RALLY NEWS NO.14 Service/Sunday 3.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 20 – FINAL STAGE
1st (4) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 3.03.21.4
2nd (1) Gareth MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC) 3.03.26.3
3rd (3) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 3.04.47.2
4th (5) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 3.15.24.4
5th (12) John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Lancer N) 3.21.09.5
6th (16) Brendan Cumiskey/Conor Foley (Lancer N) 3.23.06.8
7th (8) Denis Biggerstaff/Alastair Wylie (Impreza WRC) 3.27.00.7
8th (11) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 3.29.44.4
9th (40) David & Suzanne Wright (Lancer N) 3.30.11.9
10th (24) Tommy Doyle/Tony McDaid (Clio) 3.36.02.0
11th (34) Toni Kelly/Joe Hunter (Civic) 3.43.48.9
12th (32) Joe McGonagle/Robert Power (Civic) 3.50.34.4
13th Martin O’Donnell (Civic): 14th John Paul Quigley (Civic)…and that’s everybody!!!

Eamonn Boland certainly cut it a bit fine but the Wexford man came out on top after some nail biting moments to score his first Circuit of Ireland victory. Eamonn’s Subaru finished just 4.9s ahead of Gareth MacHale’s Focus WRC and with two stunningly fastest times through stages 18 and 19 it looked like Gareth could well have taken victory, but Eamonn stopped the rot on the 20th and last stage to score victory. Tim McNulty was a very solid 3rd in his Pierse Subaru. Aaron MacHale was 4th, John McGlaughlin was 5th and won group N in his Lancer ahead of Brendan Cumiskey in 6th and 2nd GpN.

Eamonn Boland commented after the final stage. “We finished 2nd a couple of times, it’s great to win. We had some problems in stages 18 and 19 after service, water on the windscreen especially. On the last stage I never drove as hard”. 47 year old Eamonn went on then to say that it has always been a special wish to win the Circuit. Gareth MacHale commented. “We made a battle of it, Eamonn went very well, fair play to him. I lost too much time on Friday but at least we have the points on the board”. Tim McNulty said. “I eased back, coasted towards the end. Came up here for a top 3 so I’m happy with that”. Aaron MacHale observed. “It was a great rally, brilliant stages, well organised. I just hope it is better supported next year and although I would have liked to see Gareth win this is a fairy tale for Eamonn Boland”. John McGlaughlin said. “It was a really tough rally but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am happy to have won group N”. Kevin Kelleher really struggled with his Lancer but it looks like he is going to make the finish despite a broken front diff. Young Toni Kelly had to nurse her Civic towards the end as something snapped in the transmission. Denis Biggerstaff’s Impreza WRC was virtually gearless by the time he got it into Newry service.

Provisionally the Global Group Tarmac points show Eamonn Boland now leading on 25 points with Tim McNulty 2nd on 22. Gareth MacHale is 3rd on 16 and Mark Higgins tying with Aaron MacHale for 4th on 15 points.

NATIONAL RALLY (last stage):
1st (102) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 1.46.36.0
2nd (101) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 1.46.41.3
3rd (103) Connor McCloskey/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.47.10.7
4th (107) Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N) 1.48.41.3
5th (106) Sean McArdle/Ger McMonagle (Corolla WRC) 1.51.16.5
6th (120) Colm McFall/Donal Lennon (Esc Cos) 1.53.23.6
David Armstrong was fastest 2wd in his G3 from John Waring. Fintan McGrady was 12th and won cl.7.
FIESTA SPORTING TROPHY: Elfyn Evans has won from Adrian McBride. Stephen Wright 3rd: Paul Quinn 4th: Barry Greer 5th: Alastair Fisher hasn’t made it to the finish. A fuel pipe from the tank broke on the penultimate stage and they worked at it but they have not made it through the last stage. Evans adjusted his suspension every which way to cope with the jumps and it paid off in the end. Quinn recovered from a first stage excursion on a square left.
On Limerick Forestry Rally today we believe that Purcell has stopped in SS5. Breen leads from Keith Cronin.
BRIAN & LILZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (Our thanks to all who supported and helped with the Rally News service. In particular Michael Patterson: Dougie Hughes: Eugene McCann & Team: Bernard & Ro Lee and North East Results plus all the sponsors who make the Rally News service possible.)

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