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RALLY
NEWS NO.6
Portumna/Finish/Sunday 6pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9 (final stage)
1st (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Impreza WRC) 1.10.16
2nd (5) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 1.11.19
3rd (3) Adrian McElvaney/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 1.11.41
4th (7) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Impreza WRC) 1.11.49
5th (4) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 1.11.52
6th (11) John Spain/Peter Egan (Celica) 1.13.06
7th (9) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (BMW M3) 1.13.39
8th (8) JJ Fleming/Robbie Ward (Impreza WRC) 1.13.44
9th (14) Sean Gallagher/Francis Kenny (Esc.Cos) 1.13.55
10th (36) James Foley/Andrew Cullen (Lancer N) 1.14.51
Just outside the leaderboard - Sean Lyons 1.15.00. Anthony O'Halloran
1.15.23: Mark Courtney 1.15.43: Patrick Boyle 1.15.47. Aidan Walsh 1.16.10:
There is no stopping Eugene Donnelly these days, co-driven by Paddy Toner
here on this Galway Summer Rally they scored a memorable win from current
Dunlop Champion Niall Maguire, with Adrian McElvaney a fairly heroic 3rd.
Donnelly moves into the lead of this year's Dunlop National Rally
Championship, his closest rival Michael Barrable having crashed out on the
first stage today. Eugene commented here at the finish "To be
fair it was a tough day, the pressure was on just to stay in front. Its
probably easier to be fighting for the lead". With a slightly
weary tone to his voice, Eugene went on "Its been a long year".
Second placed Niall Maguire reported that his Subaru sustained a cracked
exhaust manifold after a stage 5 jump, and he had to shut off the anti lag
system, reduce the power, just to get the car through the last few stages.
This made his 2nd place all the more worthy. Young Adrian McElvaney
had a few massively scary moments towards the end, his Subaru throttle
jamming wide open and Adrian under great pressure to get the car round the
corners.
Patrick Ellliott in 4th place had a steady run while Jim Harrison in 5th,
having led the rally initially then sustaining a puncture and being
relegated right down the order, fought back with 6 fastest times during the
day. Denis Cronin was best 2 wheel drive. James Foley wins group N
from Mark Courtney with Derrick Jobb probably 3rd, all in Lancers. Young
Aidan Bourke has put in another storming drive to win his class with his
Civic, Aidan and his brother Robert will have clinched the class in the
Dunlop Championship. Patrick Boyle wins the GRP4 Fabrications Award
from Torsten Schmidt for highest placed Mk2 Escort.
Further last minute stories….Sean Gallagher did well to hold a top 10
place as he and co driver Francis Kenny were nearly overcome with smoke when
their Escort Cosworth exhaust broke and set fire to a flap underneath.
Finally for now well down to all at Galway MC for a great day's rallying and
our thanks to all who supported the RallyNews service. BRIAN AND LIZ
PATTERSON (www.rallynews.net)
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