|
|
| |
| Donegal Harvest Stages |
| RALLY NEWS No.1 - End of stage 1 - Saturday @ 11:06:13 |
| |
|
RALLY NEWS NO.1 End of stage 1/Saturday
UNOFFICIAL LEADFERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Ballintra
1st (7) Declan & Brian Boyle (Impreza WRC) 9.13
2nd (1) Garry Jennings/Neil Doherty (Impreza WRC 9.16
3rd (5) Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Impreza WRC) 9.22
4th (2) Brian OMahony/John Higgins (Impreza WRC) 9.35
5th (4) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 9.36
6th (3) Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Impreza WRC) 9.41
7th (18) Declan Gallagher/Eamonn Doherty (Starlet) 9.48
8th (8) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 9.52
9th (12) James Stafford/James F Stafford (Darrian) 9.54
10th (20) Martin Doherty/Damien McAuley (Lancer N) 9.59
Damp and cold conditions greeted the drivers on the opening 15.4km Ballintra stage. First on the road, Garry Jennings reported very little grip but still set a good time in his McKinstry Subaru. Second on the road, Brian O'’Mahony was grimacing with pain when he reached the stage finish. The Cork man had hurt his wrist badly when his Subaru locked the front wheels at one point. Thomas Fitzmaurice said he took the stage very gently and wasn’t pushing at all. Niall Maguire felt he was just a bit “lackadaisical”. Donagh Kelly had an excellent time and his co-driver Kevin Flanagan laughed and said. “Yes, and we had a few moments as well”.
Declan Boyle set a cracking pace and was fastest and he commented. “It was slippy but we were going good”. Those not so happy included Kevin Kelleher in his Subaru and Frank Kelly in his Escort. Both had overshoots and Frank said. “It was mind over matter, the road was shiny and we were gone from a hundred yards before the junction”. Kevin Kelleher reported his was a 6th gear incident into a junction and the car went up a lane and into the ditch at one point.
Fastest two wheel drive was the flying milkman Declan Gallagher in his Starlet with James Stafford 2nd 2wd. It does look like James Stafford will not be continuing as his Darrian has clutch troubles. He hopes to get it repaired in time for Baltinglass tomorrow morning. Josh Moffett was another to suffer an overshoot at a junction and his time was 10.39 in his GpN Lancer as opposed to Martin Doherty’s 9.59 and Pat Kirk’s 10.17. Shane Maguire’s GpN Impreza did not appear at stage finish and we hear that the car is parked about a mile into the stage.
Arthur Kierans had a good run in his Escort and recorded a time of 10.06. Arthur’s Escort engine was rebuilt this week and he told us it is going well, loads of torque and his only problem is a lack of hand brake. Non-starters from the top end of the original published list include – Seamus Leonard (No.6): PJ McDermott (17): Conor Harvey (22). Also Brendan Kelly and John O’Donnell.
dMore news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
*Follow RallyNews on Twitter @Pacenotes or @ Real_RallyNews
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
|
