UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 Shanera
1st (6) Daragh O'Riordan/Tony McDaid (Impreza WRC) 24.52.0
2nd (1) Denis Cronin/Coleman Hurley (Impreza WRC) 25.33.0
3rd (23) Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Lancer N) 25.59.9
4th (8) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Lancer N) 26.05/. 2
5th (12) Jer O'Donovan/Sean Hayde (Impreza N) 27.25.3
6th (28) Mark Sheahan/Mark Kane (Citroen C2R2) 27.26.5
7th (20) Eoin Doyle/Peter Brennan (Impreza WRC) 27.43.5
8th (29) Kevin O’Connor/Andrew Purcell (Citroen C2R2) 28.04.6
9th (30) Kieran Daly/Darragh Mullen (Citroen C2R2) 28.09.6
10th (45) Joe Shrimpton/Ciaran Greaney (Citroen C2R2) 28.16.8
NATIONAL RALLY
1st (9) Barry Meade/Alan Whyte (Escort) 25.56.6
2nd (18) Vincent O'Shea/Brian Hickey (Esc.Cos) 26.21.9
3rd (15) Kevin O'Donoghue/Joe O'Leary (Escort) 26.29.2
4th (10) Fergus O'Meara/Liam Brennan (Escort) 26.30.0
5th (26) Geoffrey Dolan/Conor Murphy (Sunbeam) 27.37.9
6th (16) Charlie Hickey/Johnny Hickey (Escort) 27.40.8
7th David Guest/Liam Moynihan 8th John Riordan/Donal Falvey 9th Eugene Ferry/Derek Heena 10th Jason McSweeney/Denis O’Mahony
The rally has lost two of the front runners over the Ballaghbeama and Shanera stages – Tim McNulty and Kevin Barrett have both retired. Unconfirmed reports are that McNulty’s engine cried enough on the very fast Shanera stage. Kevin Barrett, who last drove here on the Killarney Lakes Rally approximately 15 years ago in a Manta 400, has definitely retired with a blown engine on his Subaru. Consolation for Kevin’s co driver Sean Mullally is that he will now be able to watch the Munster match this afternoon!
Even before McNulty retired Daragh O’Riordan set fastest time through the tricky Ballaghbeama stage and he is starting to look really comfortable now in his Subaru WRC S12. Denis Cronin in 2nd is also looking very settled and is getting back into the rally groove. Thomas Fitzmaurice had a great run over Shanera to record a time 6s up on Alan Ring. Alan’s co driver Adrian Deasy remarked. “The engine in our car still seems a small bit lethargic”.
Barry Meade is still the fastest of the National runners. Fergus O’Meara is having troubles with his Escort paddle shift. Vincent O’Shea wore the front tyres out on his Escort Cosworth. That is a fair indication of the heat in the road and the amount of grip there is. Eugene Ferry had a manifold problem in SS2, got it sorted and was fast through SS3. Eoin Doyle in his Subaru spun and stalled in Shanera. John Somers in the red Celica has a clutch problem. Brian O’Keefe’s Lancer was delayed on Molls Gap with a puncture and also had intercom problems, and like several other drivers was slowed on Ballaghbeama by a herd of cows. Fastest of the Citroens so far, Mark Sheahan, could be having veal for tea as he reckoned he clipped a calf on Ballaghbeama. Welsh visitor Eddie Blackwell has just retired his 3 door Sierra Cosworth as the steering rack burst. His co driver John Quill commented. “It would have been alright in circuit racing, but it wouldn’t turn left!”
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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