RALLY NEWS NO.8 Ballinasloe Service/Sunday 1.15

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 11 Laurencetown
1st (5) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.18.25.4
2nd (3) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 1.18.43.8
3rd (6) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 1.20.06.2
4th (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 1.21.21.8
5th (7) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 1.21.39.4
6th (23) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 1.23.44.5
7th (14) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 1.24.10.9
8th (24) John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Lancer N) 1.25.42.6
9th (32) Jonny Greer/Jonny Hart (Lancer N) 1.25.48.5
10th (18) Garry Jennings/Damien Connelly (Lancer N) 1.25.52.5

There is a massive race on for the lead of this Safety Direct Galway International Rally with Tim McNulty and Mark Higgins swapping seconds on every stage and if anything Mark Higgins is closing the gap on McNulty. The two were separated by 34s leaving the Clayton Hotel this morning and that is now down to 18s with 3 stages remaining. Tim McNulty commented here at Ballinasloe service. “I was maybe just a bit cautious”. Mark Higgins is like Tim McNulty running a complete wet pattern Pirelli tyre as the roads are still semi flooded following this morning’s sleet and snow and Mark, who is being supported by Global Group, said. “We can see a wee bit now but the screen is still misting up”. Eamonn Boland in 3rd said. “I’m stuck in no man’s land, a gap in front and a gap behind”.

Eugene Donnelly got the finger out this morning to move from 5th to 4th. He said about the 2nd stage this morning, Ballyforan. “I totally lost my rhythm on that one following a good run on the opening test. Then on the 3rd one this morning I was having a great cut when about 2 miles from the end I caught up with Aaron, hit a huge flood and there was spray everywhere and had a massive spin. I had to go back up the road and hand brake around but somehow I still took some time from him”. (The front of Eugene’s Subaru was plastered in mud and debris which was testimony to the dramas in the stage).

In Group N there has been a big turnaround as Colm Murphy’s Lancer has stopped in stage 10 with a broken gearbox. This has handed the group N lead to Kevin Kelleher and the lead in the Evo Challenge to Owen Murphy although it is nip and tuck between Owen and Brendan Comiskey for the Evo Challenge lead. Kevin Kelleher said here at service that he has backed right off. Comiskey lost some time when his tyres lost their grip. Owen Murphy’s co driver Greg Shinnors told us “We had to do a couple of stages with a broken left rear suspension strut, a legacy of climbing a wall yesterday. It’s not funny on this fast stuff. We will drive with our heads now and just try to bring it home”.

Young Jonny Greer has really got into the groove in his GpN Lancer and set a couple of fastest group N times through stages 10 and 11. John McGlaughlin was slowed in stage 10 when he caught up with the struggling Garry Jennings. Garry dropped a minute because of a puncture and McGlaughlin’s Lancer suffered a damaged windscreen from the flying debris behind Jennings’ ailing black Lancer. Stanley Ballantine was well up the order overnight on the edge of the top 20 but his Lancer has just been towed into service.

Further stories include: PJ McDermott dropped out of the top 10 when he was slowed through stage 11 with a misted up windscreen. Niall Maguire had been in the top 10 but he hasn’t appeared here at service as yet. JJ Fleming’s Focus also seems to have disappeared from the fray. News coming in from the stages is that the Fiesta Sporting Trophy has got off on the wrong foot as they were due to do 3 stages this morning but have yet to get a stage time as they have been delayed behind other people’s accidents.

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

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