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| RALLY NEWS No.3 - Service After SS4 - Monday @ 15:22:59 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.3 Service/Sunday/1.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 Lisnamuck
1st (2) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 34.16.4
2nd (1) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 34.25.2
3rd (4) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 35.08.3
4th (5) PJ McGrath/Billy Collins (Impreza WRC) 35.40.9
5th (9) Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 36.09.6
6th (10) Trevor Mulligan/Lisa Roe (Escort) 36.19.8
7th (12) Terence O'Shaughnessy/Eugene McGrath (Corolla) 36.27.0
8th (11) Maurice Moffett/Jason McKenna (Starlet) 36.37.3
9th (6) David James/Jim Crowe (Focus WRC) 36.58.2
10th (8) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Lancer N) 37.00.3
Niall Maguire was fastest in stage 3 while Patrick Elliott pushed his Subaru to the top of the time sheets on stage 4, but only by half a second from the flying Maguire. When Patrick Elliott brought his Impreza WRC into service he told us. “I’ve a lot of work to do this afternoon. Niall is going very quickly. We did adjust the rear of the car at service and it has settled, it’s fine, I’m not blaming the car. You do have to have patience with it on the tight corners, it is designed to under-steer.” Niall Maguire told us that he had no problems, that is going well but he did have a lucky escape when he clunked a front left wheel against a rock just after the start of stage 3. Although there was a chunk taken out of the rim the tyre did not deflate. Kevin Barrett reckoned he made a wrong tyre choice for that loop, he thought it was going to rain and it didn’t. PJ McGrath also lost a small bit of time but his delay was down to spinning the car on a 6 right over crest where he went in too quick. Otherwise PJ went well and reported that a new set of tyres at service after stage 2 made his Subaru like a new car.
Not so happy was Aaron MacHale. He was a strong 3rd after 2 stages but then his Focus lost some of the fluid from the transmission and the car started to work against him, all over the road and locking wheels under braking as the differential hydraulic pressure fell away. David James was slowed when his Focus WRC developed a problem with the motor on the fly by wire system.
In Group N Keith Cronin still heads the pack. Keith tried moving his Lancer’s suspension struts a couple of clicks between stages 3 and 4 but if anything he went the wrong way and the car wasn’t as nice to drive through that 4th stage. Alan Ring said he is now wakening up and his times are improving. Eamonn Daly had a big moment in stage 3 when his Lancer slithered across somebody’s lawn. A few other drivers including John Morris in the Escort Cosworth went visiting the same garden. Danny Barry is on a total now of 37.03.6 which puts him just outside the leaderboard and 3rd Group N. Sean Flanagan was in “that garden” in stage 3 and his total now is 37.57.3. Anthony O’Halloran is now on a total of 37.39.6.
In the battle for the 2 wheel drives Trevor Mulligan set the Tipperary countryside alight with two superb times through stages 3 and 4 to move ahead of Terence O’Shaughnessy and Maurice Moffett. Maurice, who led the 2 wheel drive charge after stage 2, looked at the times after stage 4 and said. “These guys are mental”. Terence O’Shaughnessy reckoned the back axle is bent in his Corolla GT, but he’s driving flat out anyway. Paul Elliott’s group N Lancer had a slow puncture in stage 3, lost little time. John Morris in the black Escort Cosworth is still having clutch slip and may have to withdraw. Jason McSweeney has lost 5th gear in his Civic but pressing on regardless. Ian Roche is having rear wheel lock up troubles in his Clio Super 1600 and struggling to get on the pace of Mark Sheahan in his similar Clio as well as Andrew Bushe in his Saxo. Bushe has lost the power steering. In the C2R2 Cup contenders Barry Evans has gearbox troubles and has been forced to retire. Sam Moffett lost a lot of time after a puncture. Marty McCormack seems to be setting the pace but we are still waiting for some times. More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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