RALLY NEWS NO.5 Service/Sunday 3.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 Coalbrook
1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC)
42.14
2nd (1) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC)
42.24
3rd (6) Noel Redmond/Alan Keena (Impreza WRC)
43.27
4th (5) Michael Barrable/M Morrissey (Focus WRC)
43.34
5th (9) Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney (Impreza N)
45.03
6th (8) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Impreza N) 45.09
7th (7) David James/Sean Mullally (Focus WRC)
45.19
8th (3) Aaron MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC)
45.32
9th (12) Ian Barrett/Eoin O'Flaherty (Lancer N)
45.38
10th (15) PJ McGrath/Killian Duffy (Lancer N)
45.39
Just 2 stages remaining and 10s separate the 2 lead
drivers. Charlie Donnelly was 1s faster than Patrick Elliott
through stage 6, Patrick looking very much the favourite but of
course anything can still happen. Since Patrick scored his first
outright National win in Sligo a few weeks ago he seems to have
soared in confidence and said “Its pretty good I’m hoping to come up
with an extra 10s on the 2nd run over those stages”.
Charlie Donnelly commented “I like those 2 stages, and I had a real
cut. Maybe I had my tyres on a bit too long but fair play to Patrick
he’s driving really well”.
In the race for 3rd place Michael Barrable was 1s
faster than Noel Redmond through stage 6, Redmond still has 7s in
hand and said “He’s nibbling away, a second at a time, its time I
got the finger out”. Barrable told us “I’m enjoying it, I had a
nice run, I’m getting more brave over the crests”.
Aaron MacHale seems to have cheered up a bit since we last
saw him after stage 5 and he said “OK, lets see what pace we can get
through the last couple of stages”. David James in 7th
place was just a little off the pace, David seeming to go much
better on his 2nd run over the stages as he gets
confidence in his notes.
Willie Fannin continues to lead group N and was 1s faster
than Alan Ring through stage 6. Ian Barrett had a good time in 6 and
has moved into 3rd in group N. Ring said “We’ve had no
problems, but the car is sliding about a bit on the shiny tar
entertaining the spectators”. Former racing driver Ian Barrett
found that 6th stage very fast, was able to pick racing
lines and really enjoyed it. Group N drivers just outside the
leaderboard include Gabriel Martin on 45.42, Kevin Kelleher on 46.18
and Tadgh Linehan on 46.21.
In the 2 wheel drive category Maurice Moffett was
coming under pressure from Ted O’Shaughnessy in the Corolla but the
Toyota broke an alternator bracket on a big jump in stage 5 and has
lost a few seconds. Following a fabulous time in stage 5 Moffett was
forced to back off a bit in stage 6 when his back tyres started to
overheat in this afternoon’s warm sunshine. Maurice reported that
he had a few slides and was forced to slow. Ollie O’Reilly/Arthur
Kierans are pushing hard in their G3 Escort and have got ahead of
Willie Whitty for class 13 honours. Gwyn Thomas & Phil Harrison in
the Puma lost a few seconds in stage 6 when they snicked a wheel
passing a Lancer, the Puma suffering a puncture, but still going
strong. More news later. BRIAN & LI ZPATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
