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RALLY NEWS NO.2
Adrigole Harbour..Saturday 09.00
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 MOLLS GAP
1st (7) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Impreza WRC) 10.28.3
2nd (2) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Impreza WRC) 10.33.4
3rd (3) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 10.34.0
4th (6) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Impreza WRC) 10.41.9
5th (10) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Corolla WRC) 10.50.1
6th (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 10.51.3
7th (167) Trevor Cathers/David Moynihan (Impreza N) 11.01.1
8th (23) Andrew Stewart/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 11.07.1
9th (15) Johnny O'Sullivan/Jakes Kelly (Escort WRC) 11.09.4
10th (19) Roy White/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 11.16.9
First on the road, Derek McGarrity, was caught completely on the hop at the
start of Molls Gap. Perhaps it was the new timing light system, we don't
know for sure, but Derek was caught flat footed and reckons he lost 10s off the
start line. Eamonn Boland had even worse misfortune, his S8 Impreza WRC
suffering a puncture on the way up the stage, Wexford man Eamonn having to stop
up at the Gap, change the wheel, and lose a whopping 4 minutes.
Austin MacHale made a cautious enough start but reported no problems on his way
to a time of 10.33.4. Obviously in this morning's wet misty conditions any
thoughts of stage records have gone by the board. Donie O'Sullivan is more
than familiar with the conditions on Molls Gap as he now lives in Killarney, and
he was saying last night at the test stage that even if it was wet this morning
he would put slick dry weather tyres on his Subaru. His thinking being that the
Gap is so well drained and so abrasive that it was worth taking the chance.
It looks like his gamble has paid off.
Trevor Cathers is the group N pace setter, Omagh man Trevor another to generally
excel in the wet and difficult conditions, his nimble Willie John Dolan Subaru
perhaps a better bet than the Lancers up the twists and turns of Molls Gap.
Further gpN times included - Dickie Curran on 11.32.9. Aaron MacHale 11.29.3.
Further times from Molls Gap……Maurice Gass on 11.28.5, the Armagh man
describing his time as "about a week". Barry Coleman in his new
Subaru WRC did 11.37.4. Tom Holton, his Celica sure to be quite a handful
in the wet 11.59.1. Paddy White 11.56.7. Denis Cronin in the first of the
2 wheel drive cars an extremely respectable 11.19.2. Tim McNulty lost a
few seconds when he caught and passed Barry Coleman, his time 11.27.5.
Ford Ireland Focus championship contenders: Ken Lyons fastest on 11.39, Colm
Murphy next on 11.56. These 2 on slicks. Then John Foley on 12.17 and Oliver
Stanley on 12.40. Later drivers complaining of oil on the road.
More news to follow. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (with thanks to Padraig
Reddington)
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