| RALLY
NEWS NO.4 Service/Sunday 3.15
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 Bella Bridge
1st (1) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 39.14
2nd (5) Charlie Donnelly/Herbie Blackburn (Corolla WRC) 39.25
3rd (8) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 39.34
4th (6) Sean Devine/Damien Connolly (Impreza WRC) 39.41
5th (172) PJ McDermott/Sean Harris (Impreza WRC) 40.59
6TH (14) Michael Curran/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 41.03
7TH (20) Ian Barrett/Eoin O'Flaherty (Impreza N) 41.10
8TH (165) Owen Murphy/Liam Brennan (Lancer N) 41.28
9TH (24) Gary McPhillips/Mark Tierney (Escort) 42.23
10TH (38) Paul Kiel/Pat McSharry (Lancer N) 42.24
11th (25) Brian O’Mahony/John Higgins (Clio) 42.26
Over the mountainous Lough Easkey and Ladies Brae stages Charlie Donnelly
pulled out all the stops to set 2 fastest times and bring himself up into
2nd position and then through stage 5, Bella Bridge, Aaron MacHale pulled
out all the stops to set the fastest time and push his lead back up to
11s. Charlie commented that there is just something about that Bella Bridge
stage that he doesn’t like, doesn’t feel happy on it. Aaron
MacHale’s Focus hit a straw bale on stage 3 which broke a bead light
and he feels the suspension is a bit soft, but otherwise OK although finding
the wet conditions very difficult. Sean Devine stalled his Subaru at a
square left junction and also hit a bale which cost a few seconds. Niall
Maguire had some wiper trouble with his Subaru but not too bad. PJ McDermott
in 5th told us that just can’t find grip at all.
Michael Curran pulled out all the stops over the last few stages to get
into 6th overall and lead group N by 7s from Ian Barrett. Barrett felt
he was being just a little too cautions in the wet conditions especially
over stage 3. Owen Murphy has got a lot of his confidence back and was
just 1s outside Curran’s time for stage 5 and is now lying 3rd in
GpN. Gary McPhillips continues to lead the 2 wheel drive contingent and
in these conditions is doing a fantastic job to hold 9th. His big rival
from earlier Rodney Wilton would appear to have retired his Escort with
a mechanical problem.
Paul Kiely rounds off the top 10 and he is up into 4th group N, Paul like
many others held up in stage 5 when Danny McBride crashed his Lancer.
Danny and co driver Brendan McElhinney are reportedly OK.
Further retirements would appear to include John Cairns whose group A
Subaru was up into the top 10 a few stages ago but there was no sign of
his Impreza here at service.
John Price is on a total of 43.01 and is the highest placed of the MSA
Asphalt Championship visitors in his Metro 6R4. Pete Hughes has retired
his Escort came an oil pipe came adrift. David James’ Focus has
stopped and Kevin Kelleher has retired his Lancer on stage 4 when the
oil pressure fell. Steve Simpson in the Hyundai is still going strong
desp8ite ECU problems, his total 43.56. Wesley Patterson in his Escort
is on 43.04. Gary Cairns in the Lancer was on 43.19. Pat Kirk says he
can’t get grip and is lying well outside the leaderboard despite
the best efforts of co driver Noreen McShea on the pace notes! More later.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
