RALLY NEWS NO.5 Sligo
Park/Sunday 5.20
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 Kilmorgan
1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza
WRC) 1.05.19
2nd (1) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC)
1.05.26
3rd (4) Aaron MacHale/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC)
1.05.38
4th (5) Adrian McElvaney/Arthur Kierans (Impreza
WRC) 1.05.40
5th (11) Noel Redmond/Andrew Purcell (Impreza WRC)
1.07.12
6th (8) Michael Barrable/M Morrissey (Focus WRC)
1.07.44
7th (15) Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney (Impreza N)
1.08.33
8th (14) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Impreza N)
1.08.59
9th (19) David James/Jim Crowe (Focus WRC)
1.09.18
10th (26) Rodney Wilton/Conor McMahon (Escort)
1.09.27
With just one stage to go on this Sligo Stages Rally it is a
real cliff hanger at the front with Patrick Elliott leading Charlie
Donnelly by just 7s and 2s separating 3rd and 4th,
Aaron MacHale and Adrian McElvaney. These top drivers have been
just about flat out over the last few stages. Patrick Elliott
commented. “That’s about it, pretty much flat out and the final
stage will be the same. I was a bit sloppy through stage 8, just a
little untidy and it cost some time.”
Charlie Donnelly said at Ballymote service with just the
last stage to go “We were 100 per cent, I’m amazed at some of
Patrick’s times, he deserves credit. I was going hard on that last
stage, a bit wobbly at the start but it went well after that”.
Adrian McElvaney told us “We were on the door handles for that last
stage”. Interestingly Adrian was joint fastest with Charlie
Donnelly on that one with Elliott and MacHale equal 2nd
fastest by 6s slower.
Jim Harrison had led the rally early on but then he thumped
the back of his Impreza on stage 4, so decided to pull out after
stage 5. Noel Redmond in 5th place lost some time in
stage 8 when his Subaru got caught in a rut and punctured a tyre.
Michael Barrable in 6th said. “We’re getting there but
the first stage knockjed the stuffing out of me”. (he was referring
to the problem with the gear change and the throttle). Noel
McCarrick has dropped out of the top 10, Noel having a fraught day,
his latest problem being that co driver Keefe Kilcoyne is being
sick.
Ashfield Building Contractors supreme Willie Fannin
continues to lead group N and he has enough in hand now that he can
take it a little bit easier through the final stage. Alan Ring is
Fannin’s closest pursuer in the gpN category and he had a lucky
escape in stage 8 when his Impreza caught a rock on a left hander
and he was lucky not to sustain a puncture, so Alan has decided just
to go for a finish as well. Kevin Kelleher is 3rd gpN
ahead of Gabriel Martin.
In the 2 wheel drive category Rodney Wilton is still
going like a train although Enda Keenan was slightly faster through
stage 8. Wilton’s Escort is having a little problem with jumping out
of 1st gear. Enda Keenan had some clutch trouble in stage
6 but seems to have got over it. Maurice Moffett had been ahead of
Keenan but the Starlet driver has fallen back slightly and can’t
really understand why apart from the fact that Keenan has just
simply speeded up. Further stories include – Gabriel Martin had
an overshoot and lost a few seconds while PJ McGrath’s Lancer
sustained some damage in stage 8 when he tried to take a 4 right
flat out. Brian Armstrong lost some time when he slid into a ditch
earlier. Looking back a further stages – Barry Horan who runs the
Barry Horan Promotion Team and corporate clothing company was having
a steady run in his Subaru and was in 47th place. Paul
Kiely was back in 24th in his gpN Lancer. Andrew Mullen
was 33rd and 2nd in his class with his Citroen
Saxo. More news after final stage. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
