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RALLY NEWS
NO.5
Service/Saturday 4.15
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 Ballymore
1st (2) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 39.59.3
2nd (7) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 40.13.6
3rd (5) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Impreza WRC) 41.13.4
4th (6) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (Impreza WRC) 41.28.4
5th (16) Tony Davies/Brian Hardie (Impreza WRC) 41.36.8
6th (10) John Dalton/Gwynfor Jones (Darrian) 42.50.9
7th (8) Jon Ingram/Ian Allsop (Impreza WRC) 42.55.2
8th (12) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 43.28.3
9th (48) John Foley/Jonathan Waterman (Impreza N) 43.53.5
10th (25) Kevin O'Donoghue/Joe O'Leary (Escort) 44.03.8
In stage 5 it was Michael Barrable who was fastest from Liam McCarthy
with Denis Cronin 3rd quickest, and then on stage 6 the status quo
was resumed when Tim McNulty scored another fastest time, with Michael
Barrable 2nd. On that stage 5, the Ring, McNulty’s Subaru
had a dramatic overshoot down the hill at the chevron boards and
nearly ended up in the sea. Tim laughed about it afterwards but
it sounded like quite a moment. Co-driver Anthony Nestor said. “I
looked up from the notes and saw this boat in front of me, thought
I was going for a paddle!” Liam McCarthy has definitely
speeded up in his first run in the Eugene Donnelly Impreza WRC S12.
Liam reckoning now that he would like to get the suspension stiffened
up, it is still on the Galway wet settings. Denis Cronin is
another who is speeding up stage by stage and he said. “The
car is brilliant, the times are coming, there’s nothing wrong
that a bit of commitment won’t sort”.
Michael Barrable continues to charge after McNulty and hold a very
firm 2nd place, Michael said. “Dermot is giving me a lot of
grief, telling me to get on the brakes later and later, its working.”
Tony Davies in 5th lost a few seconds when the intercom in his Subaru
went down. Tony swapped helmets with co driver Brian Hardie
for stage 6 so that at least one of them could hear what was going
on! John Dalton reported no problems, his Darrian back on
full song and 4 cylinders. Jon Ingram reckons he is now well
out of any chance of a top result so he is just going to concentrate
on clocking up the miles and getting to know the Subaru. Last year’s
winner Melvyn Evans has retired his Subaru at service following
his 8m time loss in stage 3.
Group N leader Kevin Kelleher spun his Lancer at the final square
left junction in stage 6. Kevin said that the council has
put new chippings down on the road and it was very slippery.
His brother Martin said “At least we gave the spectators a
good laugh!” John Foley, 2nd in group N, fought for
grip the whole way through the stage and was disappointed to drop
5s to Kelleher on that one test. James O’Sullivan took
a gamble and ran very hard compound tyres for the Ring stage.
It didn’t really work out, he dropped quite a few seconds
but then was pretty competitive on stage 6 when the tyres warmed
up.
Best of the Mk2 Escorts is Kevin O’Donoghue in 10th.
Willie Power is 11th in his Darrian. Washington James also in a
Darrian is 12th. Wesley Patterson is 13th in his Escort, 5s
ahead of Gwyndaf Evans and James Stafford is 15th. David Guest has
survived big brake problems with his Clonakilty Black Pudding backed
Peugeot and is leading is class. Adrian Hetherington is lying
outside the top 10 in his Mk2 Escort. Adrian is a front runner in
the forests but he seems to be getting the car far too sideways
on the asphalt and is losing time, a brush with a hedge in stage
6 not helping his cause either. Martin McGee found the Ring stage
very greasy and his Mk2 is down in 19th place. Wesley Patterson
survived an overshoot at a square left. Gwyndaf Evans is still having
intercom problems but at least hasn’t gone to the bar!
Washington James in the blue Darrian has 4th and 5th gear problems.
Willie Power spun his Darrian in stage 6. Up at Birshopscourt
Glenn Allen was leading after stage 5 from Denis Biggerstaff with
Stephen Moore 3rd. Kevin Lynch retired early with fuel pressure
problems on his Focus WRC. Ireland has not just won the rugby
match today, they really destroyed Italy 51-24.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
