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| Sligo Stages Rally 2009 |
| RALLY NEWS No.5 - After SS6 - Sunday @ 15:40:42 |
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Rally News No.5 Sligo Service Sunday 3.30pm
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Six
1st (1) Patrick Elliot/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 56.39
2nd (2) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 57.06
3rd (3) Kevin Barrrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 57.13
4th (4) Melvyn Evans/Patrick Walsh (Impreza WRC) 57.52
5th (6) Garry Jennings/David Moynihan (Evo) 59.13
6th (7) Kevin Kelleher/Alistair Wylie (Lancer N) 59.48
7th (15) John Cairns/James Cairns (Impreza) 1.00.29
8th (10) Eamonn Daly/Paddy Robinson (Lancer N) 1.01.02
9th (23) Pat Kirk/Peter Ward (Lancer N) 1.01.55
10th (16) Russell Woods/Martin Byrne (Escort) 1.01.57
11th (12) Paul Kiely/Pat McSharry (Lancer N) 1.02.02
12th (18) Brian Brogan/Damien McGettin (Escort) 1.02.56
Patrick Elliott extended his lead again with fastest time on stage six but for the first time today was topped on stage five when Niall Maguire went fastest from Kevin Barrett. Patrick Elliott explained that he chose the hard compound tyre for the loop and while it worked on the first and last stage it didn’t really perform on the middle stage in the loop and Patrick wasn’t surprised to loose a few seconds to Maguire. Niall by his own admission went for a softer option but admits that he probably hasn’t done enough to put himself into a secure second and that Kevin Barrett is just too close behind. While the top cars are still in the service park here in Sligo the rain is once again pouring down making the tyre choice a continuing lottery.
Melvyn Evans is running a strong fourth consistently matching both Maguire and Barrett in stage times and the Welshman told us here at service “I am not pushing I stayed on the soft tyre and took no risks, I am really thinking about the MSA Tarmacadam championship and all I have to do is finish and the title is mine”.
Garry Jennings took another few seconds out off Kevin Kelleher on stages five and six, Garry said “switching from the soft tyre to the hard after stage four worked really well”. Kevin Kelleher says he can go no faster in the big fella Lancer, he and co-driver Alistair Wylie reckon they have nothing left and will now just go for a finish. Eamonn Daly is still third in GpN and had to change a front rim after his off in stage four, the problem being there was only 15 psi of air in the tyre making his Lancers handling pretty awful.
John Cairns is having a ball in his older GpA Impreza but had a big spin in stage five “second to last junction over a bridge she just got away”, John and James reckon they lost about 15 seconds in all.
Dominic McLoughlin has lost the 2wd lead when his 205 broke a rear axle stay on the fifth stage and he has dropped almost five minutes in total, but Dominic reckons he is still lucky to be in the rally and will get the car fixed in service. Ronan Curley reckoned his tyres had gone off for the last two stages while Victor Hunter is still going well despite having major gear box problems and will change the unit here in service. More News Later Michael & Zoe Patterson
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