RallyNews No.2 End of Stage One / Sunday 1.00pm

Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage One

1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 7.24.1
2nd (1) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 7.24.6
3rd (4) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 7.30.7
4th (3) Michael Barrable/Dermot O’Gorman (Focus WRC) 7.30.8
5th (9) Sean Devine/Martin Brady (Impreza WRC) 7.33.8
6th (6) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Impreza WRC) 7.37.7
7th (10) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 7.39.6
8th (15) Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty (Lancer N) 7.40.0
9th (7) Noel Redmond/Ger Healy (Impreza WRC) 7.44.9
10th (5) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 7.45.3
11th (12) Sean Gallagher/Claire Gallagher (Impreza S8) 7.48.2
12th (20) Rodney Wilton/Conor McMahon (Escort Mk2) 7.49.5

Local man Patrick Elliott was fastest through the opening stage by just half a second from Aaron MacHale as can be seen from the above leaderboard. Patrick had a trouble free run in the Elliott Construction Impreza and co driver Paul Goodman gave a knowing wink at the stage finish in acknowledgement that everything was under control and they were fastest. Aaron MacHale was happy with his run but third on the road man Michael Barrable told us “no launch control but more importantly we are on a new tyre which we were bedding in so I am happy enough”. Non of the leading drivers reported any major dramas.

Seamus Leonard was devastatingly fast in GpN over nine seconds faster than Michael Curran but Seamus told us “I do not think I was that fast, I tried to take it smooth, carry lots of speed so I am surprised to be so far ahead”. Michael Curran and co driver Fabian McShane were there usual calm selves and set a time of 7.49.6 which would put them into 13th place. Other GpN times include Willie Fannin who had a good run on 7.52.7, Alan Ring did a 7.56.6, Manus Kelly 7.58.4 while the Kelleher brothers dropped a bit of time for no obvious reason and set a time of 8.05.9. Reseeded and running 25th on the road is Donegal’s Danny McBride who has lost all turbo boost and could only manage an 8.08.5.

The 2wd guys have been at it hammer and tongs already and Rodney Wilton set a stunning 7.49.5 to put himself 12th overall and nearly 10 seconds ahead of next best 2wd man Paddy Boyle with Wesley Patterson a further two seconds behind. Gary McPhillips had a clean run to record 8.01.2 while Gordon Rogers was smoking heavily as an oil pipe had come adrift and he recorded 8.10.1. More News Later Michael Patterson & Zoe Todd

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