RALLY NEWS NO.10 Clonakilty Service/Sunday
3.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 14
DUNWORLEY
1ST (3) Liam McCarthy/Kieran
Murphy (Impreza WRC) 1.41.55.1
2ND (4) Denis Cronin/Helen
O'Sullivan (Impreza WRC) 1.42.05.2
3rd (8) Steve Fleck/Mark
Aspinall (Impreza WRC) 1.44.00.8
4th (7) Bob Fowden/Jerry Hynes (Impreza
WRC) 1.45.08.5
5th (11) John Dalton/Gwynfor
Jones (Darrian) 1.45.12.6
6th (6) JJ Fleming/Robbie Ward
(Focus WRC) 1.45.33.4
7th (15) James O'Sullivan/Kieran
O'Callaghan (Lancer N) 1.47.11.7
8th (9) Nigel Hicklin/Sam
McMullan (Octavia WRC) 1.47.25.0
9th (31) George Thaw/Tony
Ettunger (Impreza WRC) 1.49.31.5
10th (36) Kevin & Martin
Kelleher (Lancer N) 1.49.49.0
The onset of torrential rain caught all the drivers with
the wrong tyres on their cars, and without exception they arrived
in here after stage 14 with tales of spins, overshoots and hairy
moments. The biggest significance on the leaderboard was Denis
Cronin, always a master in the wet, closing the gap between
himself and Liam McCarthy from 23s to 10s in the battle for the
lead with 2 stages remaining. This could be a cliffhanger
results. McCarthy reported 3 to 4 overshoots, but the car is
undamaged and as he hurried off to service, to no doubt get wet
weather tyres fitted, he knows for sure he is under big pressure.
Cronin looked cool, calm and collected when he came into service,
and said he had no real troubles. Similarly Steve Fleck had a good
run through the 2 stages despite the rain, and he is looking
fairly solid.
John Dalton’s light little Darrian was getting no grip at
all, and he was caught and passed on stage 14 by Bob Fowden,
Fowden also moving ahead of the Darrian on the overall leaderboard.
JJ Fleming survived at least one overshoot in his Focus WRC, his
times were quite good, and he held on to 6th spot.
James O’Sullivan moved up from 8th to 7th
and increased his lead in Group N. Nigel Hicklin went back a
place, but was happy to survive a 6th gear spin which
smashed the rear bumper of his Skoda WRC. Willie Power in the
Darrian was another to struggle for grip and he was another to
drop out of the top 10. Kevin Kelleher has moved on to the
leaderboard and reinforced his position as 2nd in gpN,
ahead of Mark Morgan. Tony Davies is now just 2s behind
Kelleher and in 11th place, despite Tony having to
struggle with the gear change. His Subaru sequential change has
gone on the blink, and he has reverted to the old fashioned gear
stick. Gwyndaf Evans is holding position just outside the
leaderboard, while further back Peter Lloyd put his Subaru Impreza
WRC on its roof, and just one of the drivers who was held up was
Tom Randles in his bright orange Celica.
More news after last stage. BRIAN & LIZ
PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
