RALLY NEWS No.1 - Fermoy Service - Saturday @ 10:18:42
RALLY NEWS NO.1 Fermoy Co. Cork/Service/Saturday
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Caherduggan
1st (2) Donagh Kelly/Conor Foley (Focus WRC) 5.48.1
2nd (1) Daragh O’Riordan/Tony McDaid (Fiesta WRC) 5.48.2
3rd (4) Melvyn Evans/Mark Glennerster (Impreza WRC) 5.52.2
4th (3) Keith Cronin/Shane Buckley (Citroen DS3R5) 5.59.2
5th (6) Roy White/James O’Brien (Fiesta WRC) 6.00.4
6th (7) Stephen Wright/Mikie Galvin (Fiesta R5) 6.10.8
Some further International times: Joe McGonigle 6.15.9: David Guest 6.17.3: Pauric Duffy 6.22.3: Brendan Cumiskey 6.23.0: Aaron MacHale 6.28.8
UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL L/BOARD AFTER SS1
1st (12) Declan Gallagher/Ryan Moore (Starlet rwd) 5.58.1
2nd (14) Frank Kelly/Paul Twomey (Escort) 6.10.4
3rd (28) Eugene Meegan/Sarah Whelan (BMW M1) 6.12.6
4th (15) Phil Collins/Adrian Deasy (Escort) 6.14.8
5th (29) Enda OBrien/John Butler (Escort) 6.20.1
6th (20) Jason Ryan/Daniel Hanratty (Starlet) 6.20.9
Thankfully weather conditions here in Fermoy are good, no fog and the top drivers had a good run through the opening 12.1km stage. Despite an issue with the intercom Donagh Kelly was fastest by just .1 of a second from Daragh O’Riordan. Daragh commented at stage finish ‘Nothing frantic. I switched on half way through the stage’. Melvyn Evans in 3rd place in his Subaru admitted to feeling very rusty but the Welshman still put up a very good time. Keith Cronin in 4th place has not done a rally for quite some time and his car has just been rebuilt, so he was understandably slightly cautions and also made a comment about his Citroen’s gear shift light not being fully synchronised. Roy White was a bit apprehensive on his first run in a World Rally car, but made a good fist of it. Stephen Wright felt that his Fiesta R5 was a little down on power but it certainly was not reflected in his stage time. Joe McGonigle had a panic earlier in the week getting gear box parts for his Skoda S2000, but it has all come good and he certainly set a respectable time through that first stage.
In Group N David Guest stole a march on Brendan Cumiskey who was 6s back. Aaron MacHale was a further 2s in arrears. Aaron said ‘I did not go mad’.
In the National Rally Declan Gallagher set the pace and reported. ‘All fine’ at stage finish. Frank Kelly felt that his Escort tyres took a long time to warm up in the stage. Phil Collins had a big smile on at stage finish and said. ‘First rally since the accident in West Cork, good to get to the end of the stage’
Early news in from stage 2 is that Daragh O’Riordan was a fraction faster than Donagh Kelly to move into the lead.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON & MICHAEL & ZOE PATTERSON www.rallynews.net *Follow RallyNews on Twitter & Facebook @Pacenotes or @Real_RallyNews
