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| Ulster International rally |
| RALLY NEWS No.4 - After SS3 - Friday @ 18:20:42 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.4 Antrim/Service/Friday
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 TORR HEAD
1st (2) Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 19.54.8
2nd (1) Eugene Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Fabia WRC) 19.55.1
3rd (4) Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 19.58.0
4th (9) Darren Gass/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 20.14.5
5th (6) Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 20.23.1
6th (8) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 20.31.7
7th (5) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Impreza N) 20.33.4
8th (7) Gwyndaf Evans/Chris Patterson (Lancer N) 20.38.8
9th (10) Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 20.50.9
10th (15) Danny Barry/Martin Brady (Lancer N) 21.24.1
The Torr Head stage saw a change in the leaderboard with Gareth MacHale getting ahead of Eugene Donnelly for the overall lead and Keith Cronin turned in a scorcher of a 5th fastest time to move into the lead of Group N. Donnelly told us. “I was on a cut slick tyre and I totally destroyed them. It is a very technical stage and I was on a damage limitation exercise as the tyres went off. But its not the end of the world, we’ve only started. I found the chicanes very tight and with the wing mirrors 500 euro a time I’m being careful”. Gareth MacHale said. “Yes we had a good run on that 3rd stage. I bedded myself in on the first two. I have to hand it to young Cronin, he’s a very talented driver. Torr Head is not a group N stage”. Derek McGarrity said. “I was slow at the start of Torr Head, it just wasn’t working then we went brilliantly at the end. I should really have had a harder compound tyre”.
Mark Higgins said. “I was careful on the hairpins but went OK and was surprised at Cronin’s time”. Keith told us. “It just came together, just clicked on Torr. I was too casual on Glendun”. Darren Gass in 4th reported. “I’ve just made a few silly mistakes which has cost a few seconds here and there. But I can see where the time is going”. Glenn Allen in 6th said. “I stalled at the start of Torr Head but other than that its been OK. The stages are very fast and I’m maybe being a bit cautious, not gutsy over the crests”. Gwyndaf Evans is doing a very respectable job in the new Evo 10, 8th o/a and 3rd in GpN and Gwyndaf said. “We had a soft brake pedal in Torr Head, I was perhaps being a bit hard on it. I eased off the pedal and the brakes came back OK”. Alastair Fisher said he was very steady over Torr Head, well within his limits. Jonny Greer is having a fairly miserable rally so far compounded by a puncture on Torr Head. Adam Gould reckons he has just made a bad start to the rally, wrong tyres and the power steering is not working through the chicanes and there'’ a knocking noise on the front left steering or suspension. Danny Barry is holding 10lth o/a and he said. “Its not bad, we’re here, but I’m not driving well and I’m on the wrong lines over the jumps”. Dave Weston Jnr is having a good run to hold 11th. Kris Princen, the Belgian in the Clio, said. “Everything is OK. I am quite satisfied”. Euan Thorburn in 14th had a big problem with his Impreza brakes over Torr Head and then a drive shaft pulled out. Matti Rantanen in 18th in the Clio said. “No situations but finding the stages really difficult. Different from anything I have done before. Really big hills but it is good experience, that is why we are here”. Brian O’Mahony is 15th and 2nd ClR3 and is really enjoying the stages but surprised at the speed of Princen. Tommy Doyle has reported retired his Clio on stage 3 with a mechanical problem. Marty McCormack is having new brakes and calipers fitted here at service. He dropped just over a second to his Citroen rival Jason Pritchard in Torr Head but still has a 20s o/a advantage. John McGlaughlin made it into service but looks as if he may retire.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
For SMS results text RALLY ITC to 53030 (Irl) or 60066 (UK). Text STOP to switch off. Cost 30c/25p. Provided bfsy stagetimes.com
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