Gareth MacHale was fastest through stages 5 and 6 to maintain his clean sweep so far. Eugene Donnelly said he is driving comfortably. West Cork Rally winning crew Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy have retired their Corolla WRC in stage 5. When Gareth MacHale brought his Focus WRC into service he told us that that he had switched the car’s launch control system off for the last few stages as he felt the clutch plates were getting a bit light. He reckons that the team will change the clutch here at service. Eugene Donnelly commented. “I’m only going hard where I’m comfortable like on a flat out corner with 80 yards to a square corner, I’m braking on the flat!” Denis Cronin told us that he lost a couple of seconds in stage 5 squeezing past Liam McCarthy’s stricken Corolla. This was at a junction. We don’t know as yet what was wrong with Liam’s Toyota.
Alastair Fisher told us that he’s been concentrating on keeping it clean over the last few stages and the little differential worry earlier over the tarmac setting seems to have cleared itself. Owen Murphy did seem to be speeding up through stage 4 as he overcome some teething troubles with his new Lancer, but here after 6 he seemed a bit down in the dumps and reckoned the car was down on power. As a yardstick Owen was just over 20s down on Alastair Fisher through that Ballylusky stage.
Phil Collins has really got the finger out to take over the lead of the Modifieds. Barry Meade was a fraction quicker than Collins through stage 6 but Collins certainly got his nose in front through 5. Barry told us that he has done 6 stages on the tyres and they had lost their edge. Collins reported no problems and did say that his earlier comment about Rally Barbados was very much said in jest and it is a rally that he thoroughly enjoyed! Kevin O’Donoghue said about the last few stages. “Great, plain ordinary auld fun!” Robert Barrable has now over a minute of a lead on Mark Donnelly in the race for best Fiesta. Tom White’s Lancer is suffering reduce turbo boost. Jeremy Taylor & Jody Patterson survived a huge “brown pants moment” in stage 5 when they lost it on a fast medium corner and slithered round the ditch. Kieran Marshall lost time when his Civic went into a ditch in stage 2, it was a downhill 6 left into a square right and he was lucky to get away with it. Kieran on course for his class in the Tarmac c/ship but he has to finish this event.
On Rallye Le Touquet Marty McCormack’s Citroen C2R2 Max has developed a slightly misfire and local French driver Barral has got ahead of Marty while Jason Pritchard is 20s behind the Draperstown man. Marty’s main aim now is to get the end of the rally and clinch the UK Citroen Racing Trophy for C2R2s.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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