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RALLY NEWS NO.4(A) Service/Saturday 2.30pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 THE CURRAGH
1st
(2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Fabia WRC) 19.30.3
2nd
(3) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 19.41.4
3rd
(5) Raymond Johnston/Richard Bell (Impreza WRC) 19.53.4
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 FALLAGHLOON
1st
(4) Sean Devine/Damien Duffy (Impreza WRC) 15.52.9
2nd
(2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Fabia WRC) 15.59.2
3rd
(3) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 16.03.9
4th
(5) Raymond Johnston/Richard Bell (Impreza WRC) 16.07.0
5th
(35) Wesley Patterson/Joe Friel (Escort) 16.38.5
6th
(10) Richard Hogg/Mark Hanna (Lancer N) 16.49.9
7th
(124) Errol Clarke/Martin McGarrity (Impreza N) 16.52.2
8th
(23) Rodney McKnight/Seamus Donnelly (Lancer N) 17.10.2
9th
(20) Alistair Cochrane/Pam Norris (Escort) 17.13.6
10th
(14) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Corolla WRC) 17.16.7
Charlie Donnelly was fastest through stage 3 which is more or less
his home stage, and we hear that Sean Devine bumped the back of his
Impreza in stage 4 and that Charlie could well be now in the lead.
Further news is that Sean Devine has retired and Charlie Donnelly
was fastest through stage 4. There are also some unofficial reports
of an accident in stage 4 and the cars are being re-routed. More
news on this when available. Charlie reported all well through that
3rd stage although he was a wee bit concerned about
spectators being close to the road at the flying finish. Glenn
Allen had a good run through the stages, 3rd fastest and
said that he felt better about the car, slightly more comfortable in
the Donnelly machine. Sean Devine was 3rd on the road
and he had clipped a kerbstone on the way down the side of the hill
in the stage, and although the rim was scuffed happily there was no
damage.
Raymond Johnston had been 2nd overall after stage 2, but
he dropped more than a handful of seconds in that 3rd
stage to fall back to 4th place. Raymond said he found
it slippy but had no real problem in the stage and couldn’t really
understand why the time wasn’t a bit better. Richard Hogg had a
great run to record fastest group N time, a second up on Johnny
McKenna although Johnny is still not happy with his Lancer’s gear
change and in overall terms is more than 2m behind Hogg. Richard
reported that his tyres had worked really well in that stage.
Flooring specialist Errol Clarke is running way back in his black
group n Impreza and he is going really well to hold 7th
overall with no problems. Martin Elliott would normally be battling
for the group N lead but following his Lancer blowing a turbo on
stage he was slightly off the pace on 3 and reckons the replacement
second hand turbo doesn’t have a great bite.
Further stories from that 3rd stage included Stephen
Kelly clipping a front wheel. Alistair Cochrane thought he had his
gearbox mounting fixed but it seems to be clunking again. Wesley
Patterson continued to lead the Escort brigade and felt his tyres
worked better on that one. Sonia Mac from Cool FM, driving a little
Micra today with Jim Crozier on the notes, has cleared stage 2 and
is enjoying her first real taste of rallying. Paul McKenna says his
front brakes are locking up in his Lancer. Declan McNaughton said
earlier that the front suspension of his yellow Escort was knocked
out of track but is fine now. James Cassidy did most of stage 2 on 3
cylinders in the Donnelly G3 Escort, that is now sorted. Scottish
visitor Callum Guy says his Escort is going fantastic and he is
pretty much on the pace of the top Escort drivers and lying just
outside the leaderboard. Greg McCormick still has gearbox troubles,
he has changed the stick round in the replacement ZF box but is
still missing 3rd and 5th gears.
Stephen Moore withdrew his Focus WRC at service after finding that
the timing belt was coming adrift and James Cullen decided not to
continue following his stage 2 accident. The reason for Camillus
Bradley’s retirement was gearbox trouble. More news later. BRIAN
& LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
