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RALLY NEWS NO.5 Ennis/Service/Sunday 3.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 Glendree
1st (4) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 41.09
2nd (1) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 41.20
3rd (3) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 41.21
4th (9) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 42.15
5th (14) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Impreza N) 42.35
6th (5) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (Impreza WRC) 42.37
7th (10) Jack Sleator/Andrew Purcell (Impreza WRC) 42.41
8th (15) Willie Fannin/Paddy Robinson (Impreza N) 42.44
9th (12) Michael Curran/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 42.50
10th (8) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 42.47
There was a major change to the leaderboard in stage 5 when Charlie Donnelly crashed his Corolla. Charlie and his co driver Darren Hayes are both OK but there was suspension damage to the Toyota. The car ended up blocking the stage so the following drivers couldn’t get through. That particular section is very fast and narrow but then one tight slippy corner caught Charlie out.
Tim McNulty had a good run through both stages although he feels he maybe got caught out a wee bit on tyre choice. Having said that maybe there is no right tyre choice as we are having bright sunshine one minute and then a heavy shower the next minute! Patrick Elliott was happy enough with his run. While Aaron MacHale set a scorcher of a fastest time through stage 6 to close the gap on the cars in front. Interestingly Aaron thought he was on the wrong tyres as well. Kevin Barrett in 4th had a clean run, although the Triton Showers man did comment on how gravelly the stage was.
Alan Ring in 5th overall continues to lead group N but his Impreza had a very noisy transmission after stage 6, a legacy of a heavy landing after a big jump. Denis Cronin in 6th says it is still not coming together at all. Jack Sleator in 7th was caught out in very heavy rain towards the stage finish. Willie Fannin in 8th and 2nd in group N, just ahead of Michael Curran. Sean Gallagher is 10th in his Impreza WRC and went a bit better through stage 6 following his earlier transmission problems. Sean told us that the mechanics cleaned out the filter in the transmission and it seems to have increased the pressure.
Anthony O’Halloran is still fastest rear wheel drive contender in his Manta, his total 44.10. Mike Quinn in the Escort is on 44.41. Martin McGee survived a stage 6 spin is on 44.42. Brian Brogan is on 45.05. Mike Quinn was having some throttle cable troubles but seems to have it sorted now.
Daniel McKenna/Andrew Grennan were flying in their 1600 Escort. They were up as high as 17th o/a and leading class 10 but we are getting reports that the Escort has slid off the road and ended up in a river on its roof. Driver and co-driver reported to be OK. Paul Kiely is just outside the leaderboard on a total of 44.16 in his GpN Lancer. Padraig Egan in the McKinstry Subaru has, as we reported earlier, lost a bundle of time in stage 2 but set a 5th and 7th fastest time through stages 3 and 4. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
