RALLY NEWS NO.13 End of stage 18/Newry Service/Sunday 2pm

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 18 Knockiveagh 2
1st (4) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 2.48.21.5
2nd (1) Gareth MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC) 2.48.35.9
3rd (3) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 2.49.31.8
4th (5) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 2.59.27.8
5th (12) John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Lancer N) 3.04.30.3
6th (16) Brendan Cumiskey/Conor Foley (Lancer N) 3.06.19.4
7th (8) Denis Biggerstaff/Alastair Wylie (Impreza WRC) 3.09.29.7
8th (11) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 3.10.15.2
9th (40) David & Suzanne Wright (Lancer N) 3.12.42.7
10th (24) Tommy Doyle/Tony McDaid (Clio) 3.17.43.1
11th (34) Toni Kelly/Joe Hunter (Civic)
12th (32) Joe McGonagle/Robert Power (Civic)
LATE NEWS: Gareth Fastest SS19: Gap now 4s going into last stage.

Eamonn Boland was caught flat footed in stage 18, a Circuit win looking pretty much on the cards suddenly turned into a “maybe, maybe not”. Gareth MacHale was a full 19s faster than Eamonn through that stage. Eamonn really had very little to say at stage finish, he certainly didn’t say there was anything wrong whereas Gareth freely admitted that he had “gone for it” and everything clicked. Just to show that Gareth’s time was no fluke Tim McNulty came in with a time just 5s slower than Gareth and Tim had nothing extraordinary to prove. Just as a comparison, on the first run through the stage early this morning, Eamonn id a time of 8.24.3. This time on dry roads he recorded 8.25.8. Gareth MacHale this morning was 8.32.7, this time he was on 8.04.7.

There are two stages to go and just 14s between Eamonn and Gareth so who knows what may happen….

Aaron MacHale in 4th admitted that he is just trying to get the car home. John McGlaughlin admitted to picking the wrong tyres thought there was a chance of rain but the roads were bone dry. Kevin Kelleher is in trouble with his Lancer. The front differential has gone awry and the Clonakilty man feels it is unlikely he will get the car to the finish but he’s going to try. Denis Biggerstaff is also in trouble, his Impreza WRC has lost 3rd gear and 6th gear is playing up. Tommy Doyle in the Clio lost his concentration and had a big overshoot in stage 18.

NATIONAL RALLY: After stage 17 (13th Stage for Nationals):
1st (102) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 1.30.30.9
2nd (101) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 1.30.32.0
3rd (103) Connor McCloskey/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.30.56.1
4th (107) Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N) 1.31.52.7
5th (106) Sean McArdle/Ger McMonagle (Corolla WRC) 1.33.50.9
6th (120) Colm McFall/Donal Lennon (Esc Cos) 1.35.42.3
7th Alan Nesbit; 8th David Armstrong: 9th Brian McFall: 10th Alan Carmichael
NATIONALS AFTER SS18: (SS14 for Nationals): 1st Devine 38.55.2: 2nd Allen 38.58.5: 3rd McCloskey 39.22.6: 4th McCance 40.40.2: 5th McArdle 42.47.6:
Glenn Allen still small misfire: Devine all OK: McCloskey safe tyre choice.

Glenn Allen lost the lead of the nationals in stage 17 when his Corolla developed a misfire. Sean Devine now reports a wee bit of trouble with his Impreza WRC brakes. Connor McCloskey stalled the KBB Doors Impreza and lost time at the acute left. Neil McCance’s Lancer got a real bad bounce after one of the Hamilton’s Folly jumps and the intercooler is slightly flattened. Sean McArdle’s Corolla WRC is having some gearbox paddle troubles and he had to resort to manual. Colm McFall was on the wrong tyres and 2nd in group N Alan Nesbitt has yet more brake troubles. Fintan McGrady has dropped to 2nd in cl.7 behind Michael Conlan. David Armstrong is best 2wd and leads cl.8.
FIESTA SPORTING TROPHY: 1st Alastair Fisher: 2nd Elfyn Evans + 14s. Adrian McBride 3rd plus 1m35s. 4th Stephen Wright: 5th Paul Quinn: 6th Barry Greer

More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (with thanks to Michael Patterson and Bernard & Ro Lee North East Results): www.rallynews.net
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