RALLY NEWS NO.5 Service/Green Glens/Saturday
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7 End of Day 1
1st (1) Daragh O`Riordan/Tony McDaid (Fiesta WRC) 1.19.05.7
2nd (3) Keith Cronin/Marshall Clarke (Citroen DS3R5) 1.19.42.6
3rd (5) Josh Moffett/John Rowan (Lancer N) 1.23.48.7
4th(8) Declan Gallagher/Ryan Moore (Starlet rwd) 1.25.26.2
5th (22) Stephen Wright/Mike Galvin (Peugeot 208R2) 1.26.15.0
6th (25) Cal McCarthy/Eamonn Dullea (Civic) 1.27.03.6
7th (34) Callum Devine/Paddy McCrudden (Fiesta R2) 1.27.12.9
8th (33) Martin Donnelly/Brian Doherty (Corolla WRC) 1.27.38.3
9th (29) Kevin Eves/Chris Melly (Peugeot 208R2) 1.27.48.7
10th (27) Stephen Carey/Ella Ryan (Civic) 1.27.50.8
Scariff Plant Hire man Daragh O`Riordan holds a 36.9s lead over Keith Cronin going into the overnight halt on this Acesigns Cork 20 Rally. Josh Moffett has moved into 3rd o/a following the retirement of his big brother Sam on the final stage of day 1, Musherabeg. Sam was 3rd o/a but his Fiesta stopped in SS7, suspected reason a broken differential. Declan Gallagher holds a very decisive lead in the National category. When O`Riordan reached service in Millstreet he told us. `It all went well, we did not push hard on the final stage. We used the same tyres, a soft slick. The road was quite greasy and slippy. We will not make any changes to the car now but may reconsider in the morning when we see what the weather is like`. Keith Cronin was 10s faster than O`Riordan through the last stage today and all in all he is very happy with his new Citroen. There is still a lot to learn with it but it is certainly coming together. Keith told us. `I will have a talk with Colm (his Engineer) about tomorrow. The stages are not so bumpy. It was not 100 per cent today over the bumps but we have not set up data from France. Tomorrow we will be lost as regards speed. The stages are much faster than today`.
Josh Moffett finishes the day as the new Group N Tarmac Champion and he said. `I was not going mad over the last stage tonight, it was very slippy. The car is good for tomorrow`. Interestingly one of Josh`s main GpN rivals today Rob Duggan has rejoined under Rally 2 but is a long way behind the leaders. Brian O`Keefe is now 9th o/a in the International Rally and 2nd in Group N. Brian had a worrying moment or two at the end of stage 6 when his Subaru almost ran out of fuel and he had to switch off the anti lag and finish the stage almost on tick over.
Mark Nangle is 6th in the National category with his Subaru Impreza and he has had a very steady run, determined to try and finish this tough rally which so far has had many retirements.
Stephen Wright in his Peugeot 208 had an overshoot at a junction in Ss7 but the car escaped undamaged and Stephen continues to lead R2 from Callum Devine with Kevin Eves 3rd. Stephen Carey leads Class 1 in his extremely rapid Civic. Alan Treacy has recovered from major brake problems with his Corolla to move into the lead of Cl13.
In the Historic Rally Denis Moynihan in his Mk1 Escort has a 36s lead over Andy Johnston (Chevette). Aidan O`Connor 3rd in his Mk1 Escort.
More news in morning: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (With thanks to Angus Sealy/Aidan Harper/Daphne & Mossie/Zoe Patterson) *Follow RallyNews on Twitter @Pacenotes or @Real_RallyNews
