| RALLY
NEWS NO.3 Gulladuff Service/Saturday 12.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 STRAW MOUNTAIN
1st (1) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy
Toner (Corolla WRC) 12.41.8
2nd (2) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 12.49.9
3rd (3) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Corolla WRC) 13.00.0
4th (10) Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N) 13.11.6
5th (7) Seamus Heron/Elaine
Doherty (Focus WRC) 13.15.5
6th (14) Errol Clarke/Martin McGarrity 2 Evo 9 13:17.1
7 th (4) Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh (Focus WRC) 13.30.0
8th (11) Johnny McKenna/Noreen McShea (Lancer N) 13.30.0
9 th (31) Cathal Rogers/John McCafferty (Lancer N) 13.33.3
10 th (23) Aidan Toner/Damien Toner (Escort) 13.34.8
11th (5) Raymond Johnston/Richard Bell (Impreza WRC) 13.39.7
Through stage 2, Straw
Mountain, Charlie Donnelly was again fastest despite his Corolla misfiring
and going off a cylinder every time he changes gear, while Glenn Allen
was 2nd fastest and Sean Devine 3rd fastest through the stage. Devine
felt that he should have fitted new tyres for the start of the rally,
but instead he fitted ones that he had used before and they affected his
confidence. Donnelly said that besides the misfire which he thinks is
linked to the water injection sensor, everything is going “100 per
cent but a bit rusty, braking too early and still not used to the different
tyres”. Glenn Allen said. “We had a good run, better for us
than normal in these wet and dry conditions. We got a big scare in the
wet on the Mayo rally and it has affected my confidence ever since. We’re
trying a different type of tyre, and overall its good”. Sean Devine
commented. “We had a couple of big slides”.
Stephen Moore finds he has little confidence in the wet conditions and
has had a couple of lock up slides on top of his first stage stall. Raymond
Johnston spun and stalled his Subaru in stage 2. Richard Hogg said he
is being consistent, spinning on both stages, the massive brakes on the
world rally car catching him out. Seamus Heron was 3rd o/a on the first
stage but dropped a couple of places because of an overshoot on stage
2, although at least Seamus is finding that the smoke coming into the
car problem has abated. George Robinson, running at No.8 in his Escort
WRC is down the order a bit, recovering from a first stage scare his total
14.08.9.
Neil McCance has had a good run with no problems and seems to be leading
group N although we still haven’t got a time in for Sean Reid who
is running pretty far back. Sean would appear to have had a sensational
time on stage 1 so we are waiting to see his stage 2 time. Richard Cathcart
said he was sleeping and he seems to be a bit down in the dumps about
his times, total 13.43.4. Johnny McKenna commented about his run “Middling
enough”. While his co driver Noreen McShea said. “We’ll
get it sorted out!” Noreen’s other half, former Production
World Champion Niall is on hand to give some advice! Eoin McErlean running
at 16 in his Lancer has lost 3rd gear and is hoping to change the box
here at service.
Frank Kelly had a couple of minor overshoots in his Mk2 Escort but otherwise
OK, Frank’s total 13.49.8. Fastest Escort man we have is Aidan Toner
on 13.44.8. Adrian Hetherington is on 13.49.8. Rodney White in his Sunbeam
has lost a bit of time with a little problem surrounding the ignition
master switch. Greg McCormack has retired his Escort with mechanical problems
and Alistair Cochrane in his Escort has gone out on the opening stage.
Ian Cochrane (29) had a puncture on stage 1, lost little time. Drew Stewart
in the Escort (26) said he is running out of top speed on the faster bits
of stages. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
