UNOFFICIAL NAT. L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 12 GARTON
1st (21) Frank Kelly/Michael Coady (Escort) 1.26.04.1
2nd (19) David Bogie/Enda Sherry (Escort) 1.26.10.5
3rd (24) Damien Tourish/Domhnall McAlaney (Escort) 1.26.19.9
4th (22) Damien Gallagher/Mac Walsh (Escort) 1.26.21.6
5th (31) Stephen McCann/Damien Fleming (Subaru WRC) 1.26.38.6
6th (18) Declan Gallagher/James McNulty (Starlet RWD) 1.26.56.7
7th Richard Moffett 8th Frank Wray 9th Conor Curley 10th Jonathan Pringle
Declan Boyle had a 2m53s lead over 2nd placed Seamus Leonard when the cars came into service. When asked about his pace after Donagh Kelly’s retirement Declan said. ‘I have backed off enough to keep it sensible and stay concentrated. The car is going great’. Life was not so simple for 2nd placed Seamus Leonard. His McKinstry Subaru was immediately up on the axle stands and the mechanics got stuck in to changing the gearbox, which is a massive job. Fortunately this service was scheduled for 1 hour instead of the usual 30m. The team did a great job and McKinstry was in the driver’s seat within half an hour flicking the revs up and down through the gears. Seamus explained. ‘We had only 4 gears left starting stage 12. I phoned Kenny to have a new box ready and it is in. In overall terms it is no good nowadays to do one or two rallies a year. You have to be at it and sharp’.
Third placed Keith Cronin, now leading the R5 category, said. ‘I am happy with my pace it feels OK, not ragged. It is hard to know what to do as regards the Tarmac Championship points, more of the same I suppose’. Keith went on to explain that all his incidents this weekend have been caused by over exuberance on his part on cold tyres. These R5 cars have such a light footprint that they take ages to heat the tyres up, and equally they cool down fast as well. Sam Moffett is very disappointed to have lost time behind other driver’s incidents and he feels he should actually be leading the R5 category. His brother Josh had some problems through stage 12 when the engine seemed to lose a bit of power and then it cut out completely before stage finish. Josh had to switch it off and fire it up again. Hopefully the Tom Gahan team can sort it out here.
When we spoke to Alastair Fisher about his incident he said. ‘I just braked too late, hit the bales and then reversed the car into a ditch. Then I broke a driveshaft trying to get out of the ditch and lost more time in stage 12 with 2 wheel drive. That’s rallying and I am still going for the points’
Frank Kelly has amazed many people today with his performance and when we quizzed him at service after stage 12 as to how he has found the extra speed he said. ‘I left my brain in service for a starter. ‘Your notes are brilliant. I have been going flat out since Friday morning but now I am just taking the Millington engine to the red line. I have the car very tall geared and I am holding her in 5th on some straights and then where it is a really long straight, like the Gartan stage, where there were long straights over crests we were flat in 6th. It was great.’ At that his co driver Michael Coady interrupted and he said. ‘He is just stone mad!’
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON & MICHAEL & ZOE PATTERSON www.rallynews.net *Follow Rally News on Twitter and Facebook @Pacenotes or @Real_RallyNews
