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RALLY
NEWS NO.2
Knockaunwood-Sunday 10am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Knockaunwood
1st (4) John Donnelly/Joe McAleese (Escort WRC) 3.45
(10) Kevin Lynch/Martin McNicholl (Impreza WRC)
3.45
3rd (3) Kevin O'Kane/Francis Regan (Impreza) 3.46
4th (2) Eddie Kinirons/Greg Shinnors (Celica) 3.48
5th (7) James Murphy/Con Mulcahy (Esc.Cos) 3.49
6th (8) Brian McCloskey/Damien Duffin (Escort WRC) 3.50
John McCarthy did not make the start he wanted here on this Moonraker
Rally. The No.1 seed and KBB Doors Championship leader emerged from stage
with a worried frown on his face and commented. "The car's missing
like hell, I'd say we have low boost as well." John's time in
the ex Bertie Fisher Subaru was 3.53.
Eddie Kinirons, 2nd on the road, said "We were cagey, it's very
slippy in there, surface mud, this is a hard car to drive in these
conditions".
Kevin O'Kane, former All Ireland Forestry Champion, remarked "We had
a tight run".
Joint rally leader John Donnelly felt that he had gone reasonably well and
the stage was very slippy. Much to our consternation the Co. Antrim
man turned left out of the stage instead of right, so we can only hope
that he found his way to stage 2 on time.
John Shanahan, Group N leader in the championship, we felt would excel in
the slippy conditions with his gpN Impreza, but his time was 3.54, John
commenting "We just went so so, getting into it, quite slippy".
John McGaffin in the ex Colin McRae Legacy told us that he was caught in
very heavy rain.
Kevin Lynch, the joint leader, reported his Subaru to have lost its dash
gear read out during the stage which is quite a disadvantage in those
sequential box Impreza WRCs.
John Hickey in the Celica was down the times on 4.14, the Kerry man
reporting no intercom and hence not able to hear the pace notes in the ex
Carlos Sainz Toyota Celica.
Paul Staunton was going to be our Mk2 Escort bench mark, but he didn't
make the stage, his Ford stopped a couple of miles back on the road with
sheared off wheel studs.
Some more times include - John McGaffin on 3.57. Hickey's time was 4.14
and Ray Benskins 4.17. More news after stage 3. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON (www.rallynews.net)
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