| RALLY NEWS NO.3 The Mall Armagh/Regroup/Friday7.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 – CITY SPECIAL
1st (3) Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (Impreza WRC) 20.40.0
2nd (1) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 21.03.7
3rd (6) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 21.30.9
4th (4) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 21.52.3
5th (5) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 21.53.9
6th (10) Gwyndaf Evans/Huw Lewis (Lancer N) 21.54.6
7th (9) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza N) 21.58.2
8th (17) Phillip & Simon Morrow (Lancer N) 22.31.8
9th (15) David HIggins/Ieuan Thomas (Corolla S2000) 22.36.3
10th (14) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Impreza N) 22.38.1
Guy Wilks has been delayed through stages 2, 3 and 4 by a small problem with his Lancer’s engine and is now on a total of 24.01.5. It would appear two small screws dropped out of the butterfly spindle on the throttle body, one of them went into the turbo and one sort of jammed itself in the throttle damaging the butterfly which meant that the car wouldn’t run properly at all. The Mitsubishi mechanics are going to have to do a lot of work to get the car back on full song, but it should be OK.
Kris Meeke was fastest through stage 2 by a long way and was fastest again on stage 3 and then Tim McNulty was quickest through stage 4. Kris was remarkably composed and said “We had a good run, a good tyre choice”. When asked was he under pressure, trying very hard, he just laughed and said. “Give me more power, more brakes, a C4!” Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly who was almost 16s slower than Kris through the Ivy Hill test said. “I’ve no excuses, Kris is a very talented driver. OK I wasn’t on the right tyres, an intermediate, and the roads dried. The yoke was all over the place. Great fun to drive but slow”.
Tim McNulty in 3rd overall with his Pierse Subaru let out a roar when he heard he was fastest and then said. “We gave it hell down the back of that stage, we had a bit of a moment near the start but then it was grand. I was on the hardest Pirelli you can get, in the rain, so I’m well pleased with the time”. Andrew Nesbitt has lost slices of time, his Subaru stalled at the start line of stage 3 and lost quite a bit of time. Eamonn Boland in 5th place was kicking himself for losing the time on stage 1 but otherwise had a good run. Gwyndaf Evans in 6th remarked. “I felt I was slowing down a little too much in stage 2 and then quick enough in other places. The Ulster stages are always a compromise between grip and suspension that works over the bumps. It’s a trade off”.
Mark Higgins said. “The engine in the car is a lot better, I’m happy with that but I’m struggling over the bumps. I asked for rain before the rally, I got it, but I’m not doing much with it!” Seamus Leonard reckons he had completely the wrong tyres on his car and is also having handling difficulties. Co-driver Gerry McVeigh said. “A bad day, the worst day!” Their great group N rival in the Tarmac Championship, Colm Murphy, was faster through stage 2 but then slower through the Armagh City Special. Colm said “This car just won’t pull off the line and as well as that I forgot to switch the diffs on in stage 3”. David Higgins is starting to get on the pace with his Corolla S2000. David and co driver Ieuan Thomas swapping helmets to try to get the intercom to work. Wyn Humphreys is in gearbox trouble with his Impreza, is having to hold in 5th gear and is going to try and nurse the car until service later tonight.
Phillip Morrow had 2 slick tyres in the boot of his Lancer, changed them on to the front of the car for the spectator stages and it was a disastrously wrong move as he got caught in the rain and lost 10-15s. Hugh Martin Doherty’s Impreza arrived in to regroup very late, Hugh Martin delayed by some problem with a jack breaking following a puncture. He is hoping to continue under Super Rally rules. Denis Biggerstaff has gearbox troubles. Maurice Gass is settling down. Sean McArdle hit the pillars on the spectator stage in front of family and friends! Rob Swann had a huge sideways moment in Todd’s Leap as did David Bogie. James Cullen has a knocking noise coming from the front suspension.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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