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| Sligo Stages Rally 2012 |
| RALLY NEWS No.1 - Service Castlewellan - Saturday @ 10:34:01 |
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Rally News No.2 End of Stage One Saturday 10.00am
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage One
1st (3) Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Impreza WRC) 6.13.9
2nd (1) Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 6.17.1
3rd (4) Kenny McKinstry/Sean Mullaly (Impreza WRC) 6.30.2
4th (2) Derek McGeehan/Damien Connolly (Mini WRC) 6.36.5
5th (19) Vivian Hamill/Graeme Henderson (Escort Mk2) 6.38.7
6th (5) Drew Stewart/David White (Escort Mk2) 6.44.4
7th (18) Paddy McVeigh/Stephen O’Hanlon (Impreza N) 6.47.9
8th (7) John McGaffin/Leslie McGaffin (Impreza WRC) 6.49.4
9th (17) Gerard McFall/Conor O’Loan (Lancer N) 6.49.7
10th (8) Trevor Ferguson/David McElroy (Impreza N) 6.49.8
Heavy overnight rain has caused less problems than expected and the roads are now drying reasonably quickly. First on the road this morning is Derek McGarrity and he arrived at the end of the opening Tullyree Stage happy after a clean run. Derek told us at the stage finish that there was still some standing water but that he felt he had been too timid and that once he gets his Impreza fully warmed up he will go much faster. McGarrity professed to using an intermediate tyre and then admitted that all the other front running WRC cars had chosen a similar tyre. Derek McGeehan was pleased to get to the finish and has already indicated that he will drive his own rally in the Mini. Donagh Kelly stopped the clocks just under five seconds faster than McGarrity and he also admitted to being a little over cautious despite leading the rally. Kenny McKinstry was happy with his time even though he dropped 17 seconds to the rally leader.
John McGaffin arrived at the stage finish with his Impreza full of smoke, John telling us “we fitted a new silencer but it is too close to the body and the heat is transferring into the car, but it looks much worse than it is”. George Robinson is trying to learn his new Lancer and set a respectable time of 6.57.3.
Drew Stewart spent Thursday night rebuilding his Escort’s gearbox but is now reporting a knocking noise in the car, Drew said “I am listening more to the noise than concentrating on the road”. Drew picked a wet tyre as did most of the leading Mk2s. Vivian Hamill set a scorching time through the stage but admitted that maybe the conditions were slightly drier for him as he is running 19th on the road. The first major retirement seems to be Martin Teggart who is pulled up on the stage with we suspect a mechanical problem. Other times for the MK2s include John Waring on 6.51.3, Finton McGrady on 6.54.0 and David Armstrong on 6.56.4. Declan McNaughton with Sean Hayde on the notes had a bad first stage as their Escort has brake problems.
In GpN Paddy McVeigh holds a slim lead in his Impreza from Gerard McFall in his Lancer. Trevor Ferguson felt that he was over cautious in his GpN Impreza, Trevor telling us “it is really hard to judge, sometimes you push and the car moves around so the next thing you back off”.
More News Later Michael & Zoë Patterson |
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