RALLY NEWS NO.6 End of stage 7/Saturday/Noon

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7 Windy Gap 2
1st (4) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 1.18.50.9
2nd (1) Gareth MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC) 1.19.46.5
3rd (3) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.19.48.3
4th (6) Derek McGarrity/Diarmuid Falvey (Impreza WRC) 1.19.48.8
5th (5) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 1.21.55.3
6th (12) John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Lancer N) 1.25.04.7
7th (16) Brendan Cumiskey/Conor Foley (Lancer N) 1.28.12.8
8th (11) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 1.31.52.4
9th (40) David & Suzanne Wright (Lancer N) 1.31.58.8
10th (8) Denis Biggerstaff/Alastair Wylie (Impreza WRC) 1.32.43.0
11th (24) Tommy Doyle/Tony McDaid (Clio) 1.33.13.9

On the second run over Windy Gap it was Tim McNulty who was fastest, although by just a fraction of a second from Gareth MacHale with Eamonn Boland a further 5s back and Derek McGarrity 9s back. Eamonn Boland reported no problems while Derek McGarrity admitted to making a mess of a turn square left over gravel, his Subaru going up the bank which cost about 10s. Gareth MacHale made a muck of the same junction but he lost less time. The fact that Gareth set such a good time anyway would indicate that it could have been even better. Tim McNulty seems to have at last got into charge mode, gave a thumbs up sign and looked a lot more cheerful in his Pierse backed Subaru.

The first time over the stage Aaron MacHale misjudged a jump, took it too hard and cost himself time. On this run Aaron was maybe being a little too cautious and couldn’t remember exactly which jump it was.

In Group N John McGlaughlin said that he was just cruising. Brendan Cumiskey, 2nd in GpN, thumped his Lancer against a rock on a turn acute left. He then took it easy for a couple of miles afterwards to make sure everything was OK. David Wright had a decent run and said it helps when you don’t have any spins. Unfortunately it looks like Mike Bird have retired. The Galway man’s Subaru WRC emerged from the stage very late and with smoke and oil pouring out of every orifice.

Tommy Doyle in the Clio feels he is getting more of a handle on his new machine and is carrying better speed over the jumps. Similarly Kevin Kelleher is getting his confidence back following his huge accident in Mayo a few weeks ago and Kevin is building up the speed gradually. Denis Biggerstaff was another to have a trouble free run and he’s now into the top 10.

NATIONAL RALLY
Unofficial leaderboard after stage 7 Windy Gap (National first stage)
1st Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 6.08.5
2nd Sean McArdle/Ger McMonagle (Corolla WRC) 6.14.2
3rd Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N) 6.15.9
4th Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 6.16.9
5th Connor McCloskey/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 6.20.6
6th Cahal Rogers/Eoighan Rogers (Lancer N) 6.21.8

Sean Devine was fastest out of the box of the National runners who started on stage number 7. Sean said he was taking no chances. Glenn Allen No.1 seed and current NI Champion, reported no brakes on his Corolla having fitted new pads this morning. Connor McCloskey found it difficult to settle into his new Subaru. Sean McArdle is close to his home patch, was 2nd fastest, but admitted to taking too many chances. Neil McCance was fastest GpN, concentrated on keeping it in the middle of the road. Interestingly, Neil would have been fastest on the International in GpN as well. Cahal Rogers blew the centre out of his Lancer’s diff before the start, got that fixed but is now suffering a bad misfire.

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