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| Circuit of Munster 2008 |
| RALLY NEWS No.3 - After SS2 - Wednesday @ 11:25:12 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.3 Service/Sunday 11.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 Curragh Chase
1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 13.29
2nd (6) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 13.38
3rd (1) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Impreza WRC) 13.58
4th (7) Noel Redmond/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 14.13
5th (8) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 14.33
6th (18) Paul Purtill/David Lyons (Escort) 14.36
(28) Eoin Doyle/Peter Brennan (Impreza WRC) 14.36
8th (9) Eamonn Daly/Kevin Synott (Lancer N) 14.38
(19) Ed O'Callaghan/Ger Clancy (Escort) 14.38
10th (27) Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Lancer N) 14.42
Patrick Elliott and his co driver Paul Goodman certainly showed a clean pair of heels to the opposition over the opening 2 stages. The gap between Elliott and Barrett 19s here at service and even more significantly Niall Maguire is 29s behind his Dunlop Championship rival. Elliott still maintained that he felt he was driving conservatively and said. “There’s plenty of grip out there. We will go on to a harder compound tyre. It doesn’t feel that quick, the roads are quite wide”.
Niall Maguire commented. “I just don’t know what’s wrong. I know I’m definitely on the wrong tyres but we just can’t get the time out of the junctions”. Kevin Barrett has been 2nd fastest on the opening 2 stages and he said. “So far so good. We will go on to a harder compound tyre now”. Fourth placed Noel Redmond said. “The car feels very soft and nervous under braking. We will try to tweak it up a bit”. Sean Gallagher had a fair run through the first stage. He was slightly off the pace on the second one and reported a fierce banging noise from the back of his Subaru, as if something in the suspension had broken.,
Eamonn Daly continues to lead group N and Thomas Fitzmaurice has now come into 2nd in the category in his Lancer with Willie Fannin 3rd in his Impreza and Willie said. “We’re definitely on too soft a tyre. Pity about the overshoot on the first stage, overall everything is going well”. Fergal Costello has slipped back to 23rd and 9th in group N. He said. “Something is not working right, I don’t know if it’s me or the car”. Anthony O’Halloran is 8th in group N and he told us. “I’m driving the car the same as if the roads were wet. Still getting used to the 4 wheel drive. I could go a lot faster through the corners but I realise that when I’m through them”.
Sean Flanagan lost some momentum when his GpN Impreza broke its rear differential in stage 2. He is still going and hopes to change the diff in service. Andrew Purcell lost time in the 2nd stage when the rubber mounts on his exhaust melted and the rear box fell off, which subsequently caused a lack of back pressure and the car lost power. Paul Purtill is very much on home ground here and driving a stormer in his Mk2 Escort to hold 6th o/a and lead class 13. Paul was another to report that his tyres started to go off in the middle of stage 2. Ed O’Callaghan is 2nd in cl.13 and he said that his Escort seemed to be losing power on the long straights and he also had a soft tyre at the end of stage 2. Mike Quinn is leading cl.14 and he said he is a bit rusty.
Ed Synan pushed his Escort into service, a broken fan belt flattening the battery. Aidan Walsh’s Escort has a busted 4th gear. Gary Reidy lost time with a puncture. Mick McQuaid had brake fade in his Escort and slithered into a field at a junction. Going well now. Raymond Conlan in the black twin cam Corolla has gearbox trouble. Frank Sweeney’s Escort had a plug lead come off on the first stage but still going OK. Mark Sheahan is having a good run in his Clio and leads his class. Andrew Bushe is 2nd in that class despite some intercom problems and knocking the wing mirror off. Ian & Paul Roche are 3rd in class 6 in the Excel Motorsport Clio S1600. They also had intercom problems in stage 2 when the interior roof air vent fell off and dislodged the intercom box More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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