RALLY NEWS NO.3
Ballymote/Sunday 1.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 Carrckbanagher
1st (7) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC)
24.13
2nd (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza
WRC) 24.15
3rd (4) Aaron MacHale/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC)
24.22
4th (5) Adrian McElvaney/Arthur Kierans (Impreza
WRC) 24.23
5th (1) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC)
24.29
6th (11) Noel Redmond/Andrew Purcell (Impreza WRC)
24.45
7th (8) Michael Barrable/M Morrissey (Focus WRC)
25.06
8th (15) Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney (Impreza N)
25.25
9th (17) Ian Barrett/Eoin O'Flaherty (Lancer N)
25.27
10th (26) Rodney Wilton/Conor McMahon (Escort)
25.35
11th (14) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Impreza N)
25.42
12th (19) David James/Jim Crowe (Focus WRC) 25.45
Charlie Donnelly blotted his copybook and lost the lead on
stage 3 when he spun his Corolla WRC and hit a tree. The car was
damaged front and back, Charlie was 20s slower than fastest man
Patrick Elliott and the car looked pretty battered when it drove
down the main Sligo/Dublin road to go into stage 4. At least all
the wheels seemed to be pointing in the right direction, but Charlie
and his co driver Paddy Toner were annoyed at it happening.
It was that stage 3, Carrickbanager, that had to be
shortened because of the melting tar towards the finish and Elliott
stopped the clock on 6.16. Jim Harrison was on 6.17 and Aaron
MacHale 6.19, Adrian McElvaney 6.20.
Elliott commented at stage finish “Not too bad, more to
come”. Jim Harrison said he was having further gear troubles,
something wrong with 2nd this time. Aaron MacHale said
he was having a good steady run, no problems. Adrian McElvaney also
telling of a clean run. Michael Barrable is still having trouble
with his Focus gear change mechanism and Michael was 19s down on the
fastest time for that one.
We reported earlier that Maurice Gass had had a spin and was
going slowly in stage 1, he retired then after that stage. On our
last Rally News we said about Mark Alcorn putting his Corolla off
the road. Mark did manage to get going but dropped almost 6 minutes
and said that the Toyota was on its side in the ditch and there were
no spectators to help. Pat Donegan went off in stage 2 and there
was no sign of him at service.
In Group n Kevin Kelleher turned in an equal fastest time
through stage 3 with Ian Barrett, Kevin getting well clicked on to
his hired Lancer. Ian Barrett still has his 4th gear
trouble but it looks as if he is going to have to live with it for
the rest of the rally, his father Francis said. “He’ll just have to
hold it in!” Alan Ring switched to a softer compound tyre and felt
the car was handling better, but Alan, who leads the category in the
Dunlop National championship, was still a second down on Willie
Fannin on that stage.
In the 2 wheel drive category Maurice Moffett has stopped up
his pace and was 3s faster than Rodney Wilton through stage 3 but in
overall terms Wilton is still 15s ahead of Moffett with Enda Keenan
a further 7s back. Gordon Rogers went well through stage 3 but his
time was off the pace on the 2nd stage where his Escort’s
tyres lost their grip in the heat.
Finally for now the event sponsor Tom Hunt and his
wife are putting in a big effort today to try to raise funds for the
National Breast Cancer Research Institute. There will be tickets for
sale tonight at the prizegiving for a weekend in Cork, and there
will also be a “bucket” collection here at service. Do your best!
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
