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RALLY NEWS NO.5 Gulladuff Service/Saturday 4.15
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 Straw Mountain
1st (1) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 29.57.6
2nd (2) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 30.15.9
3rd (3) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Corolla WRC) 30.25.2
4th (7) Seamus Heron/Elaine Doherty (Focus WRC) 31.12.1
5th (10) Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N) 31.21.6
6th (4) Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh (Focus WRC) 31.31.7
7th (5) Raymond Johnston/Richard Bell (Impreza WRC) 31.38.8
8th (31) Cathal Rogers/John McCafferty (Lancer N) 31.52.0
9th (15) John McGlaughlin/Stephen McAuley (Lancer N) 32.13.1
10th (23) Aidan Toner/Damien Toner (Escort) 32.19.9
11th (21) Frank Kelly/Joe Friel (Escort) 32.22.8
Charlie Donnelly and his co driver Paddy Toner are still the mean to beat
on this KBB Doors backed Tour of the Sperrins Rally. With just one stage
to go their Corolla WRC is 18s ahead of the similar machine of Glenn Allen.
The gap between the two might have been even larger except that Charlie
beat the “bogey time” through stage 5, Straw Mountain. Glenn
Allen also beat that bogey but by just 1s whereas Charlie was 4s under
it. Remarkably Charlie also told us at service in control that he was
on the wrong tyres. There was some rain on stage 4, in the middle of the
stage, but otherwise the roads have been dry since last service and Charlie
picked an intermediate tyre which wasn’t a great choice. Charlie
was unfazed by having stalled the Corolla on the start line of stage 3
and messing up the clutch mechanism some way. Glenn Allen commented at
service that he thought the stages were really good and although he picked
the wrong tyre to start with today he was really pleased with the way
things had gone. Third placed Sean Devine was also on about tyres, saying
again what a bad mistake it had been not to start the rally on new tyres,
that he had no chance of making up the lo9st time.
Unfortunately after the passage of 9 cars stage 5 was stopped when Johnny
McKenna crashed his Lancer over a jump. The next car along was John McGlaughlin/Stephen
McAuley in their Lancer and they said that co driver Noreen McShea was
out of the car but holding her neck as if she had had a jolt and that
Johnny, the driver, was still in the car. The accident did not appear
too bad so hopefully there are no injuries. The drivers behind the accident
will receive a “scratch” time for the stage and are now on
alternative road book.
Other retirements from the top crews included Richard Cathcart/Aidan Friel
and also Errol Clarke/Martin McGarrity, both going out on stage 4, reason
unknown as yet.
More news after final stage. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
