RALLY NEWS NO.1 End of stage
1/Sunday 10.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Coolquill Castle
1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC)
7.05
2nd (1) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC)
7.09
3rd (6) Noel Redmond/Alan Keena (Impreza WRC)
7.20
4th (3) Aaron MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC)
7.21
5th (5) Michael Barrable/M Morrissey (Focus WRC)
7.23
6th (8) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Impreza N) 7.31
(9) Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney (Impreza N) 7.31
8th (12) Ian Barrett/Eoin O'Flaherty (Lancer N)
7.34
9th (10) Gabriel Martin/Paddy Robinson (Lancer N)
7.36
10th (7) David James/Sean Mullally (Focus WRC)
7.39
Patrick Elliott was fastest out of the box this morning on
this Stonethrowers Rally and when he brought his immaculate Impreza
to a halt in the early morning sunshine at the end of the stage he
told us. “We had a conservative run, there’s more init”.
Charlie Donnelly felt he was on the wrong tyres while Aaron
MacHale told us before the start of the rally that he had done some
testing, changed the suspension of his Focus but when he reached
stage finish he was wiping the sweat from his brow and commented.
“Its all wrong, the car is all over the road, in and out of
ditches”.
No sooner had we spoken to Aaron than his brother Gareth
phoned from Rally Germany where he had just finished a brilliant 10th
on the WRC round. Gareth said he had no real problems on the wet and
slippy roads but was caught out this morning with slick tyres on his
Focus, it rained heavily and there was a lot of mud on the roads. He
had several spins. Matthew Wilson finished 12th. Kris
Meeke looked as if he was going to win the Juniors despite his
earlier delays. Loeb won from Sordo with Gronholm 3rd.
An early upset was the retirement of Niall Maguire. The
former multiple Dunlop National Champion’s Subaru has stopped in
this opening stage.
Noel Redmond commented at the stage finish. “We had a clean
run, nothing stupid, there’s lots of time to be got in there”.
Noel has a new co driver today, Alan Keena. Diarmuid Falvey was
due to do the job but has not fully recovered from last weekend’s
Manx accident. David James was slowed with intercom problems.
Alan Ring and Willie Fannin both reported clean runs in
their battle for group N superiority. Kevin Kelleher was down the
time sheets a little as he settles in to his new car.
James Coleman looks as if he has stopped in the stage.
More news later.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
