RallyNews No.4              Service Monaghan Town Sunday 3.15pm

 

Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Six

 

1st (9) Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 45.08

2^nd (5) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 45.30

3^rd (10) Michael Barrable/Dermot O’Gorman (Focus WRC) 45.40

4^th (1) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza S11) 45.45

5^th (2) Ray Breen/Damien Morrissey (Focus WRC) 46.14

6^th (4) Noel Redmond/Ger Healy (Impreza S12) 46.40

7^th (7) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 46.55

8^th (8) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 46.58

9^th (14) Michael Curran/Killian Duffy (Lancer N) 47.29

10^th (20) Gary McPhillips/Mark Tierney (Escort Mk2) 48.00

11^th (18) Willie Fannin/Mark Kane (Impreza N) 48.01

12^th (15) Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty (Impreza N) 48.09

 

Rally leader Dessie Keenan was fastest in stage five from Michael Barrable by 7 seconds  and Noel Redmond third fastest just one second down on a 7.19.  Keenan then blotted his copybook a little when he stalled at junction two in stage six.  Dessie going on to tell us that this is one of the main differences between his usual GpN Lancer is that you have to be so precise in a WRC car, but despite all this he has effectively extended his lead to 22 seconds over Glenn Allen.  Glenn just ever so slightly slower than the rally leader but he is now coming under intense pressure from Michael Barrable.  Barrable has chipped away all day but spun his Focus WRC in Stage 5 and also was caught in a sudden rain shower at the start of the stage, he and co driver Dermot O’Gorman having a good laugh as they recounted their spin “I asked Dermot if he thought it was dry on one of the main road sections in the stage, but off course it wasn’t and we just left our braking to late”.

 

Patrick Elliott predicated earlier that he would have tyre trouble towards the end of this leg and sure enough he punctured on stage six loosing a few seconds to the rally leaders.  Ray Breen went fastest in stage six, three seconds quicker than rally leader Dessie Keenan but Breen had been off the road on the fifth stage, the former National Champion explaining “it was that really difficult turn HPR with a drop out side and we just put one back wheel off the side and it just sucked us in” almost 30 seconds were lost extracting the Focus.  Kevin Barrett struggled a bit after his stage four puncture as the spare was a slick but he is now back and running strongly in seventh and having a great battle with Niall Maguire who is only three seconds behind. 

 

Michael Curran describes himself as in cruise control as he continues to dominate GpN though Alan Ring will almost certainly have to retire here at service as his Impreza clutch has completely gone and even with Prodrive engineer John McClean in attendance there is just not enough time.  In the 2wd race Gary McPhillips is still setting the pace but he did spin his spectacular Mk2 in SS5.  Rodney Wilton is just off the leaderboard on a total of 48.13 while Maurice Moffett is just behind on a total of 48.36.  More News Later Michael Patterson