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| The Down Rally |
| RALLY NEWS No.5 - Service Castlewellan - Saturday @ 14:11:29 |
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Rally News No.5 Service In Saturday 1.15pm
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Four
1st (3) Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Impreza WRC) 26.08.9
2nd (1) Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 26.09.6
3rd (4) Kenny McKinstry/Sean Mullaly (Impreza WRC) 26.24.6
4th (25) Geoff McMahon/Rob Graham (Lancer N) 27.30.9
5th (2) Derek McGeehan/Damien Connolly (Mini WRC) 27.39.2
6th (19) Vivian Hamill/Paul Sheridan (Escort Mk2) 27.53.2
7th (20) Niall Braniff/Graeme Stewart (Escort Mk2) 27.58.01
8th (5) Drew Stewart/David White (Escort Mk2) 28.08.1
9th ((26) Alan Atcheson/Dean Henderson (Escort Mk2) 28.18.2
10th (12) John Waring/John McCarthy (Escort Mk2) 28.18.6
11th (10) Ray Brammer/Damien Fleming (Impreza WRC) 28.19.6
12th (9) Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Impreza WRC) 28.19.9
This Hankook Down Rally is turning into a real showdown between the top drivers. Derek McGarrity responded on that second run over the very technical Closkelt stage and took just over a second from Donagh Kelly’s lead leaving the pair of them separated by just 0.7 of a second. Derek McGarrity reckoned he had a reasonable run on the stage but did admit to “a real slow motion off on a muddy place” going on to tell us that there was a big tree on the right and it would not have been good to have come into contact with it. Donagh Kelly had a “real good cut” and the Donegal man feels that with it being so close that tyres are going to make the difference with the win today. Kenny McKinstry was second fastest just 0.1 second faster than Kelly and he is pretty sure that a slick tyre would have been the correct choice for that loop of stages. John McGaffin in the McGaffin Contracts Impreza has sorted out the smoke from the silencer and is going much better and he is just outside the top ten on a total of 28.24.5. George Robinson continues to grow more accustomed to his Lancer and co driver Tommy Speers quipped “we were 45 seconds faster on that loop – but then so was everyone else”.
Alan Atcheson in the Pedro Pet Foods Escort has been quietly getting on with things today and has moved into the top ten with some impressive times over this morning’s loop. Drew Stewart has dropped to 3rd in the 2wd race after he punctured about three miles from the end of stage 4 and is unsure why the tyre went down. Vivien Hamill now moves into a slim 5 second lead from Niall Braniff and this afternoon’s slightly faster stages should suit the Escorts well.
John Armstrong and Martin Brady have retired their flying Fiesta after two draft shaft failures. Ian Miller in his Pinto Escort admitted to a big scare on SS4 after a 3 L tightens caught them out. Fourth placed man Geoff McMahon is still running strongly but admitted to being too conservative with his tyre choice.
More News Later Michael & Zoë Patterson |
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