RALLY NEWS NO.6 Service/Westport/Sunday 3.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 Newport
1st (1) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 54.13
2nd (7) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 54.18
3rd (2) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 54.50
4th (3) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 55.24
5th (16) Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh (Focus WRC) 56.39
6TH (6) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 56.40
7th (5) Noel Redmond/Derek Brannigan (Impreza WRC) 57.16
8th (17) Rodney Wilton/Conor McMahon (Escort) 57.49
9th (18) Camillus Bradley/Danny O'Neill (Escort) 58.09
10th (25) Joe & Dermot McHugh (Esc.Cos) 58.24
11th (35) Russell Woods/Martin Byrne (Escort) 58.32
12th (30) Danny McBride/Ambrose Given (Lancer N) 58.46

this Mayo Stages Rally is shaping up for a grandstand finish as Tim McNulty turned in a fastest time in stage 6, but even more critically Niall Maguire’s 2nd fastest time was 9s quicker than Aaron MacHale. This leaves the gap between the Focus at the front and Maguire’s Subaru at just 5s with 2 stages remaining. The nature of the roads as well as the weather has changed a lot since this morning. This afternoon’s stages are pretty dry and through rolling countryside, lots of fast corners. The drivers are mostly using a slick dry weather tyre with a little cut in it to combat the muddy patches.

MacHale’s co driver Killian Duffy commented after that stage 6. “Maybe we are being too cautious. We were using a cut slick but we don’t understand why we dropped the time”. Following his fastest time Tim McNulty commented. “We did give it a good cut, but there are still a few snags. Overall though we’re going better, the few adjustments we’ve made have taken the nervousness out of the car”. Patrick Elliott had a pretty decent time through stage 5 but then lost a few seconds in 6 when his Subaru suffered an overshoot. Niall Maguire said he is definitely enjoying the rally but there is not a lot left in terms of speed, although in one or two spots he was a little cautious. Noel Redmond is making no impression on the leaders, he’s finding it difficult to get the right pace. Glenn Allen on the other hand really enjoyed those 2 stages and it shows in his times.

Stephen Moore lost a few valuable seconds when he stalled his Focus on a square left junction and then stopped to make sure Sean Gallagher and his co driver Enda Sherry were OK when their Subaru skidded backwards into a field. Mark Alcorn lost his position as best 2 wheel drive when his Corolla suffered a flat tyre in stage 6. This allowed Rodney Wilton to climb to the top of the 2 wheel drive tree, ahead of Camillus Bradley who arrived into a hairpin flat in 5th gear and slid into a field, although losing remarkably little time. Brian Brogan is battling on with a bent axle on his Escort, damaged over this morning’s big jumps. The McHugh brothers Joe and Dermot found a pump in their Escort Cosworth wasn’t working properly, they got it on full song and the water injection working and they said “It’s a different car now”. It showed in their times as well as they have now come into the top 10.

Danny McBride continues to lead group N although his Lancer is making strange noises from the transmission. He thinks that there may be a tooth knocked off one of the differentials. Eamonn Daly is gradually working up his pace. This is Eamonn’s first run in this ex Michael Curran Lancer and also his first time with Anthony O’Conaill co-driving.

We mentioned earlier that we thought Maurice Moffett had withdrawn. He is in fact still going but has had multiple problems with his newly built rear wheel drive Peugeot. Just some of the maladies include silicone getting into the fuel pump and also a broken exhaust manifold.

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