The opening Sunday stage, Badgers Hill, consists of fast and flowing roads, the beautiful sunshine making life even easier for the drivers. Josh Moffett was stunningly quick through the stage, 2s faster than Roy White, 7s faster than Sam Moffett and a full 9s up on rally leader Keith Cronin. This means there are now less than 7s separating the top 4. It does not get much closer than that starting day 2 of an International Rally. At the stage finish Josh Moffett admitted he was on a charge. Roy White said that he pushed hard and enjoyed the stage. Sam Moffett commented ‘nothing heroic’. Rally leader Keith Cronin said. ‘I am treating the day as yesterday, cautious where I have to be, thinking all the time of the Tarmac Championship’. Outside that top 4 Jonny Greer also had a good run and he said. ‘It is a very fast stage, very enjoyable and I was on the right tyres’ Stephen Wright observed that his Fiesta R5 is on a short ratio gearbox and the car was on the rev limiter and running out of top speed in places.
Kevin Kelleher dropped a few seconds having picked too hard a compound tyre for his Subaru. Dundalk man Brendan Cumiskey admitted that he stiffened the suspension on his Fiesta R5 too much, but at least he will be able to click it back a couple of notches on the road section, so it should be better over the next 2 stages before service. Pauric Duffy was a few seconds faster than Brendan Cumiskey in the battle for 8th and 9th places. Marty Gallagher was 1s up on Callum Devine in the race for best R2 and 10th o/a.
In the National Rally Brian Brogan set a scorching time to reinforce his leading position. Tommy Doyle in 2nd was on the rev limiter in his Clio, the car simply outgunned on these fast stages. Callum Duffy in the Skoda S2500 clipped a pothole very hard, thought he had a puncture and eased back for a few miles. Phil Collins continues to hold 5th and has disconnected the hydraulic gear change mechanism. Phil is now using a conventional gear change and thoroughly enjoying himself. Art McCarrick retired his Civic on day one with a broken engine bottom end.
With one stage to go in WRC Corsica – Ogier still leads from Neuville. Breen holds 5th. Evans leads RC2: Meeke running in Rally 2 setting stunningly fastest times.
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