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| Bulldog International Rally of North Wales |
| RALLY NEWS No.5 - After Stage 4 - Saturday @ 15:36:00 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.5 Service/Welshpool/Saturday
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 Sweet Lamb 2
1ST (1) Keith Cronin/Barry McNulty (Impreza N) 1.07.05.7
2nd (7) Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 1.07.35.3
3rd (6) Dave Weston Jnr/Ieuan Thomas (Impreza N) 1.08.06.3
4th (37) Adam Gould/Craig Drew (Impreza N) 1.08.29.4
5th (3) Jonny Greer/Dai Roberts (Lancer N) 1.09.13.6
6th (9) Darren Gass/Neil Shanks (Impreza N) 1.09.44.7
7th (4) David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Lancer N) 1.10.18.2
8th (38) Daniel Sigurdarson/A.Sigurdardottir (Lancer N) 1.10.32.7
9th (10) Jason Pritchard/Robbie Durant (Impreza N) 1.11.02.5
10th (11) Robert Swann/Darren Garrod (Impreza N) 1.13.06.6
Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton (Subaru) now into 5th on the above leaderboard
Rally leader Keith Cronin backed off ever so slightly through stages 3 and 4, content for the moment to preserve his almost 30s lead over 2nd placed Alastair Fisher. Keith’s co driver Barry McNulty commented when they came into service. “He’s listening to the wee squeaks you always get when you are leading”. Alastair Fisher set fastest times through stages 3 and 4, the young man from Fermanagh said. “We picked it up well, more committed. We made a few amendments to the notes on the first run through and the roads had dried out quite well”. Dave Weston Jnr did well to hold on to 3rd place when his Impreza suffered a puncture towards the end of the Myherin stage. Adam Gould is settling in well with his new co driver Craig Drew and had a very good run through stage 3, not quite so flowing through stage 4.
Jonny Greer in 5th reported a back right puncture on his Lancer 5 miles from the end of stage 3. He drove on the flat and although he lost little time a speed sensor was damaged which meant that through stage 4 his Lancer diffs were not working properly. The car was going from under steer to over steer, and the as the Carryduff man commented. “The car felt real clumsy”. Darren Gass has now come into the top 6. Darren’s recce car broke down yesterday and he did not get a good look at the stages. He switched to a set of our notes for stages 3 and 4 and has now settled down to set some good times. David Bogie reckons his Lancer is still down on power. His co driver Kevin Rae told us. “The mechanics changed the ECU but the car is still lacking horses”.
Icelandic driver Daniel Sigurdarson in 8th place lost some time when his Lancer suffered a left front puncture. Daniel finished the stage with the tyre flat and the rear bumper showing signs of damage. Jason Pritchard in 9th is settling down well in his new Impreza and was 30s a stage quicker on the 2nd loop. Robert Swann started the day with the suspension springs in his Subaru a little too soft. He has changed them to a harder rating and his times have improved.
Young Elfyn Evans is doing a brilliant job and is up to 11th o/a to lead class R3 in his Fiesta. He commented. “No dramas, everything is working very well”. Mark Donnelly continues to lead the class R2 in his Citroen C2R2 Max and is 20s up on Robert Barrable in a similar Citroen. If these two stay on course they will be in line for a massive prize fund that goes with the Citroen Racing Trophy. Jarkko Nikara in the Twingo is now 3rd in R2, just ahead of Richard Sykes and Andrew Hockridge in their respective Citroens.
Matti Rantanen dropped 9m in Sweet Lamb when his Twingo suffered a puncture. He drove some distance on the flat then decided he had to change it and had a problem “with the tools”. Australian Molly Taylor is 21st o/a in his Citroen C2R2 Max and she said. “I’ve a lot to learn about these stages. I had a few dramas this morning. I will just keep my head down!”
In the Historic Rally Jonathan Gale in his Tiger has won by 34s from Dessie Nutt in his Porsche. In the Post Historic section Jeremy Easson and Andrew Haddon were 1st & 2nd in their Escorts. In the Classics Nick Elliott was 1st with Julian Reynolds 2nd both in Escorts.
In the National Rally after 3 stages Paul Davy in his Subaru led from Alex Allingham, also in a Subaru, said he was snoozing on the first stage. Paul Walker was 3rd and he felt he was losing out on the long straights. The Audi Quattro of Edmon Peel reportedly had turbo problems and limping through. Tony McWhirter in his Lancer lost time with a puncture.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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