RALLY NEWS NO.2 End of stage 1/Saturday
11.30am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1
Clogagh
1st (2) Liam McCarthy/Kieran
Murphy (Corolla WRC) 8.40.1
2nd (3) Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally
(Impreza WRC) 8.40.2
3rd (10) Kevin & Martin Kelleher
(Lancer N) 8.58.0
4th (5) Donal O'Donovan/Sean
Moroney (Celica) 9.00.0
5th (12) Jon Ingram/Ian Allsop
(Focus WRC) 9.05.2
6th (16) John Dalton/Gwynfor Jones
(Darrian) 9.05.4
7th (4) Michael Barrable/Dermot
O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 9.06.5
8th (14) George Cullen/Jakes Kelly
(Impreza WRC) 9.08.2
9th (8) Steve Fleck/Mark Aspinall
(Impreza WRC) 9.09.0
10th (15) Phil Collins/Nicky Grist
(Escort) 9.09.1
There was a major upheaval on the first stage
of this West Cork Rally when the Subaru of last year’s winner Denis
Cronin ground to a halt at junction 4 of the opening 10 mile stage.
It was at a turn square right through the village where Cronin’s
Impreza broke it’s prop shaft, a very disappointing turn out for the
West Cork man. Liam McCarthy was then fastest, just a split second
ahead of Melvyn Evans. The latter’s Impreza didn’t seem to want to
tick over but it was producing the power OK.
Donal O’Donovan had a good run in his Celica
to hold 4th behind the Group N Lancer of Kevin Kelleher.
Local men Kevin & Martin Kelleher reported a little misfire on the 2nd
half of the stage. Bob Fowdon also had a slight misfire in his
Impreza WRC, Bob’s time 9.16.1. Jon Ingram, on his first visit to
West Cork, felt his Focus WRC brakes were not quite up to scratch.
John Dalton was the fastest Modified car in
his Darrian, just ahead of Phil Collins. Ashley Field was on 9.24.6
in his Darrian.
Steve Fleck has a new colour scheme on his
Impreza WRC and his car is looking very impressive, but he still had
a spin on the first stage, in exactly the same place as last year.
023 Tiles man James O’Sullivan felt that the
rear of his Lancer was a bit loose of itself.
Looking outside this West Cork Rally – Kevin
Lynch is leading at Bishopscourt with Dickie Curran fastest group N
(after stage 1).
More news later.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
