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RALLY NEWS NO.4
Nr Glengarriff… Saturday 12.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 TIM HEALY 2
1st (3) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 51.59.2
2nd (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 51.59.3
3rd (2) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Impreza WRC) 52.17.9
4TH (7) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Impreza WRC) 52.30.0
5TH (10) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Corolla WRC) 53.04.6
6TH (167) Trevor Cathers/David Moynihan (Impreza N) 54.24.4
7th (23) Andrew Stewart/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 54.25.2
8th (8) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Impreza WRC) 54.56.7
9th (22) Dickie Curran/Billy McCullins (Lancer N) 55.11.6
10th (13) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 56.10.8
There is a massive race at the front of this Killarney Rally of the Lakes, with
Eugene Donnelly setting fastest times through Cods Head, Ardgroom and Tim Healy.
Eugene has been faster than Derek McGarrity on all these stages, by just a
second here and a couple of seconds there, to leave the two separated by just
one tenth of a second. Eugene said when he reached service "Very tough
going, very difficult. The tyres are working reasonably well, our biggest
problem is visibility. I'm having to crouch down and look through the bottom
half of the screen". Derek McGarrity said "We're on 100 per cent
the wrong tyres, we need full cut wets, the car is washing away at the front.
There are rivers running down the roads". Austin MacHale told us that
he was on a cut slick tyre, again not ideal. Austin also made a very scathing
remark about his van…..wrong road to Castletownbere…and they' have been
going down there this 20 years!!
Further back in the rally Barry Coleman unfortunately crashed into a wall in the
Ardgroom stage and blocked the road for the following drivers. Last car through
was Trevor Cathers, the Omagh man continuing to lead gpN in the Willie John
Dolan Impreza and going like a train. Roy White was first on the accident,
fully committed and had a bit of a fright. Happily Barry and co driver
Greg McCarthy are reportedly unhurt but shocked.
Other stories include…Maurice Gass having to come through the Healy with no
intercom. Johnny O'Sullivan's Escort WRC has broken a driveshaft on the Cods
Head stage and he is having to nurse the car through to this service. Paddy
White says he is not enjoying the conditions at all, and would like a touch of
the Costa del Sol (and wouldn't we all). Peadar Hurson is now running very
late on the road, still waiting for his stage times. Tom Holton has retired his
Celica with mechanical problems. Harry Cathcart broke a strut at the front of
his Swift. Young Michael Curran is catching cars in stages, being slowed down.
In the Ford Ireland Focus Challenge…early leader Ken Lyons has put his Focus
off the road in Kilmacilloge. Colm Murphy led after stage 3 Cods Head by a
massive 48s from John Foley. Oliver Stanley was 45s further back. More
news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
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