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| Jim Clark Rally 2008 |
| RALLY NEWS No.4 - After SS7 - Wednesday @ 11:32:02 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.4 Duns/Regroup/Saturday 3pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7 Abbey St Bathans
1st (4) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 50.40.7
2nd (2) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 51.04.3
3rd (1) Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 51.48.8
4th (14) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza N) 52.18.8
5th (6) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 52.35.0
6th (11) David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Impreza N) 53.12.7
7th (21) Darren Gass/Neil Shanks (Lancer N) 53.43.9
8th (15) Stuart Jones/Andy Bull (MG S2000) 53.53.9
9th (19) James Wozencroft/Chris Ridge (Impreza N) 54.09.3
10th (16) Jonny Greer/Jonny Hart (Lancer N) 54.34.3
*The above leaderboard is very provisional.
The top 4 cars got through the Abbey St Bathans stage with no problems but then Phillip Morrow had a problem in the stage when his Lancer went on fire which held up the following 4 or 5 cars which is the reason for the above totals being provisional. Phillip’s problem was that the air box in engine bay of his lancer came adrift and fell into the fans. There were bits of plastic then went on to the exhausts and the car went on fire. Mark Higgins was first on the scene and he stopped to lend assistance, as did several of the following drivers. Phillip did get the Mitsubishi through here to service but he will have lost a lot more time on top of the 8 minutes that he dropped on the opening stage with his accident.
Here in Duns main street outside the Jim Clark Trophy Room, it was like the rallies of old with a great atmosphere here in the town. As Gareth MacHale waited to go into the regroup he told us. “We had a good clean fast run, no major risks. The car is 100 per cent apart from a soft brake pedal. Tim McNulty repeated what he had said earlier, that he wasn’t pushing too hard, in his own words. “Tipping away, no dramatics. As long as I keep nipping a couple of seconds that will do”.
Eamonn Boland also reported a good clean run. Aaron MacHale seemed to be in trouble when his Focus arrived here in Duns. Aaron and co driver Killian Duffy having to push the car into the control, and remarked between gasps of breath. “Think the ECu’s gone but there is a spare in the car”.
Mark Higgins reported a spin on the spectator stage through Langton, but his main concern is that he has been held up on virtually every stage by a Mitsubishi! Darren Gass reported an anti lag problem with his car but is still setting good times. James Wozencroft had a good run but forgot to switch his wipers on for the Langton water splash. John McGlaughlin is lying just outside the top 10, and his co driver Crawford Henderson said. “We have to consider what we are doing here, think of the championship, take no big risks but at the same time maybe there’s not a lot left in our Evo”.
Brian O’Mahony in the Clio was very frustrated to be thwarted again by a broken gearbox mounting and had to back off and crawl through the last few miles of stage 7. Dale Robertson is going well but he now has a noise, a whine, coming from the gearbox, and he is hoping the car will last through to final service. Karl Simmons said he is waiting up now, was 12th fastest through stage 7, getting his confidence back on his first asphalt rally since last year’s Ulster where he had a big accident.
Robert Swann is at last getting into the way of his new Impreza N14, said the car feels fantastic, a lot faster than the old car but he is having to readjust his ideas and the notes as he is hitting the crests and jumps so much faster. Hugh Evans is also in one of the new Impreza N14’s and he reflected on Swann’s comments about the very high speeds, and also said he was thoroughly enjoying himself. In the Citroen C2R2 Cup George Thomas is setting a huge pace and leads. Marty McCormack in 2nd place has no answer at the moment.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
*For SMS results text RALLY ITC to 60066 (UK): Or 53030 (Irl.): Text RALLY ITC OFF to stop. Cost 25p/30c. Provided by stagetimes.com
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