RALLY NEWS NO.7                      End of Stage 9/Sunday 11am

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9 Ballymacward
1st (5) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 59.01.2
2nd (3) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 59.40.5
3rd (6) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 1.00.21.6
4th (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 1.01.31.0
5th (7) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 1.01.44.3
6th (16) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Lancer N) 1.02.02.5
7th (23) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 1.02.31.9
8th (15) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 1.02.41.1
9th (14) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 1.03.01.8
10th (18) Garry Jennings/Damien Connelly (Lancer N) 1.04.01.2

Flooded roads with sleet and light snow greeted the drivers when they tackled the Ballymacward stage. Tim McNulty picked a Pirelli tyre with wet weather pattern and deep groves cut to dispel the oceans of standing water.  Tim’s Pierse backed Subaru stopped the clock at the end of the 12.7km stage in 7m41s.  It was a remarkable achievement and he was 5s faster than his closest pursuer Mark Higgins and 10s faster than Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly who is back on form this morning.  In Group N Kevin Kelleher was fastest, 10s up on Colm Murphy. While further back PJ McDermott’s Subaru slithered up a wee narrow overgrown lane and came to a halt in clouds of steam. The following drivers then stopped to make sure that the Donegal crew were OK.  Happily they were and eventually got out of the lane and finished the stage at the head of convoy. 

McNulty commented at stage finish. “There was a lot of standing water it was very slippy”.  Mark Higgins said that his Subaru screen was misting up, not as bad as yesterday morning, but still not great.  Eamonn Boland had his usual accomplished run with no comments!  Aaron MacHale had been 4th overnight but a big overshoot dropped him time and a place on the leaderboard. Eugene Donnelly commented. “The car is a lot better I’m getting my confidence up but I wasn’t trying any heroics”.

Colm Murphy reckoned he didn’t have enough cuts in his tyres, they didn’t heat up at all and he was getting very little grip.  Kevin Kelleher was bouncing at stage finish and he’s really putting up a terrific show, that’s his 3rd or 4th fastest group N time of the rally, he’s not letting Colm Murphy have it all his own way.  Seamus Leonard was reseeded into the top 10 on safety grounds overnight. He got his Subaru through the Ballymacward stage Ok but has since pulled out because of a gearbox glitch.  Several of the co drivers including Sean Mullally, Sean Harris and driver Garry Jennings were soaked to the waist having ploughed through the muck and the puddles to get PJ McDermott mobile but happily there was no other damage.    

In the National section of the rally Martin McGee leads from the similar Escort of Wesley Patterson just 9s separating the two.  Paul Gallagher in his Corolla is 3rd a further 14s adrift then its Manus Kelly (Escort) 4th: Pat Kelly (Impreza) 5th: Raymond Conlon 6th in his Corolla.  Brian Brogan is 7th, Raymond Drury 8th, Jim McKenna 9th and Casimir Magill 10th.  In the Historic rally Richard Hall leads from father and daughter team Derek & Roisin Boyd in their Porsche. Dan Moynihan (Escort is 3rd. Adrian Kermode is 4th in his Porsche. Richard Casey 5th and Mike Devine 6th. 

Some of the overnight class positions in the International Rally:  Andrew Gamble leading cl.5 in his Micra.  Tom Cahill in his Honda Integra is leading cl.3 from Global Group man Tom Gormally in his Civic. Ian Roche driving a Peugeot 206 leads cl.6 from Colm Forde in a similar Peugeot. Gabriel Hession leads cl.2 in his Civic from the similar Honda of Kenneth Hogan. Eugene Meegan leads cl.7 in his Honda Maxi with Tommy Doyle in his Clio 2nd and Kieran Marshall 3rd. Toni Kelly is well down the list in her Honda. Young Toni still trying to settle down after her Rally Ireland accident.

More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

**For SMS results and news to your mobile text RALLY ITC to 53030 in Ireland. 60066 in UK. Cost 30c/25p. Text RALLY STOP to stop. Provided by Stagetimes.com

© 2008www.rallynews.net (Patterson Agencies). All rights reserved. Unauthorised duplication is a violation of applicable laws.

Contact Us : RallyNews Archive : Links : 2007 Calendar : Irish Notes : Patterson Pacenotes