RALLY NEWS No.3 - Buncrana service - Friday @ 14:07:23
RALLY NEWS NO.3 Service/Buncrana
UNOFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 3
1st (3) Garry Jennings/Neil Doherty (Impreza WRC) 19.37.3
2nd (2) Darragh O'Riordan/Tony McDaid (Impreza WRC) 19.42.3
3rd (1) Darren Gass/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 19.54.4
4th (8) Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty (Impreza WRC) 19.57.4
5th (5) Derek McGarrity/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 20.07.3
6TH (9) Aaron MacHale/Eamonn Walsh (Focus WRC) 20/.19.6
7th Niall Maguire 8th Donagh Kelly 9th Sam Moffett 10th Martin Doherty
UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 3
1ST (10) Daniel McKenna/Arthur Kierans 9Escort) 20.24.5
2ND (11) David Bogie/Paul Beaton (Metro 6R4) 20.37.6
3rd (12) Declan & Brian Boyle (Escort) 20.57.8
4th (15) Wesley Patterson/Martin McGarrity (Escort) 21.17.0
5th (27) Daniel & Michael Doherty (Escort) 21.20.4
6th (14) Manus Kelly/Donal Barrett (Escort) 21.21.5
7th Callum Duffy 8th Martin McGee 9th Paul Barrett 10th Russell Woods
On stage 3, Mouldy Hill, Darragh O’Riordan was fastest by half a second from Garry Jennings. Jennings still leads this Topaz Donegal Rally by 5s. Darren Gass in 3rd place reiterated the fact that his Subaru seems to be very much down on power or as the Armagh man put it. “More like a group N car”. Donagh Kelly dropped from 6th to 8th on that stage 3 and he said. “The car is fine but the driver would want to go a bit better!” Niall Maguire reflect4ed the views of many drivers when he commented that with the cold temperature of the roads his Subaru tyres just were not heating up. Derek McGarrity was 10s off the fastest pace on that 3rd stage, Derek seemingly unsettled following his first stage stall. Darragh O’Riordan commented. “We’re not pushing hard at all”., In Group N Sam Moffett continues to lead. His brother Josh was going well also but a 20s stage 3 spin has dropped him a little. Pat Kirk stalled his lancer in SS” and dropped 20s. PJ McDermott is dipping his toe in the GpN waters and described the Lancer as “a completely different experience!” After SS2 Kieran Daly led the Citroens by 7s from Kevin O’Connor with Steve Wood a further 3s back.
In the National Rally leader Daniel |McKenna told us. “The stages are very slippy in places, patchy, hard to judge”. Declan Boyle said he was using a relatively narrow tyre on the rear and he was struggling to get grip. Wesley Patterson also commented “My tyres were too hard a compound, all wrong”. Frank Kelly was equal 2nd with Declan Boyle after stage 1 but Frank had a slow stage 2 time and no sign of his Escort here at service as yet. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the car has an engine problem. Ed O’Callaghan had a good run through stage 2 to move into the top 6 in the National. Visiting Scottish Rally Champion David Bogie has had some fuel pump problems with his Metro 6R4 but is still managing some great times. There is a reserve gearbox fitted to the car that has a very high 5th gear and the team is contemplating a change to an even older box tonight. It has a more suitable spread of ratios. Daniel & Michael Doherty, more accustomed to world rally car machinery in previous years, have switched to a Mk2 Escort for this event and are setting some very good times, although Daniel commented. “It’s a bit strange looking out the side window to see where you ‘re going!” Robbie Peoples Escort has starter motor troubles.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ & MICHAEL PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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