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RALLY NEWS NO.9 Service/Mallow/Sunday 3.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 14 – PETER’S HILL
1st (1) Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh (Focus WRC) 1.19.16.1
2ND (5) Keith Cronin/Anthony O'Conaill (Lancer N) 1.19.19.0
3RD (4) Kevin O'Kane/Martin Brady (Impreza WRC) 1.22.36.7
4TH (14) Colin Britton/Arthur Kierans (Lancer N) 1.22.40.6
5TH (10) Cathal Rogers/Paul McLaughlin (Lancer N) 1.23.12.4
6th (21) Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Impreza WRC) 1.23.32.6
7th (17) Seamus O'Connell/Brian Duggan (Escort) 1.24.13.7
8th (18) Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan (Escort) 1.24.25.0
9th (20) John McGaffin/Alan Russell (Impreza WRC) 1.24.56.1
10th (24) Colm McBride/Rodney Hicks (Lancer N) 1.25.17.6
11th (23) John Reid/Ray Fitzpatrick (Corolla WRC) 1.25.43.4
12th (28) Bobby Sharkey/Peter Leahy (Escort) 1.26.27.8
It’s all change at the front of this Cork Forestry Rally with Keith Cronin losing his lead to Stephen Moore and Colin Britton losing 3rd place to Kevin O’Kane. A retirement from the leading group was Alwyn Jobb whose Lancer lost power on stage 12 and hasn’t appeared through stages 13 and 14.
It was a rather melancholy Keith Cronin who explained about losing his lead, repeating again that the Fidanne stage doesn’t suit the group N cars and on top of that Keith admitted to semi stalling the car twice, more a hesitation than a stalling, but it cost some time. Besides that Keith said the stage was drying out from this morning, was a lot cleaner although with little bits of standing water and he had a good run. Stephen Moore said he was taking no chances and indeed through stage 14 backed off over the slippy bits. Kevin O’Kane had a great run through the 2 stages, a lot happier with the way he is now going. Colin Britton knew he had dropped 9s to O’Kane through stag 13 and in his own words. “Gave it a real good cut” through 14. Fair play to the young man, he pulled 5s back on O’Kane.
Emma McKinstry set good times through 13 and 14 and was quite pleased. While Cathal Rogers equalled Emma on 13, was 14 up through 14 to reinforce his 5th place overall and 3rd group N. In the battle of the two wheel drive cars Seamus O’Connell and Adrian Hetherington are swapping seconds on every stage with the advantage switching back and forward. Seamus’ co driver Brian Duggan told us that they borrowed some rims from the retired Frank Kelly and fitted a more open pattern tyre and it certainly paid off in stage 13 where they were 7s faster than Hetherington. Then Adrian pulled 2s back through stage 14 to leave 12s separating the two Escorts going into the final 2 stages. Colin McBride has got the handling sorted on his Lancer and has pulled himself up into the top 10. The reason for Alwyn Jobb’s retirement was a big stone crushed the exhaust and the resultant back pressure affected a spark plug and blew a hole in the piston. In the Fiesta Sporting Trophy Miss Ciara Conlan has just given us the latest positions of these Ford Pocket Rockets!! Jonny Greer still leads after stage 14, his advantage 24s over Alastair Fisher. Alastair pulled a few seconds back on 13 but also dropped a couple on 14. Kyle Orr was 3rd after 13 and we are just awaiting his Fiesta to arrive at service to confirm he is still in the hunt. Despite his huge time loss yesterday it looks like Tadgh Buckley is going to come into 4th as other cars have dropped out. More news after last stage. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallkynews.net |
