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| Ulster International rally |
| RALLY NEWS No.7 - After SS7 - Saturday @ 08:49:10 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.7 End of SS7/Saturday
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7 CAIRNCASTLE
1st (1) Eugene Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Fabia WRC) 46.35.9
2nd (2) Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 46.39.5
3rd (4) Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 46.41.6
4th (9) Darren Gass/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 47.46.6
5th (8) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 48.25.0
6th (7) Gwyndaf Evans/Chris Patterson (Lancer N) 48.30.4
7th (5) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Impreza N) 48.32.0
8th (10) Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 49.19.7
9th (32) Dave Weston/Gordon Noble (Impreza N) 50.34.0
10th (12) Adam Gould/Seb Marshall (Impreza N) 50.41.9
Eugene Donnelly was fastest over the opening stage this morning, Cairncastle, but by just 0.7s. Derek McGarrity was 0.5s behind that – tight stuff indeed. Although it was dry and bright in Antrim service the stage was misty and the road surface was wet. Eugene commented at stage finish. “There was a lack of grip. I took it reasonably steady through the mist”. Gareth MacHale said. “Very wet. Didn’t drive well enough. There’s 10s to come”. Derek McGarrity had an overshoot at a hairpin right otherwise had a reasonable run. Darren Gass was 10s down on the 3 world rally cars in front and he said at stage finish. “I though it would have been more”. Glenn Allen was a couple of seconds further back again and he reported. “I had a couple of big slides on fast corners. Big scares”.
Gwyndaf Evans was the fastest GpN driver but by just a fraction of a second from Mark Higgins. Gwyndaf said. “I made a hesitant start and then I had an overshoot at a junction and had to hand brake to get back on line”. Higgins reported a spin at a hairpin right. Alastair Fisher said he was reasonably happy to be only 1s a mile down. Adam Gould had a big overshoot on shiny tar over a bridge into a square right. Several other drivers had moments at that junction including Euan Thorburn. Kris Princen was fastest of the Clios by quite a margin from Brian O’Mahony. Princen reported no problems despite the slippy conditions. O’Mahony’s Clio had a puncture on the way to the stage. He had to change the left front tyre and his spare was a hard compound that made the going difficult.
Alan Carmichael is the highest placed of the Irish Evo Challenge runners and Alan thought that the 4th gear problem with his Evo’s dog box had been cured after a linkage part was donated by John McGlaughlin. But the first time he tried the gear in anger in the stage it wouldn’t work. Marty McCormack had a good run through Cairncastle to maintain his lead in the Citroen Racing Trophy over Jason Pritchard. News is coming in that Kris Hall, who was leading the Fiestas, has stopped in that Cairncastle stage which will put Craig Breen into the lead. In the National Rally overnight Declan McNaughton led from Camillus Bradley with George Robinson 3rd. Robert Barrable and Shane Buckley are having a great battle for the lead of the Challenge Rally, with Barrable just ahead by less than a second, having made a cautious start.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON & MICHAEL www.rallynews.net
(With thanks to Heather Patterson & Duster the dog for RallyNews distribution: Plus thanks to Greg McCormack): *For SMS results text RALLY ITC to 53030 (Irl) or 60066 (UK). Text STOP to switch off. Cost 30c/25p. Provided by stagetimes.com
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