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RALLY
NEWS NO.3
Service/Kilkenny-Clonmel Rd/Sunday 2pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4
1st (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Impreza WRC) 28.18
2nd (8) Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Impreza WRC) 28.55
3rd (3) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 29.05
4th (6) Adrian McElvaney/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 29.07
5th (152) Sean Gallagher/Paul Nagle (Esc.Cos) 29.43
6th (14) Steve Fleck/Mark Aspinall (Impreza WRC) 29.55
7th (16) Richie Curran/Gerry English (Esc.Cos) 30.08
8th (17) Cahal Arthurs/L.Jones-Edwards (Celica) 30.10
9th (24) Phil Collins/Howard Davies (Escort) 30.21
10th (15) Nigel Hicklin/Sam McMullan (Impreza) 30.31
Eugene Donnelly was fastest through stage 3, Blue Hill, and then quickest
again through stage 4 Slate Quarries. Jim Harrison had been pushing
Eugene hard after stage 2, just 3s in arrears, but Eugene pulled out all the
stops through stages 3 and 4 and indeed Harrison stalled his McKinstry world
rally car at a hairpin right junction on stage 4. It was a real right
corner, Jim couldn't get it round first go and had to reverse back, and
going from reverse to first stalled the engine, losing 20s to Eugene. The
latter commented here at service "The stages are very very fast,
extremely so, thankfully we're going fine. Its tough going in this car,
spoilt with the newer one last weekend in Donegal. The newer one has better
response, butter handling". Michael Barrable, just 1s slower than
Eugene through stage 4, said "I enjoyed that, went well, just a pity
about the puncture earlier".
Young Adrian McElvaney looked at his time through that 4th stage, just 5s
slower than Donnelly, and said "Not too bad at all!". Phil
Collins had been 5th after the first 2 staes but has now dropped to 9th, and
told us "On a long right hander into a gravelly junction we got pretty
sideways, and bang, punctured a wheel. Unfortunately we only have a 16 inch
spare, the car runs on 17s now, so the handling was pretty wild through
stage 4. On top of that, the battery has broken, the alternator has gone and
there is a misfire. Lucky to make it here". Ray Breen in the
Metro 6R4 was another who was happy to make it into service, Ray reckons his
6R4's petrol tank is not properly baffled, and he was getting fuel surge.
Nigel Hicklin is now creeping into the top 10, Nigel cautious to start in
his new car, and lost a fraction of time when it jumped out of 5th gear in
stage 4. Richie Curran feels that his Celica gear change is tightening up.
David James pushed his Mk2 Escort into service, the alternator bracket
broken, battery low. Guy Woodcock in the Escort Maxi is going
extremely well, despite having to use his down on power spare engine. Guy
feels the handling of the car is really super now. His total 30.28.
In Group N Eoin Doyle continues to set the pace on 21.12, although in his
own words "I was a bit sluggish through the third stage".
Just some other gpN totals include Willie Fannin on 31.22. Kieran Molloy
31.33. Dominic Loughran 31.42. Michael Shaw 32.37. All in Lancers. Subaru
dealer Eddie Garry, so good to the rally and supports our RallyNews, has
unfortunately retired after the first stage.
In the Ford Ireland Focus Championship Oliver Stanley leads on 24.39. David
Delaney is 2nd on 25.17 and Gerry Keyes 3rd on 25.45. Colm Murphy has
crashed his example into a wall after a crest on stage 1.
Further times include - David McNulty in his Escort Cosworth on 31.03. John
Rooney in the BMW speeding up a bit on 31.58. Kilkenny's John Tracey is on a
come back drive, starting to go well and on a total of 31.44. Padraig Price,
suffering from flu, but still going well, on a total of 32.34 and when asked
how he felt he said "The temperature gauge should be on me, not the
car!" Kieran O'Neill going well on 31.01 on the Kadett.
More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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