| RALLY
NEWS NO.3 Charterhall Service/Saturday 10.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 Abbey St.Bathans
1st (1) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 18.31.7
2nd (3) Tim McNulty/Diarmuid Falvey (Impreza WRC) 18.55.6
3rd (2) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC 19.02.7
4th (5) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Lancer N) 19.08.6
5th (6) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza N) 19.12.1
6th (14) Gareth Jones/James O'Brien (Focus WRC) 19.12.7
7th (7) Gwyndaf Evans/Huw Lewis (Lancer N) 19.15.4
8th (25) PJ McDermott/Sean Harris (Impreza WRC) 19.26.3
9th (8) David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Corolla S2000R) 19.38.3
10th (18) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 19.38.8
11th (16) Phillip Morrow/Daniel Barritt (Lancer N) 19.41.0
12th (19) Roy White/Stephen McAuley (Lancer N) 19.57.0
It has been an interesting start to this second day of the Jim Clark Rally
with Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly maintaining his position at the front
despite making a dubious tyre choice. Tim McNulty was making a charge
for the lead but was in a cornfield for 20s. Guy Wilks maintained the
status quo as top Group N and leading the Tesco 99 BRC runners, and that
was despite bashing a fence with the rear of his Lancer on stage 4. James
Cullen crashed his Reid Motorsport Lancer out in stage 4 and his brother
George then crashed on the same corner, kept going but has retired his
Impreza WRC.
When Eugene Donnelly arrived in here at the windswept and cold Charterhall
service area he said. “We are still learning these tyres. I chose
too soft a compound, knew a couple of miles in it was wrong, turned down
the lag and conserved the tyres. We should get it right this time. I expected
to lose a load of time so its excellent to still lead. This was a brand
new tyre and of course the surfaces are different here anyway.”
Tim McNulty said of his excursion “We took the crest absolute and
then down to the square right, straight into the field, if the barley
had been any higher we’d never have been seen! It wasn’t so
much the overshoot that annoyed me, it was Kiely’s smirk at the
end of the stage!” Co-driver Diarmuid Falvey said. “He just
cost me 20 euro. I had a bet on that I wouldn’t let him over shoot
there.” At that McNulty rolled his eyes and said. “Here’s
me spending 40 thousand and he has a side bet of 20 euro!”
Eamonn Boland held 3rd although he lost time in stage 3 when a turbo pipe
slipped off. Guy Wilks hit the fence at the wood yard in Abbey St Bathans,
damaged the rear corner of his Lancer, lost his rhythm for a mile or two
but was still fastest group N by 5s from Mark Higgins. Mark reported no
problems. Gareth Jones has come into 6th place, the young Welshman shaking
off the doldrums that have affected him over the last few rallies and
said. “We had a puncture towards the end of stage 3 and a humongous
spin in stage 4, like a fairground it was, so big I was laughing as she
went round. Still, its great to be back on the pace, I’m enjoying
it again. James (O’Brien) is great craic in the car”. Gareth
also remarked that he was switched back to Pirelli tyres and that seems
to be making a difference as well.
Gwyndaf Evans said. “It felt quick, OK, but not quick enough obviously,
Guy and Mark are on a strong pace”. Donegal man PJ McDermott in
8th is very much on a learning curve with the Subaru, never really driven
4 wheel drive before, and says he is really enjoying it. David Higgins
in the Toyota in 9th o/a said. “The car is running OK, but we’re
getting massive oversteer. We were off the road a couple of times, didn’t
get this in testing, corners I would be flat out in the group N car, I’m
lifting. We’re still learning the car”. Ironically his Toyota
refused to start leaving the regroup on the way into service and he had
to push it! James Cullen’s accident happened at the 4 left tightens
over gravel just before the metal bridge in Abbey St Bathans. It sounds
as if the car has slipped sideways, clipped a fence and then a tree. As
we said earlier, reportedly his brother George went off in the same place,
kept going but has driven past the control straight into service. Further
stories – Connor McCloskey slowed slightly at Cullen’s accident.
Jon Ingram dropped a minute with a puncture in stage 3. Barry Johnson
said he had “a gentleman’s run, checking the marshals were
in position!” Colm Murphy said. “Keeping it steady”.
But the young Irishman is really going well. Phillip Morrow still learning
his 18 inch Pirellis, first time on them really, finds mega grip but a
bit different. James Wozencroft in the Suzuki leading his class, still
waiting on times for Lorna Smith but we know she got through stage 3 OK
and the car was fixed following last night’s accident. Roy White,
good times, but misfire returning, same as Killarney.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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