RALLY NEWS NO.11 End of SS15/Newry Service/Sunday 10.30am
(updated 11am)
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 15 Knockiveagh
1st (4) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 2.27.19.4
2nd (1) Gareth MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC) 2.27.54.0
3rd (3) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 2.28.43.7
4th (5) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 2.37.10.9
5th (12) John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Lancer N) 2.39.17.3
6th (16) Brendan Cumiskey/Conor Foley (Lancer N) 2.43.12.7
7th (11) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 2.46.23.2
8th (8) Denis Biggerstaff/Alastair Wylie (Impreza WRC) 2.46.26.0
9th (40) David & Suzanne Wright (Lancer N) 2.48.53.7
10th (24) Tommy Doyle/Tony McDaid (Clio) 2.52.55.0
11th (34) Toni Kelly/Joe Hunter (Civic) 2.59.35.3
12th (32) Joe McGonagle/Robert Power (Civic) 3.04.52.5

Just 26s separated Eamonn Boland and Gareth MacHale starting this third day of the Circuit of Ireland. Through the Knockiveagh stage between Banbridge and Rathfriland Eamonn Boland re-asserted his authority and was 8s faster than Gareth to push the gap up to 34s with 5 stages remaining. Boland was looking relatively secure with just a couple of stages to go last night but then he put his Subaru into a ditch and damaged the bonnet and bumper dropping quite a few seconds. By way of reprieve Gareth MacHale also lost a couple of seconds when his Focus punctured a tyre. Eamonn did have over 40s of an advantage but then that dropped to 26 after these dramas.

On that opening stage this morning temperatures were very low and the road surface was damp. Eamonn Boland said it was very slippy but otherwise he was OK. When Gareth saw Eamonn’s time he just shrugged his shoulders. Tim McNulty had a 2nd fastest time and said he was being cautious.

Aaron MacHale ran into all sorts of problems on that opening stage this morning, his Focus launch control went wonky and the car wouldn’t leave the start line. Aaron eventually got going but traversed the stage quite slowly and was passed by several cars including John McGlaughlin and John Cumiskey. Happily Aaron didn’t hold anyone up but he dropped 5 minutes although amazingly kept his 4th place on the leaderboard which is some measure of the performance difference between the guys at the front and the group N drivers. Aaron’s Focus managed to get on up the road from that stage 15 but it looked far from right and there must be a question mark as to whether he can keep going or not.

John McGlaughlin continues to lead group N and is under no threat from the two group N cars behind, Brendan Cumiskey and Kevin Kelleher. All three now saying they are driving for a finish.

Denis Biggerstaff was virtually on home ground through that test but he was disappointed with his performance on it and although his time was good it wasn’t good enough to catch Kelleher in the standings. Tommy Doyle in the Clio said he has never driven so slowly, so determined is he to get to the finish and hold his 10th place. Toni Kelly seemed to have a good run, she’s looking fairly solid in 11th ahead of fellow Donegal resident Joe McGonagle.

THE FIESTA SPORTING TROPHY contenders joined in this morning between the main Circuit and the national Rally. Elfyn Evans was 3s faster than Alastair Fisher over the opening stage with Tadgh Buckley 3rd a further 8s in arrears. Kyle Orr was 4th: Adrian McBride 5th: Stephen Wright 6th: Barry Greer 7th: Paul Quinn 8th: We have no time for Meilyr Evans as yet.

NATIONAL RALLY: Unofficial leaderboard after stage 15 (SS11 for Nationals):
1st Glenn Allen: 2nd Sean Devine + 14s: 3rd Connor McCloskey + 18s: 4th Neil McCance + 57s: 5th Sean McArdle + 2m19s: 6th Colm McFall: 7th Wm. Carey: 8th Alan Nesbitt: 9th Geoff McMahon: 10th
Davy Armstrong:

Connor McCloskey fastest this morning. Glenn Allen old pads back in, brakes now good. Sean Devine gearbox change to cure clutch actuator trouble. Rory Byrne back in 25th after being off at hairpin Sat. a’noon.

NEWS COMING IN….Gareth MacHale fastest SS16 – gap now 24s. Aaron MacHale’s problem sorted – something to do with clutch.

More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with thanks to Michael Patterson. Our thanks also to Bernard & Ro Lee from North East Results service plus Libby and Stan Harper Motorsport):

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