus Bradley looks like he is going
to have to pull out, his Escort suffering a misfire. Gordon Rogers
was missing here at service. David McNulty’s Escort Cosworth
clutch is slipping. He switched off the anti lag and reckons if
he nurses the car he could just about get it to the finish if
everything else is OK. More news later. BRIAN 7 LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net