| RALLY
NEWS NO.2
Service - Sunday 1pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Mullagh
1ST (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Impreza WRC) 7.36
2nd (4) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 7.37
3rd (1) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 7.48
4th (3) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 7.52
5th (5) Adrian McElvaney/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 8.01
6th (6) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Impreza WRC) 8.03
Niall Maguire is shown in the above leaderboard as 3rd after stage 1, but
reports are reaching us that Niall has crashed the car in stage 2 and
knocked some wheels off. Further news is filtering through that his Subaru
is actually blocking the road, and the stage may have to be stopped. One
way or another it looks like an unhappy ending for the current champion
and last year's Clare winner.
At the end of the first stage Eugene Donnelly commented "We had a
good run, great stage, we think we picked the right tyres". His
closest rival Jim Harrison, the Macclesfield man driving the Impreza WRC
S8 for the first time today, said "It was interesting, but it was a
bit scrappy." With just 1s separating the two, and Harrison on
his first outing in that car, it would suggest Donnelly could be under big
pressure before the day is over.
The other man in the running for this year's National title is of course
Michael Barrable, and he wasn't too happy at stage finish, saying
"Not a great run, found the road very greasy". Adrian McElvaney
is fighting for 3rd place in the Dunlop series, he felt that his rear
tyres were going off, certainly the car was all over the road, but Kenny
McKinstry was at the finish of the stage, looked at the tyres, and thought
there was nothing wrong with them. Patrick Elliott felt his car was very
slow, as if it was down on power. Ollie O'Donovan was having his first run
in McKinstry's left hand drive 2000 Subaru, and he set a time of 8.33, as
he settled in to the new machine.
Denis Cronin was lashing with sweat as he finished the stage in his BMW
M3, his time was 8.13. Anthony O'Halloran in the Manta 8.15. Mac McKenna,
a long way from his Monaghan base, had an 8.24. Richard Casey on home
soil, 8.19. Paddy Boyle 8.28. Aidan Walsh, fighting for Top Part West
Coast championship points was on 8.29. John Rooney in his BMW 8.48. David
McNulty 8.43 and knew he didn't have a particularly good run. Mike Moloney
on his home stage a stunning 8.08 - but this will need to be checked.
News from the Balinglass single stage - after the first run Michael Reddy
leads 31s ahead of Ollie O'Reilly. Tom Murphy 3rd a further 1s back
and Terence Teggart 4th 1s back.
More news after stage 3. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON
www.rallynews.net
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