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RALLY NEWS NO.9 Milford/Service/Saturday 2.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 10 Knockalla 2
1st (1) Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroen C4 WRC) 1.20.06.3
2nd (2) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 1.20.16.7
3rd (11) Kevin Lynch/David Moynihan (Focus WRC) 1.22.53.3
4th (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 1.23.27.0
5th (16) Paul Harris/Eugene O'Donnell (Corolla WRC) 1.24.58.4
6th (17) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 1.26.24.2
7th (24) Hugh M Doherty/Michael McBride (Impreza WRC) 1.27.21.5
8th (26) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Lancer N) 1.27.34.9
9th (61) PJ McDermott/Sean Harris (Impreza WRC) 1.27.56.3
10th (23) Denis Biggerstaff/Paul McGee (Impreza WRC) 1.28.01.0
11th (158) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 1.28.22.3
12th (29) Garry Jennings/Damien Connelly (Lancer N) 1.28.23.9
On the 2nd run over Knockalla Sebastien Loeb again turned in a tremendous
time, his Citroen covering the 18.98km in 9m12.8s. Spectators who were
there said it was “poetry in motion”. When Sebastien arrived
here at service he told us that it was all going better, he liked the
stages this morning, they were not so bumpy and the engineers had done
a good job with the car. Mark Higgins wasn’t so happy, the British
Champion again saying that the front suspension of the Impreza wasn’t
right, his actual words being “not mega bad but under steering on
left handers and bad enough that I can’t commit”. Kevin Lynch,
although hanging on to 3rd also wasn’t happy, saying “The
front diff isn’t building up the pressure and it is like driving
a 2 wheel drive car, I’m throwing her into the corners. The trouble
is I’ve never actually driven a 2 wheel drive rally car, but I’m
learning what its like”.
When Eugene Donnelly’s Reid Motorsport Impreza arrived in to service
Eugene rolled his eyes slightly, recounted the puncture and went on to
say “I didn’t know I had a flat wheel and I arrived into a
5 left with a big wall on the outside and missed it by that much (at that
Eugene closed his finger and thumb almost together to leave the slightest
sliver of fresh air showing). Every time I get up to speed today something
goes wrong, that was about 4 miles from the end of the stage so I was
glad I didn’t lose more time”. Paul Harris in 5th continues
to enjoy his run in the Corolla and says there is not much more he can
do. Patrick Elliott has his Subaru very much sorted now, he is happier
with his tyre choice and is now a solid 6th with Hugh M Doherty in 7th.
Hugh said “We’re getting there slowly but surely”.
PJ McDermott commented “I’m holding my own, I’m finding
it very slippy and cant get a rhythm going”. PJ holds 9th place
while Denis Biggerstaff has turned in some good times over the last few
stages and that is despite having problems with his Subaru gear change.
The Kinallen man is now into 10th.
Seamus Leonard continues to lead group N and set fastest times in the
category. Garry Jennings holds 2nd and although Garry could smell a little
touch of gear oil coming from somewhere. Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey were
2nd gpN but they have crashed out on Knockalla, about half a mile from
the church and the jumps, at the same place where Callum Duffy went off
a couple of years ago, a big jump into a 5 left. James Cullen has now
got all the gears working on his Lancer and he is on the pace again.
Kevin Barrett stopped to check that Colm Murphy was OK following his accident
and Kevin is now on a total of 1.28.24.2. Niall Maguire is on 1.28.22.3.
Stuart Darcy is just outside the top 12 and his total is 1.28.59.6. Mike
Curran has new suspension on his Lancer and he is back on the pace, his
total 1.29.18.5. Cathal Rogers has retired his Lancer because of an electrical
fault. In the National Rally Phil Collins piled his Escort into a bale
on Knockalla, stalled the car and then reversed to get out, losing a few
seconds but still leads. Seamus O’Connell was 3rd, he lost a couple
of seconds also when he caught Tom Holton’s Celica which seemed
to have a mechanical problem and was billowing smoke.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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