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| Sligo Stages Rally 2012 |
| RALLY NEWS No.4 - Service Castlewellan - Saturday @ 14:09:42 |
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Rally News No.3 Service In Control Saturday 11.20am
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Two
1st (1) Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 13.21.2
2nd (3) Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Impreza WRC) 13.21.4
3rd (4) Kenny McKinstry/Sean Mullaly (Impreza WRC) 13.32.8
4th (25) Geoff McMahon/Rob Graham (Lancer N) 13.52.5
5th (2) Derek McGeehan/Damien Connolly (Mini WRC) 14.03.5
6th (19) Vivian Hamill/Greame Henderson (Escort Mk2) 14.10.0
7th (5) Drew Stewart/David White (Escort Mk2) 14.13.2
8th (20) Niall Braniff/Graeme Stewart (Escort Mk2) 14.13.5
9th (18) Paddy McVeigh/Stephen O’Hanlon (Impreza N) 14.19.0
10th (17) Gerard McFall/Conor O’Loan (Lancer N) 14.25.3
11th (12) John Waring/John McCarthy (Escort Mk2) 14.26.7
12th (10) Ray Brammer/Damien Fleming (Impreza WRC) 14.27.2
13th (7) John McGaffin/Leslie McGaffin (Impreza WRC) 14.29.6
Kenny McKinstry set the fastest time over the Closkelt Stage Two setting a time just under 2 seconds faster than Derek McGarrity and a further three seconds faster than early rally leader Donagh Kelly. Kenny McKinstry admitted that he knew part of the second stage but is still struggling to come to terms with his LHD Impreza “I am fine on the right handers but a can’t place the car properly for the left hand bends”. New rally leader by just 2 tenths of a second is Derek McGarrity. McGarrity reckons there is so much more to come from his ex Tim McNulty Impreza WRC and as the stages are now drying out Derek feels that on the repeat loop of the first two stages he should be much faster. Donagh Kelly reported no problems on the second stage but felt there was a lot of mud on that very technical test.
Drew Stewart was much faster on stage two in his MK2 and feels that his gearbox noise is not as bad as it was earlier. Fastest Escort was Niall Braniff who was just under one second faster than Stewart though his Escort is already showing some battle scars having banged the front left corner. Fintan McGrady in the McGrady Insurance Escort was kicking himself after he made a mistake and stalled on the second stage loosing quite a few seconds and his total is now 14.38.6. John Waring has broken a rear strut and dropped a little time while Declan McNaughton has bravely brought his Escort into service with no brakes and admits that if they cannot fix it there will be no point in carrying on. Davy Armstrong is really struggling with no rear grip in his Escort and can see no answer as to why. Chris Hazley dropped at least 30 seconds when a plug lead came adrift.
George Robinson is finding his new Lancer down on power particularly out off slower corners and he is also still trying to get up to speed.
The sensation of the rally so far is the pace of Geoff McMahon is his GpN Lancer. He leads the category by over 30 seconds from Paddy McVeigh but is also an impressive fourth overall. Geoff has a new engine fitted today but he joked he has also taken a couple of brave pills at breakfast.
More News Later Michael & Zoë Patterson |
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