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| Nenagh Stages 2009 |
| RALLY NEWS No.5 - After SS6 - Sunday @ 15:49:53 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.5 Nenagh Service/Sunday 3.50
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 BURGESS
1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 57.01
2nd (5) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 58.49
3rd (3) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 59.27
4th (4) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 59.38
5th (7) Kevin Kelleher/Paddy Robinson (Lancer N) 1.00.32
6th (6) Anthony O'Halloran/Charlie McEnery (Lancer N) 1.00.53
7th (10) Sean Flanagan/Brian Miller (Impreza N) 1.01.42
(11) Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Lancer N) 1.01.42
9th (8) Brian O'Mahony/John Higgins (Clio S1600) 1.01.55
10th (9) Eamonn Daly/Anthony O'Connaill (Lancer N) 1.02.07
Niall Maguire and his co driver Enda Sherry were chasing hard after rally leader Patrick Elliott but their Subaru picked up a right front puncture in stage 6 and they dropped well over a minute as a result. Niall was examining the front suspension when he arrived at the service in control, but everything looked fine. He had no recollection of having hit anything to cause the puncture but he must have clicked a stone somewhere. Patrick Elliott is still having some small problem with his Subaru stalling. He thinks it may be something to do with the launch control. His co driver Paul Goodman commented. “At least the roads are drying although there are a few places where there is mud and even at 20mph there is no grip”. When we asked Patrick would be ease back over the last 2 stages he said. “I will probably drive with a finish in mind but I can’t afford to take my eye off the ball. In these stages if you start to relax you’d be off the road in a second”. Maguire’s misfortune has promoted Jim Harrison up to 2nd, the Englishman saying that all is well with the car but really as regards his driving it’s a case of “steady away”.
In Group N Kevin Kelleher is still the man to beat although he reckons he picked too soft a compound tyre and the rubber went off the boil towards the end of stage 6. Kevin’s closest pursuer Anthony O’Halloran said that he was up and down a few banks in those 2 stages but got away with it. Eamonn Daly has lost a bit of time compared to the other top GpN drivers and has slipped down to 10th. Thomas Fitzmaurice has recovered from his earlier delay when his Lancer had some manifold problems. He has pushed hard to come into equal 3rd GpN with Sean Flanagan.
Brian O’Mahony dropped a place on that loop when his Clio got away from him on a fast right hander and crunched the bank. Brian was being quite ambitious in his tyre choice – according to his father Frank! Brian said after the accident that although the car was handling well, he decided to be slightly more circumspect.
Trevor Mulligan overcame some more intercom problems to move into the lead of the 2 wheel drive category. He is now 10s ahead of Des Moore with Mike Quinn 3rd, all running in class 14. Jim McKenna in the Starlet had a great run over the last 2 stages to hold 14th o/a in his class 11 1600cc machine. David Percy found he just couldn’t get grip through stages 5 and 7 and his Escort Maxi was jumping all over the place on the ultra stiff suspension. Percy is now 2nd in class 13 to Ed Synan but pretty far back on time. Trevor Bustard has stiffened the suspension on his Lancer and he is speeding up but still not quite on the pace of the top GpN runners. Adrian Quinn had a middling enough morning but has really speed up over the last couple of stages and although he is 15th o/a he is setting top 10 times. Greg McGroary/Kerry McCarter pulled out of the rally when new wheels that they had fitted kept coming loose. Rory Byrne had a spin and lost a bit of time in his Lancer. Niall Byrne was co driving for Nigel McGinn and they retired when their Lancer blew its turbo.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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