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RALLY NEWS NO.3
Service - Sunday 2.15
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 Maurices Mills
1st (4) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 15.32
2nd (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Impreza WRC) 15.38
3rd (3) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 16.02
4th (6) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Impreza WRC) 16.19
5th (5) Adrian McElvaney/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 16.23
6th (24) Mike Moloney/Nigel Shanahan (Escort) 16.41
7th (14) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (BMW M3) 16.46
8th (17) Richard Casey/Christina Madden (Escort) 16.52
9th (23) Sean Lyons/John Devine (Escort) 16.56
10th (16) Mac McKenna/John Loughran (Peugeot rwd) 16.57
Following our speculation on the last RallyNews that Niall Maguire crashed
out of the rally on stage 2 - this has been confirmed. Reportedly
there was no major damage and certainly no injuries. The other
competing cars had to drive through the stage in convoy. In stage 3
Anthony O'Halloran has crashed so only the first 7 cars on the road got
through the stage competitively. Reportedly Anthony's Manta slid
sideways into a wall. Anthony is OK, co driver Greg Shinnors has a
sore back.
Out at the front of the rally Jim Harrison set fastest time through stage
3, Maurices Mills, with all the drivers reporting the stage to be
deceptively slippy. Eugene Donnelly is running first on the road and
he said about that Maurices Mills test - "One minute you seemed to
have grip and the next, none. It was very tricky, we were off the
road and lucky to get away with little damage". Jim Harrison
was surprised to have set fastest time, his Impreza WRC was sliding about
all over the road, and at one point he lost confidence, but it was still a
superb time to move into the lead.
Adrian McElvaney commented "We had about ten big moments in that
stage, near aeroplane crashes and the back suspension is bottoming out,
the car is all over the road. A bit of a nightmare really".
Michael Barrable said after the test "I felt like I was driving like
an auld one, and although I am still trying to get my confidence back
after the Galway accident, I still thought I might put the car on the
trailer at service. So I'm surprised at the time being third
fastest". Ollie O'Donovan is still bedding in to the left hand
drive car, being careful anyway as he is looking at Clare as just one of
three rallies. He is heading for the Golden Tulip Rally in Holland
next weekend, and then the Cork 20 the following weekend. Ollie's
total is 17.02.
Denis Cronin reported his BMW sideways in flat out corners, there was so
little grip for the 2 wheel drive machine. James O'Sullivan told us
that his new Escort is far from set up yet, it is jumping about over the
bumps, and the prop shaft is hitting the floor. Eamonn Hughes is having
his first run in the ex Dessie Keenan Escort, and he reported a bit of a
misfire on the first stage, and also a lack of concentration.
In Group N we have, unofficially, Peter Clifford leading in his Subaru
from Adrian Quinn with Derrick Jobb 3rd. Normal front runner Mark Courtney
was off the road briefly in stage 1. Willie Fannin was slow off the mark
as he got accustomed to his new Subaru. No times as yet for Jack Sleator.
In the Ford Ireland Focus Championship part of the rally Colm Murphy
was far and away the fastest through the first stage, and that was even
with having a spin. Murphy stopped the clocks on 8.36. C/ship leader
Oliver Stanley did 9.13. Lyons was on 9.17 and Gerry Keyes 9.20.
More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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