| RALLY NEWS NO.6 Sligo/Service/Friday 7pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 10 Drumshanbo
1st (1) Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroen C4) 1.33.15.9
2nd (2) Dani Sordo/Marc Marti (Citroen C4) 1.33.27.1
3rd (9) Jari Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (Focus WRC) 1.34.44.3
4th (4) Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (Focus WRC) 1.35.09.1
5th (7) Petter Solberg/Phil Mills (Impreza WRC) 1.35.35.1
6th (18) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Impreza WRC) 1.37.29.5
7th (5) Manfred Stohl/Iika Minor (Xsara WRC) 1.37.57.8
8th (16) Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr (Focus WRC) 1.40.01.3
9th (27) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.41.11.8
10th (20) Gareth MacHale/Allan Harryman (Focus WRC) 1.41.15.7
On the final stage this evening, down at Drumshanbo, Sebastien Loeb turned on the style to record a time 7s faster than his closest pursuer Latvala with Dani Sordo a further 1s back. Mark Higgins scored the fastest group N time to reinforce his advantage over Araujo. Kris Meeke pulled out of the rally before the last stage so that he could enter Super Rally and run tomorrow. Marcus Gronholm, although a bit sore after his accident, is probably fit enough to go into Super Rally but the roll cage of his Focus was damaged in the accident so the Finn’s rally is over for this weekend. Sebastien commented when he reached the in control to service. “It has been a long day. I was really lucky to make it through this morning with the damaged suspension. The 2nd and 3rd loops were tricky but OK and we did alright”.
Loeb’s team mate Dani Sordo said. “The conditions were very difficult. There were lots of people on the stages and I enjoyed it.” Dani also went on to intimate that it is now very important for the team to win the championship which would indicate that Dani is going to play a full supporting role to Sebastien. Latvala in 3rd said. “I am not pushing too hard. It went well today, if Mikka comes he comes”. For his part Hirvonen commented. “We are playing it safe, trying to get a decent rythym. It was one of the worst days of the whole year for me, I was on the wrong tyres all day, hit wheels on rocks, small things but all add up”. Petter Solberg’s co driver Phil Mills told us. “The last couple of stages were a lot cleaner. We are keeping an eye on Mikko and Latvala to stay with them or thereabouts. The car is a big step forward now from being on 3 cylinders. That 59kms on 3 cylinders cost us one place. The car is handling much better; we are taking steps in the right direction”. Matthew Wilson said. “It was difficult in the half light on the last few stages we hurt our backs on a heavy landing on the first stage after service. Then we backed off a little on the jumps”.
Guy Wilks also struggled a little in the half light, also said the stages were so tricky and very challenging. He reckons the roads tomorrow are more like the Ulster Rally which should be good. He really likes this car but some of the switches are in different places, and also he is not so comfortable in the driving seat. Manfred Stohl found it a very difficult day, he had no confidence, but is still placed in 7th o/a. Tim McNulty is the highest placed Irish driver in 9th. Tim finding his Pierse backed Subaru down on power a little on the last couple of stages as there was a problem with the LS anti lag and also as he got tired he found it hard to concentrate. Still delighted to be in the top 10.
Gareth Jones had a big spin on the last stage but is a bit happier. Kevin Barrett in the Triton Showers Subaru encountered fog as well as complete darkness over the last couple of stages and found his lights didn’t have a great spread. Mark Higgins had a great run over the last 3 stages to continue his group N dominance. Niall McShea was disappointed in his day, said he was rusty and his pace notes were not absolutely spot on which cost a couple of seconds here and a couple of seconds there, but the car is brilliant. Araujo Armindo is 2nd in group N, the Portuguese driver saying that he only had small adjustments to make to the suspension and differentials. Normal Production front runner Nutahara struggled to adapt to the Irish roads and conditions today and is well down the list in 28th place. Reigning Production World Champion Nasser Al-Attiyah said he found it difficult but at the same time terrific, very challenging and enjoyable just like the Monte Carlo Rally and also his Autotek prepared Subaru was 100 per cent.
More news in the morning. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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