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| The Down Rally |
| RALLY NEWS No.6 - Service Castlewellan - Saturday @ 16:30:55 |
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Rally News No.6 Service In Saturday 4.00pm
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Six
1st (3) Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Impreza WRC) 42.35.8
2nd (1) Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 42.41.3
3rd (4) Kenny McKinstry/Sean Mullaly (Impreza WRC) 43.14.0
4th (2) Derek McGeehan/Damien Connolly (Mini WRC) 45.42.6
5th (19) Vivian Hamill/Paul Sheridan (Escort Mk2) 45.49.0
6th (5) Drew Stewart/David White (Escort Mk2) 46.07.8
7th (24) Paul Killen/Enda Kennedy (Escort Mk2) 46.19.2
8th (10) Ray Brammer/Damien Fleming (Impreza WRC) 46.26.7
9th (12) John Waring/John McCarthy (Escort Mk2) 46.27.8
10th (9) Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Impreza WRC) 46.33.9
11th (26) Alan Atcheson/Dean Henderson (Escort Mk2) 46.43.4
12th (17) Gerard McFall/Conor O’Loan (Lancer N) 46.47.9
Derek McGarrity and Donagh Kelly have been neck and neck all rally and things did not change at all over stage 5 Annahunshigo when the pair of them were separated by just one tenth of a second in the favour of Donagh Kelly. Things were slightly different on Hamilton’s Folly were Donagh Kelly went just over four seconds faster than McGarrity to establish a lead of 6.5 seconds. This is pretty much the largest gap that has been established between the leaders and both of them reported a trouble free run over both stages. Donagh Kelly admitted that his tyres were pretty much gone by the stage finish, he also felt that McGarrity would have suffered the same problem. In conclusion the final two stages would indicate that the rally will go down to the wire.
Kenny McKinstry lost a bit of ground on both stages five and six and admitted “I had a bit of a run into a farmyard – but still a very good run”. Kenny is now over 30 seconds behind the rally leaders but anything can still happen. Derek McGeehan and Damien Connolly had to virtually stop on stage five to fix the intercom on their Mini WRC, the in car camera causing some sort of interference.
Fourth placed man and GpN leader Geoff McMahon arrived into service with the car streaming with junction tape. The Mitsubishi suffered complete brake failure approaching a junction on Hamilton’s Folly and Geoff lost almost two minutes nursing the car out. Unless they can fix the problem they are unlikely to continue thus ending an impressive drive.
Also in the wars was Drew Stewart and David White, their Escort creating a racket as it entered service dragging its sump guard on the tarmac. Drew said “terrible stage, the car is not charging and then the brake peddle was going to the floor, I was so busy pumping the brakes that I did not hear David call a jump and we landed really heavily breaking the sump guard”. Vivien Hamill was the fastest Mk2 on Hamilton’s Folly by just over a second from now hard charging Paul Killen who has moved into the top ten. John McGaffin had a good run in stage five but stalled the McGaffin Contract Impreza at the first HpR on the Folly. Trevor Ferguson got a puncture about a mile into stage five and drove to the finish dropping out of the top ten after almost a minute was lost. Finton McGrady is not having a great day and his McGrady Insurance Escort has now suffered a collapsed front wheel bearing. Niall Braniff is reportedly off the road on a 3L towards the end of the Folly ending a very good run today.
More News Later …. Michael & Zoë Patterson |
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