UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 – LAST STAGE

1^st (2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Fabia WRC) 38.26.9

2^nd (3) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 38.58.6

3^rd (5) Raymond Johnston/Richard Bell (Impreza WRC) 39.15.9

4^th (35) Wesley Patterson/Joe Friel (Escort) 40.49.4

5^th (10) Richard Hogg/Mark Hanna (Lancer N) 41.25.1

6^th (14) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Corolla WRC) 41.29.1

7^th (28) Charlie Beatty/Camillus Murray (Lancer N) 41.34.8

8^th (23) Rodney McKnight/Seamus Donnelly (Lancer N) 41.42.1

9th (33) Stanley Ballintine/Richard Hyland (Lancer N) 41.49.4

10^th (25) Declan McNaughton/John Rowan (Escort) 41.55.6

11th (20) Alistair Cochrane/Pam Norris (Escort) 42.01.6

Charlie Donnelly and his co driver Paddy Toner scored a memorable victory here on this KBB Doors Sperrins Rally today in their ex works Skoda Fabia WRC.  It was memorable in lots of ways.  Charlie and Paddy are first local crew to win the rally.  Remarkably, Paddy was the first Clerk of the Course of this event and Charlie was his Deputy, 18 years ago when it was a small forestry rally and a toe in the water for the now very successful Magherafelt Motor Club.  In the shadow of Toner’s Supermarket as the cars lined up to go through the victory arch outside Walsh’s Hotel, Charlie took the time to say. “It was an enjoyable day, deadly really, the car was really good and we weren’t at all kind to it.  The clerk of the course Phillip Shaw and the whole team have done a great job.” 

Glenn Allen and Damien Connolly didn’t even have a car to start the rally last night when their own Corolla’s engine overheated so to finish 2^nd in the Corolla borrowed from Charlie Donnelly was a great bonus for Cookstown man Glenn, as was maximum points in the NI Championship. Glenn said here at the finish. “I was always conscious it wasn’t my car and it wasn’t the yoke to be pushing on in. I would have needed to be going hard anyway to beat Charlie.”  Glenn now moves into the lead of the championship and unofficially we have Raymond Johnston coming into 2^nd place.   Raymond finished 3^rd today and said he had lots of big slides on towards the end. Richard Bell his co driver was unwell so all in all it was a fair enough result for Raymond. 

Wesley Patterson and his co driver Joe Friel did a brilliant job to finish 4^th, best 2 wheel drive and first in class with their Escort.  The intercom in Wesley’s Escort failed on the final stage and Joe had to guide the Lisburn man through that Curragh test using just frantic hand signals and happily they lost little time.  Richard Hogg and co driver Mark Hanna survived a massive overshoot under the topes on the last stage to win group N with their Lancer, and move into the lead of group N in the championship.  Liam McCarthy and his co driver Kieran Murphy made the trip from West Cork worthwhile to take 6^th overall in their Corolla and get some valuable mileage done with the new paddle change in their WRC machine. Co driver Kieran said. “We really got into it at the end. Pity about the mistake with not switching the differentials on at the start”.     

Alistair Cochrane survived gearbox mounting problems again over the last few stages to take 2^nd in class behind Wesley Patterson with Rodney White in his Sunbeam 3^rd. Kieran Graffin finished just outside the top 10 and had another whoopsie at a square left in stage 8.  Johnny McKenna had some great stage times towards the end which should put him in good form for Cavan Rally next weekend. James Cassidy lost time when his Donnelly G3 Escort lost fuel pressure near the end.  Stephen Kelly’s Lancer turbo blew and he lost time towards the finish. Errol Clarke faded away from his earlier 7^th place to finish just outside the top 10, a stage 5 excursion up a bank and then a soft brake pedal  not helping his cause. Finally for now well done to all at Magherafelt MC for a great day’s rallying and many thanks from us for helping with the RallyNews. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net