RALLY NEWS NO.2 Derrynacaheragh/Sunday 09.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Coolkellure

1st (3) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (Impreza WRC) 9.15
2nd(2) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 9.27
3rd (7) Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 9.31
4th (1) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC0 9.40
5th (5) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Impreza WRC) 9.45
6th (8) Tony Davies/Patrick Walsh (Impreza WRC) 9.50
(11) Michael Curran/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 9.50

West Cork winner Denis Cronin opened his score sheet today with a stunning time through the opening stage, Coolkellure. Interestingly, when Denis got to the end of the stage and stopped with us he commented. “I thought I was slow, it was fierce slippy, very difficult”. First on the road Jim Harrison brought his immaculate McKinstry Impreza to a halt and said. “I’m just getting into it, it’s not easy when you’ve been away from it for a while. One thing is for sure I can now hear Harvey on the notes – we’ve got new helmets and they make a big difference”.

Ray Breen is 2nd on the road, new Dunlop National Rally Champion Ray wasn’t too happy when he said at stage finish. “We had a bum start. The start time keeper made us move back and then forward and then we sort of missed the go and I think we lost at least 5 seconds”.

Patrick Elliott had a good run but he wasn’t particularly happy either at stage finish, reporting his Subaru gearbox to be “feeling very iffy”. Patrick was having trouble selecting gears and as well as that is just recovering from a bout of shingles and now has ‘flu!

Kevin Barrett should have been next through the stage but in fact it was Welshman Melvyn Evans whose Subaru appeared first, with Barrett’s new S9 example on his tail. Melvyn said that he had really “gone for it” in the stage, taking chances, having a real good run and had passed Barrett just before the stage finish. Co driver Sean Mullally felt that their time was 9.01, but taking everything into account it would appear more likely to be 9.31, with Kevin Barrett on 10.02.

Tony Davies was next through, the Milton Keynes based surveyor reporting a time consuming spin which spoiled what would have been a pretty good time. Hugh Martin Doherty should have been next up but didn’t appear so it was Nigel Hicklin next in his Impreza on a time of 10.09.

Michael Curran was next through the stage and was the pace setter of the early group N cars on a time of 9.50. Other group N times included Kevin Kelleher on 10.01 in his Lancer. Willie Fannin (Impreza) 10.04. Alan Ring (Impreza) 10.10. and James O’Sullivan (Lancer) 10.20. There are still more group N cars to come including for example Kieran O’Callaghan, Dickie Curran, Owen Murphy and PJ McGrath. Alan Ring was worried about his Impreza gearbox mounting which seemed to have come adrift. James O’Sullivan reckoned he was on the wrong tyres and the wrong settings and had survived 2 spins.

On Catalunya Rally in Spain Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) have moved up to 14th place, while Paddy White/Martin Brady are 23rd in their Impreza. There are just 3 stages today and Loeb still leads, and it would appear that Daniel Sordo has won the JWRC.

Back here on the Fastnet Rally a special mention for Hilary Ring from Castlebar who is co driving for Bill Evans in a Celica. This is Hilary’s first Fastnet rally. However her late grandfather Ned Ring was one of the founding members of the Skibbereen & District Car Club back in the late sixties and Ned, along with Hilary’s father Eamonn, officiated at many of the club’s early events.

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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