RALLY NEWS NO.6 Parc Ferme/Cork/Saturday 7pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 – South Lake Road 2
1st (1) Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (C4 WRC) 1.15.43.0
2nd (3) Dani Sordo/Mark Marti (Xsara WRC) 1.17.12.3
3rd (5) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 1.19.44.6
4th (7) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 1.19.49.7
5th (9) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.22.09.5
6th (2) Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (Focus WRC) 1.22.22.4
7th (8) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.22.22.6
8th (12) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 1.23.23.7
9th (14) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 1.24.45.1
10th (23) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 1.25.17.4
The story of the first day of this Murphy Construction Cork 20 International Rally is that Sebastien Loeb, his co-driver Daniel Elena and the Citroen team have shown all their World Champion class to dominate proceedings throughout. Loeb was 16s faster than his team mate Dani Sordo over the closing stage of Day 1 down the South Lake Road. Mark Higgins was 39s down on Loeb and Eugene Donnelly was 33s down. At least Donnelly has closed the gap to Higgins down to 5s which leaves a lot to play for through the Sunday stages with regard to the Global Group Tarmac Championship. Gareth MacHale had drive shaft problems through stages 5 and 6. He managed to get those sorted but is down in 16th place. Denis Cronin was coming into the top 10 but seems to have hit problems in stage 8. Colm Murphy continues to lead Group N from Owen Murphy, with Kevin Kelleher now 3rd in the Production category.
Sebastien Loeb commented when he put his Citroen C4 WRC into parc ferme. “The feeling was good today, we have good experience, changing the diffs and the settings.” His Citroen team mate Dani Sordo commented. “On the last stage we had some brake problems but otherwise it was good experience of the Irish roads. You have very good rally organisation, at all the hairpins the people were well behaved”. Malcolm Wilson of M-Sport to keep an eye on his driver Mikko Hirvonen and when he parked his Focus WRC Mikko said. “Very nice last 2 stages, I am getting a little bit of the feeling for the Irish roads now”.
Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly reported when he brought his Reid Motorsport Subaru in. “Its amazing the pace of these three guys in front. Loeb took 33s off me on one of the bumpiest stages in the country. I suppose they are professionals, getting millions a year and always in rally cars. We had a good afternoon, the stages were tough but I liked them, the car was very good. I’m delighted not to be a minute back on Mark. I know he had a problem but we had a problem as well”.
In relation to his hopes of retaining his Tarmac title Eugene continued. “I wanted very much to prove that I was on Mark’s pace on this rally, if its wet and slippy tomorrow I may well back off. There is no point in being silly”. (Eugene only has to finish the rally in a decent position, not win it, to keep his crown). As for Mark Higgins, he was not happy with the front differential set up in his Pirelli Subaru, he was getting under steer even in 6th gear and if he went on the power too early through the corners the Impreza just shot to the outside of the bend.
Tim McNulty admitted he fell asleep for 2 stages today and is hoping for wet weather in the morning. He also said. “I think the Impreza WRC S12 has the legs of the S11 particularly on the long stages”. Further stories included Gareth MacHale feeling that he lost heart a little and only drove at 80 per cent on the final 2 stages following the drive shaft trouble with his Focus. His brother Aaron reckoned his Focus seemed to lose power or perhaps it was a problem with the clutch on the last 2 stages. Hugh Martin Doherty feels he is getting there with new Impreza and he’s up to 12th o/a.
Still no word on what has happened to Denis Cronin but Owen Murphy is into 11th. Ray Breen 13th having suffered another puncture on his Focus. Kevin Kelleher is 14th and Alan Ring 15th. Phil Collins/Derek Brannigan lead the National Rally in their Escort. Phil recounted. “A major drama on Lough Allua where the blue shed is on the left, a huge slide and then a big old fashioned tank slapper. A bit sobering otherwise very good!” Finally for now news from the McRae Stages is that young David Bogie and his co driver David Paterson, driving Derek McGeehan’s right hand drive Corolla WRC, won the rally from Neale Dougan (Subaru).
More news tomorrow: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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