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| Tour Of The Sperrins 2008 |
| RALLY NEWS No.6 - After SS6 - Finish - Wednesday @ 11:39:04 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.6 Walsh’s Hotel Maghera/Finish/Saturday 5.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 – FINAL STAGE
1st (122) Peadar Hurson/Allan Harryman (Impreza WRC) 37.38.1
2nd (3) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 37.49.5
3rd (1) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 37.51.9
4th (2) Connor McCloskey/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 37.52.7
5th (8) David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Corolla WRC) 38.29.1
6th (14) Cathal Rogers/Eoighan Rogers (Lancer N) 40.44.5
7th (15) Wesley Patterson/Nigel Fraser (Escort) 40.48.3
8th (19) Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan (Escort) 40.55.9
9th (65) Callum Duffy/Iain Duffy (Escort) 40.59.4
10th (18) Declan McNaughton/Sean Hyde (Escort) 41.34.6
The final stage of this KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins Rally was no less frenetic than the first and Connor McCloskey was fastest but couldn’t improve on his 4th place. Sean Devine managed to just get ahead of Charlie Donnelly for 2nd place while Peadar Hurson was untouchable out at the front and won the rally by 11s. When the cars wound their way back here to Walsh’s Hotel Peadar, who was co driven by Allan Harryman in his new Subaru today, commented. “This car is class, it was a very good rally with great stages and well organised.” He continued. “It has taken me a while to win one again, great feeling, maybe I will do the Mourne before Donegal, but it is all down to budgets”.
Sean Devine said. “I was full flat out for the whole of the last stage, it was a big pace, the car was never on the ground!” Connor McCloskey also reported a flat out run through that Roddy’s Dipper stage; it was a great effort by Connor. Unofficially, we now have Connor and Sean Devine tying at the top of the NI Championship.
Charlie Donnelly did his best to clinch a hat trick of wins, but it wasn’t to be and Charlie said. “I was a bit rusty to start, but I had a class run towards the end. The big jumps were just made for the cameras. Peadar would still have beaten us, I wouldn’t like to have gone any faster but I had the satisfaction of fastest over the Dorville (Broughderg) stage.” Young Scotsman David Bogie said. “It was a really good rally; it was good to be here”.
Cathal Rogers, co driven by his son Eoighan, did a fine job to win group N and bits of grass hanging out of his Lancer was evidence of a real charge over the last stage when Cathal was “straight lining” the chicanes. Wesley Patterson was best of the Mk2 Escorts, the Lisburn man said. “I thoroughly enjoyed it, nice to do something at home. Now I want to get out of here as fast as possible and get home and see my wee girl Charlotte before she goes to bed. She was 4 today!”
Adrian Hetherington turned in a huge performance over the last stage and we await with interest to get a time for visiting Scottish crew, Callum & Ian Duffy, who were neck and neck with Adrian for the leaderboard place. Callum, very much the Mull Rally expert, has just come in from that final stage and was just pipped on the post by Adrian. Callum commented. “Great stages, just like home”. Declan McNaughton also had a good run in his Mk2 Escort and he should be just inside the top 10, with Rodney McKnight 2nd in GpN and just outside the top 10, just ahead of former NI Champion Sean Haveron in his Escort Cosworth. Sean lost some time when a radiator hose came adrift earlier on. Eoin McErlean will finish 3rd GpN just ahead of the similar Lancers of John Walker & Alan Carmichael. Carmichael lost time earlier with a broken drive shaft.
In the Citroen C2R2 Cup after 5 stages Barry Evans was the highest placed of the registered drivers with Paul Manton up into 2nd ahead of Graham Kelly. Martin Tynan was leading but he put his C2R2 off the road and into a ravine I stage 5. Killian Duffy is driving a Derrick Jobb C2R2. He is not registered for the championship but came through very strongly to get ahead of the registered drivers and was lying 32nd o/a after stage 5. Finally for now, well done to everyone at Magherafelt Motor Club for a fabulous day’s rallying.
LATE NEWS: Paul Manton from Cashel has come through to score maximum Citroen c2R2 points. Barry Evans had been leading but rolled his car into a field, managed to eventually get going but dropped 4 minutes. Graham Kelly was also well placed going into the final stage but he also suffered a mishap and didn’t finish. Killian Duffy stayed on course and finished best of the C2R2’s although he is not registered for championship points.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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