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RALLY NEWS NO.4
Carrick-on-Suir..Sunday 5.15
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3-last stage
1st (2) Richie Curran/Owen Cleary (Escort WRC) 30.23
2nd (5) Willie O'Dwyer/Andrew Purcell (Metro 6R4) 31.14
3rd (1) Ray Breen/Podge Newe (Impreza) 31.15
4th (14) Colm Doyle/Michael Maher (Impreza) 31.24
5th (3) Jimmy Lambert/James Coleman (Escort) 31.29
6th (10) John Nolan/James Glynn (Escort) 31.47
7th (8) Roy White/Des Cooney (Evo 6) 31.54
8th (7) John Moynihan/Thomas Moynihan (Escort) 32.17
9th (26) John Kearney/Owen O'Neill (Escort) 32.18
10th (4) David James/Ron Guha (Escort BDX) 32.46
Richie Curran has won the forestry rally here in Carrick on Suir, but
this is his first tarmac win and he is delighted. Co-driven by Owen
Cleary, Richie arrived in here to the finish with a clear winning margin
of over 50s and in fact was able to ease off slightly through the final
stage. Richie said "I'm very happy with the result, it was a very
difficult stage, not an easy day." There was a huge battle
for 2nd place at the end between Wilie O'Dwyer and Ray Breen - Willie in
his Metro 6R4 gets the nod by 1s, and said "A super day".
Breen commented "Too little too late!"
Colm Doyle set some superb times during the day and got ahead of Jimmy
Lambert on the last loop of stages so Colm wins group N and Jimmy
Lambert has to be content with 5th place, but still wins his class. John
Nolan did well to take 6th overall. Roy White was happy enough
with his 7th place - the FESP backed driver came here to do a job, and
that was to finish the rally in the top 3 in his class, to qualify for
entry into the Billy Coleman Award. Roy commented after the final stage
"That one did not go quite so well, we softened the suspension just
a little too much, and the car lost it's edge. Ironically, the stages
had dried out quite a bit more and we would have been better the way the
car was originally". John Moynihan could not improve on his
8th place at the end, John telling us that he virtually had to stop on
the last stage, the low evening sunshine was completely blinding him.
John
Kearney had no big problems on his way to 9th place. David James
reporting a misfire in his Escort BDX, but still held on to 10th.
In the Ford of Ireland Ka Challenge - John Carroll was the convincing
winner 40s up on Gerry Keyes at the finish, with Barry Barrable 3rd.
Trevor Harding broke an engine mounting on the last stage to compound
the misery of a first stage puncture, but he did set fastest time on
stage 2. Earlier Emily O'Mahony rolled her Ford Ka, happily driver and
co-driver unhurt. Despite the fact that there are still several rounds
of the Ka Challenge to come, John Carroll could have done enough with
today's victory to take this year's title - this has to be confirmed.
Finally for now many thanks to Ann Marie Fitzgerald, her top female
management team and all the others from the Carrick on Suir Club. A good
job well done. Many thanks also to all who supported and backed
the RallyNews service. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
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