UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 Ballymore

1^ST (3) Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 49.11.7

2^ND (5) Donal O'Donovan/Sean Moroney (Celica) 49.53.3

3^rd (16) John Dalton/Gwynfor Jones (Darrian) 50.13.1

4^th (10) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 50.31.1

5^th (15) Phil Collins/Nicky Grist (Escort) 50.38.1

6^th (8) Steve Fleck/Mark Aspinall (Impreza WRC) 50.47.8

7^th (14) George Cullen/Jakes Kelly (Impreza WRC) 50.51.4

8^th (4) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 50.55.1

9^th (11) Bob Fowden/Jerry Hynes 9Impreza WRC) 51.27.2

10^th (20) Barry Coleman/Don Montgomery (Impreza WRC) 51.35.4

Melvyn Evans reported all well over the loop of 2 stages through the classic Ring and Ballymore stages, his Impreza WRC fastest on both tests.  Through the Ring Donal O’Donovan was just over 3s slower than the Welshman while through Ballymore he was only 0.9 of a second slower. Donal had some battery problems with his Celica, the car seemingly not charging and cutting out at the end of one of the stages. By the nature of the roads through Ring and Ballymore the 2 wheel drive machinery was really able to shine and John Dalton in his Darrian and Phil Collins in his Mk2 Escort really piled on the coals and put many of the world rally cars to shame.  

Phil Collins reported earlier that there was a vibration in his Escort prop shaft. Phil is reasonably happy now that the shaft isn’t going to come adrift and come through the tunnel and bite his legs off, so he is really starting to drive the car on now. Still making no impression on John Dalton’s Darrian though.  Gwyndaf Evans is lying just outside the leaderboard on a total of 52.05.6 and he is leading the class 13 category in his Escort just ahead of Wesley Patterson.  Gwyndaf was held up in the Ring when he caught another car. Patterson’s Escort is jumping out of 5^th gear. Conor Curley was lying 3^rd in that class in his Escort, but he has run into gear change problems and we’re not absolutely sure if he is still 3^rd.  Conor did say “It was a shame it broke at the start of the Ring, these stages are just amazing, fantastic”.

At the front of the rally Melvyn Evans is being very sparing in his use of 5^th gear. Michael Barrable admits he’s having a bit of an up and down rally, stalled in stage 6 and lost a few seconds. Nigel Hicklin in the Corolla says he’s going pretty well on the tight twisty bits of stage, but lacks a little confidence on the rally stuff where the times are made.  Steve Fleck reports no problems and is really enjoying the rally. Bob Fowden has been setting reasonable times over the last couple of stages but reports his Impreza to be using vast amounts of water and he may pull out of the rally.  Kevin Kelleher had a good run through stages 5 and 6 but knows that he wasn’t the absolute quickest, and is giving time away to the 2 wheel drives.  Drivers not so happy included English visitor Jon Ingram, his Focus WRC lost all its brakes in the Ring stage, and he dropped about 1 minute and lost his position in the top 10. Unofficially we have Ingram 11^th on 51.39.4, with Mark Morgan in 12^th on 51.57.8. 

Kieran O’Callaghan has dropped back very slightly his Lancer having brake troubles at the start of the Ring stage. Tadgh Linehan has also dropped back a little, his Impreza N suffering fuel starvation symptoms and he’s now on 53.25.6. John Hickey spun his red Impreza in stage 6, lost a little time but not too much. Car 28 Gwyn Thomas in the 4 wheel drive Puma had fuel pressure problems in stage 2 and a broken hose in stage 4, lost approximately 1.5 minutes, otherwise going well.  Kevin O’Donogue has had brake balance problems with his lovely new Escort, otherwise going well.  Willie McCarthy is trying to get accustomed to a new 5 speed dog box in his Escort, it is costing him a bit of time. Michael Walsh has had fuel pump problems in his G3 Escort. Martin Daly got a big fright when someone threw a branch out on to the road in front of him.  Walter Walshe and his co driver Sean Duggan were forced to retire from the rally in stage 4 when their Impreza ran out of fuel.

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net