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NEWS NO.13 Downings Service/Sunday Noon
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 17 HIGH GLEN
1st (1) Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroen C4 WRC) 2.00.42.8
2nd (2) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 2.01.28.6
3rd (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 2.04.36.3
4th (11) Kevin Lynch/David Moynihan (Focus WRC) 2.04.43.0
5th (16) Paul Harris/Eugene O'Donnell (Corolla WRC) 2.08.34.9
6th (17) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 2.10.17.5
7th (24) Hugh M Doherty/Michael McBride (Impreza WRC) 2.12.16.1
8th (26) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 2.12.27.4
9th (158) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 2.13.42.5
10th (22) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 2.13.49.7
11th (29) Garry Jennings/Damien Connelly (Lancer N) 2.13.50.4
12th (30) James Cullen/Allan Harryman (Lancer N) 2.14.30.5
World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb took up where he left off yesterday
by setting another fastest time, Sebastien 6s up on Mark Higgins on the
High Glen stage to increase his lead to 46s. Interestingly Eugene Donnelly
was 2nd fastest and that moved him ahead of Kevin Lynch into 3rd o/a.
Andreas Mikkelsen retired from the rally yesterday morning when he put
his Focus WRC off the road at “Fisher’s Bend” on Fanad
and he has been allowed to run this morning under Super Rally rules and
he recorded a time of 6.58.2 which was 4th fastest. (Loeb 6.48.5: Donnelly
6.51.8: Higgins 6.54.0: Lynch 6.58.5). The High Glen stage is always a
classic, and this morning conditions were dry which gave the drivers the
opportunity to have a real good go. Most of them said at the finish of
the stage “it was just fantastic”. Mark Higgins also said
“I couldn’t have gone much harder, fair play to Sebastien”.
Eugene Donnelly commented. “I enjoyed that, we’re back on
form”. Paul Harris said. “Never had so many big slides, it
was brilliant. We did a time of 7.20 on that stage on the Harvest Rally
in better conditions so 7.10 today says it all”.
Seamus Leonard continues to lead the group N category but fastest GpN
car through that stage was Mike Curran who admitted he is on a mission,
that in the dry his Lancer is fantastic. Garry Jennings reckons he picked
too soft a tyre and lost a few seconds. As did James Cullen who put his
Lancer on the grass at a high speed section on top of the mountain and
it rattled him a bit. Of the first few National cars through the stage
Martin McGee was 1s faster than Phil Collins although Collins still leads
the Nationals overall. Niall Maguire and Kevin Barrett continue to have
their huge personal battle and Barrett was over 9s faster than his buddy
Maguire through the stage. Stuart Darcy was 14th o/a starting today and
5th GpN and maintained his position with a good run. Seamus Heron was
15th o/a in the overnight results and has speeded up having got the anti
lag system on his Focus WRC sorted out. Sean Devine is 16th having set
some good times yesterday afternoon having battled back from an earlier
delay. John McGlaughlin was 17th o/n in his Lancer. Kevin O’Donoghue
was 18th. Willie Fannin 19th and Paddy White in his Focus WRC 20th.
Overnight class leaders included: JP Logue leading Cl.2 in his Civic from
Adrian Cannon also in a Civic. Danny Gillespie is 3rd and Lorna Smith
holds 4th in her Suzuki Swift, Lorna delayed yesterday with an accident
and still chasing Tarmac C/ship points. Eugene Meegan has had a clean
run in his Civic Type R and leads Cl.3 from Christopher Boyce, also in
a Honda. Andrew Gamble led cl.5 in his Micra from the MG of Andrew Stewart.
Seamus Gallagher in his Saxo has a huge lead over young Welshman Jason
Pritchard in his Citroen C2R2. Brian Pat Doherty (Escort Max) leads cl.7
from young Toni Kelly in her new model Civic Type R. Toni has taken to
the new car like a duck to water! Phil Collins/Derek Brannigan have over
a 1m lead in the National Rally from Damien Gallagher with Martin McGee
3rd, Robbie Peoples 4th – all in Escorts. Paul Gallagher was 5th
in his Corolla and Michael McColgan 6th in his Subaru. Adrian Kermode
leads the Historic Rally in his Porsche 911. David Craig and Richard Hall
2nd and 3rd, Alan Jardine 4th, the latter 3 in Escorts. Francis Tuthill
is 5th in his Porsche 911 with Mervyn Johnston 6th in his Mini Cooper.
Alastair Fisher & his co driver Barry McNulty took a last stage victory
in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy with Jonathan Greer 2nd and Conor Harvey
3rd. Conor had led but was off the road slightly on the final stage. It
was a really close battle throughout.
We mentioned yesterday that UTV/RPM presenter Pamela Ballantine was flown
over from the rally last night to Edinburgh in the Reid Motorsport helicopter
to partake in the “Moonwalk” in aid of Breast Cancer charities.
The walk started at midnight and Pamela finished in a time of 8 hours
58 minutes. She is knackered but still planning to be back in Donegal
to watch Monsieur Loeb on Atlantic Drive!
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (with thanks to Michael Patterson0
www.rallynews.net
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