UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 11 CASTLE MAGNIER
1st (1) Daragh ORiordan/Tony McDaid (Impreza WRC) 1.41.13.1
2nd (5) Declan & Brian Boyle (Impreza WRC) 1.44.54.6
3rd (11) Owen Murphy/James OBrien (Lancer N) 1.47.02.8
4th (8) Sam Moffett/James OReilly (Lancer N) 1.47.39.3
5th (4) Denis Cronin/Coleman Hurley (Impreza WRC) 1.48.15.8
6th (25) Kieran Daly/Keith Moriarty (C2R2) 1.55.26.7
7th Steve Wood 8th David Carney 9th Kevin OConnor 10th Adrian Levis
UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 11
1st (10) Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Escort) 1.49.23.6
2nd (28) Ken ONeill/Ronald Riordan (Puma) 1.55.54.6
3rd (32) Ian Chadwick/Stephen Quinn (Civic) 1.57.01.7
4th (35) Eamonn OConnell/Mark Linehan (Civic) 1.57.29.7
5th (53) Daniel Lucey/Derry Healy (Escort) 1.59.24.2
6th (48) Peter Desmond/Wm Lynch (Nova) 1.59.35.8
7th Mark Dolphin 8th Steve Roberts 9th Rob Alderman 10th J. Fitzgerald
Through the 14.6km Castle Magnier stage Daragh O’Riordan was over 40s faster than fellow Subaru man Declan Boyle. This puts O’Riordan’s lead up to 3m41s with 3 stages remaining. Donegal man Boyle did admit to making a mistake at the chicane in the village mid stage and had the spectators running. However, there was no real drama and he lost little time. Daragh O’Riordan commented. “The stages are bone dry and we are really enjoying it”. In the battle for 3rd place and group N honours Owen Murphy dropped 3s to Sam Moffett on that stage 11. Murphy said. “We are trying to back off a littler without losing too much time and also to keep our concentration. There is a bit of gravel on some of the junctions which caused us a few moments”.
New Group N Tarmac Champion Sam Moffett said. “We need about 13s a stage to catch Owen which is impossible. But we’ll keep trying”. Denis Cronin was 2nd fastest through that stage 11 and when asked did he have a good run he replied. “Yes, but patchy. We can’t keep it going for the whole stage”. Kieran Daly continues to hold 6th place and lead the Citroen Racing Trophy contenders. Kieran can afford to be very conservative over the next few stages and still hold his place. Steve Wood had a slight overshoot in stage 11 but is unchallenged in 2nd place amongst the Citroens. David Carney is 3rd. Series leader Kevin O’Connor is 4th and has to reach the finish today to clinch the title, and also of course earn the massive Citroen bonus fund. The big worry now for Kevin is that his C2R” Max is showing signs of a misfire.
In the National Rally Frank Kelly and Liam Brennan were over 30s ahead of 2nd placed Ken O’Neill through stage 11. Frank said here at service. “That was all a bit lairy”. His co driver Liam chirped in. “Lairy, he was acting the hooligan!” Ken O’Neill in the Puma has now backed off as his nearest challenger Ian Chadwick is over a minute behind. However, Chadwick and Eamonn O’Connell in a similar Civic are having a massive battle for that 3rd place. O’Connell picked the wrong tyres this morning and says he is gong for broke this afternoon with slick dry weather racing tyres. When it was mentioned to him that there could be rain coming he said, he is still going for it. John Hickey retired from the rally yesterday when his car blew a turbo. He is contesting the Sunday Run today and is leading. Brian O’Keefe is also doing the Sunday Run in his Subaru and he was distinctly off colour this morning as he recovers from flu. Adrian Levis dropped a place this morning and reckoned he was asleep on the opening Sunday stage. Adrian gave Daniel Lucey a helping hand into service from the end of SS11.
After SS20 on World Rally C/ship Rally de France Loeb has 19.5s lead on Latvala with Hirvonen 3rd, Neuville 4th. Craig Breen, following some drive shaft trouble yesterday is now leading the SWRC.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSONu www.rallynews.net
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