RALLY NEWS NO.12 Newry Service/Sunday 12.10

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 17 Slieve Roosley
1st (4) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 2.39.55.7
2nd (1) Gareth MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC) 2.40.31.2
3rd (3) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 2.41.22.1
4th (5) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 2.50.45.6
5th (12) John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Lancer N) 2.55.31.6
6th (16) Brendan Cumiskey/Conor Foley (Lancer N) 2.57.18.9
7th (8) Denis Biggerstaff/Alastair Wylie (Impreza WRC) 3.00.26.6
8th (11) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 3.00.33.2
9th (40) David & Suzanne Wright (Lancer N) 3.03.22.6
10th (24) Tommy Doyle/Tony McDaid (Clio) 3.07.52.9
11th (34) Toni Kelly/Joe Hunter (Civic) 3.14.26.1
12th (32) Joe McGonagle/Robert Power (Civic) 3.20.41.7

It has certainly been nip and tuck this morning between Eamonn Boland and Gareth MacHale for the lead of this Circuit of Ireland. Gareth closed up to within 24s of Eamonn after stage 16 but Eamonn turned in a blinder of a time for stage 17 whereas Gareth had a bit of an overshoot which has up the gap up to 35s with 3 stages remaining. That middle stage incorporated bits of the old Hamiltons Folly test, very jumpy and dangerous in places, and Gareth really went well there. The Slieve Roosley stage is mostly very fast over moor land, quite scary in places but a lot of heavy braking required and that is where Gareth slipped up. When Eamonn came in here to service he told us that the tyres went off towards the end and said in a polite way that he has been driving his backside off over this morning’s stages. Gareth said “That overshoot has just knocked the stuffing out of me, its all over. I will just go for the Tarmac points. In fairness Eamonn had a good first stage this morning, we were on a cut slick which should have worked OK. We had a good 2nd stage and then that 3rd stage overshoot. They shortened the stage as well and I would have needed all the miles I could get”. Third placed Tim McNulty stepped from his Pierse Subaru and told us. “I’m just playing for the finish now. We had a good steady pace, good have gone quicker but there’s no point. Hopefully we will just put the points in the bag this afternoon”.

Aaron MacHale explained that his problem was down to the gearbox ECU this morning and the car kept stopping. Aaron has no launch control now but he’s not too worried, getting to the finish is his priority. He doesn’t want a repeat of 2004 when his Lancer stopped on the final Circuit stage at St Angelo. John McGlaughlin continues to lead group N despite getting another road penalty following a complete mix up with his time card. John had to hand his card back in a couple of times at the start of 15 while Aaron MacHale got his problem sorted, and John got several new start times for the stage. Apart from that John said he is driving very cautiously and just looking towards the finish. Brendan Cumiskey is motoring along rightly in 2nd GpN with one watchful eye over his shoulder at Biggerstaff and Kelleher. Biggerstaff’s WRC machine had a puncture in stage 17 but lost little time. Kevin Kelleher also had a clean run while David Wright had a bit of an overshoot. David’s mind wandered slightly as he thinks about his son Stephen who is competing on the Fiesta Sporting Trophy.

Toni Kelly found her tyres going off a little bit over the last stage. She had picked an intermediate tyre but there wasn’t a sign of rain. Toni and her father Tony were making a big point this morning of thanking everyone who helped them in connection with the accident yesterday.

NATIONAL RALLY: (After SS16 but their 12th stage)
1st (101) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 1.25.27.1
2nd (102) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 1.25.31.8
3rd (103) Connor McCloskey/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.25.44.8
4th (107) Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N) 1.26.37.5
5th (106) Sean McArdle/Ger McMonagle (Corolla WRC) 1.28.21.2
6th (120) Colm McFall/Donal Lennon (Esc Cos) 1.30.17.1
Connor McCloskey in the KBB Doors Subaru WRC set fastest time through stage 15 and then Sean Devine set quickest on stage 16 where Glenn Allen had an overshoot. Neil McCance continues to lead GpN from Alan Nesbitt. Alan had some brake troubles. David Armstrong is now the highest placed 2wd. Fintan McGrady leads cl.7 in his Escort.

FIESTA SPORTING TROPHY (after SS17)
Alastair Fisher leads from Elfyn Evans by 10s and Adrian McBride has come into 3rd albeit over a minute back just ahead of Stephen Wright in 4th: Barry Greer in 5th and Paul Quinn 6th. Tadgh Buckley, Meilyr Evans and Kyle Orr have all retired.
Mervyn Johnson leads the Historics in his Mini Cooper from Rory Tougher. Richard Hall leads Post Historics from the similar Escort of Denis Moynihan. Derek Boyd now up to 3rd in his Porsche.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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