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RALLY NEWS NO.6 Milford Service/Saturday 11am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7 FANAD
1st (2) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 51.00.9
2nd (1) Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroen C4 WRC) 51.23.2
3rd (11) Kevin Lynch/David Moynihan (Focus WRC) 52.44.5
4th (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 52.58.4
5th (16) Paul Harris/Eugene O'Donnell (Corolla WRC) 54.26.0
6th (17) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 55.40.8
7th (24) Hugh M Doherty/Michael McBride (Impreza WRC) 55.57.6
(61) PJ McDermott/Sean Harris (Impreza WRC) 55.57.6
9th (26) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 55.58.7
10th (28) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 56.14.2
Fanad Head, the opening stage on Day 2 of this Shell Donegal International
Rally, has certainly brought its dramas with Sebastien Loeb recording
far and away the fastest time in his Citroen, rally leader Mark Higgins
over shooting a junction and dropping quite a bit of time, Andreas Mikkelsen,
3rd overnight, crashed his Focus off the road and Stephen Murphy, 6th
overnight, crashed his Impreza WRC off the road also.
Mark Higgins said at stage finish. “There was standing water everywhere,
torrential rain, the car just aquaplaned and we went through the tapes
and up the escape road.” Happily there was no damage to the
Pirelli/MIS Subaru. Loeb said at stage finish that everything was
OK, and judging by his time the work that the Citroen engineers have been
doing to the car is certainly starting to pay off. Andreas Mikkelsen’s
accident apparently happened at “Fisher’s corner”. There
was little damage to the car but it is stuck. Stephen Murphy’s
accident on the other hand was on a very fast section near the football
field at a left hand corner. Stephen and co driver Mickey Morrissey
are reportedly uninjured and Stephen is displaying the “OK”
board. It is such a fast section and the car is in a blind spot
that several of the following competitors stopped at the accident, or
at the following junction, to make sure everything was OK.
Hugh Martin Doherty was delayed slightly when he turned his Subaru on
to the scenic drive part of the stage and was confronted by 2 horses cantering
up the road! Other stories included PJ McDermott having a spin.
PJ was thought to be up to 9th last night, was then shown as 11th, and
is now up to 7th from his start number of 61. Sean Devine is lying just
inside the top 15 and he had a spin on that opening stage.
Garry Jennings picked a slick tyre this morning which was extremely brave
in the wet conditions. Colm Murphy was on intermediates and he is fastest
of the group N times we have so far, although there are still more to
come.
Overnight class leaders in the International included: JP Logue leading
Cl.2 in his Civic just ahead of the pair of Suzuki Swifts driven by James
Wozencroft and Loran Smith. Andrew Gamble led cl.5 in his Micra.
Seamus Gallagher cl.6 in his Saxo. Brian Pat Doherty cl.7 in his Escort
Maxi. Brian Brogan with Damien McGettigan on the pace notes led the National
Rally in their Escort by 11s from Phil Collins/Derek Brannigan. Damien
Gallagher/Mac Walsh were 3rd and Rodney Wilton/Conor McMahon were 4th,
the top 4 all in Escorts. Tom Holton/Francis Kenny were 5th in their Celica
and Seamus O’Connell/Sean Magee rounded off the top 6 in their Escort.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with thanks
to Michael Patterson & Angus & Jane Sealy)
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