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| Circuit of Munster |
| RALLY NEWS No.6 - After S8 - Sunday @ 17:34:55 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.6 Service/Kilmallock/Sunday
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 Final Stage
1st (4) Melvyn Evans/Patrick Walsh (Impreza WRC) 1.05.36
2nd (1) Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 1.05.56
3rd (3) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 1.06./01
4TH (5) Daragh O'Riordan/Tony McDaid (Impreza WRC) 1.06.26
5TH (2) Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza) 1.06.59
6th (10) Eamonn Daly/Brian Doherty (Lancer N) 1.10.51
7th (16) James Murphy/Anthony Nestor (Escort WRC) 1.11.39
8th (12) Ed Synan/Denis O'Connell (Escort) 1.11.45
9th (11) Paul Purtill/Kaye Shanahan (Escort) 1.12.01
10th (14) Anthony O'Halloran/Charlie McEnery (Lancer N) 1.12.40
There was a huge battle between the leading Subaru world rally cars for most of this Circuit of Munster Rally with Welshman Melvyn Evans surging through towards the end to score a memorable victory. Niall Maguire in his older model Subaru battled every inch of the way, but had to settle for 2nd place with Kevin Barrett breathing down his neck in a very strong 3rd.
Melvyn Evans, who had Patrick Walsh co-driving, said at the end. “It was a great rally with very good stages and it was nice for me to be back on the pace. These boys are going really hard. The win puts us back in the frame for the Dunlop National Championship. Really any of the top drivers could have won today.” Niall Maguire, who currently leads the points in the National Championship, said. “We had a good run, some brilliant stages, I couldn’t match Melvyn on the 3rd one.” Kevin Barrett has had problems with the car on several rallies this year so he was delighted to have finished and said. “A great day and a great battle with Niall”.
Eamonn Daly and his co driver Brian Doherty survived a couple of overshoots and then the differentials of the Lancer started to rattle over the last stage, but they were still the far and away winners of GpN today. James Murphy’s Escort Cosworth developed a misfire towards the end but that did not deny James and his co driver Anthony Nestor 7th o/a and winner of class 15.
Ed Synan had a relatively trouble free run throughout the day to finish best Mk2 Escort and win cl.13 with Paul Purtill in 9th o/a and 2nd in class 13. Anthony O’Halloran made a marvellous recovery from his first stage puncture to come into 10th and 2nd GpN. Shane Maguire was 11th o/a and 3rd in GpN and wins the Dunlop Driver of the Day Award. John Danaher/Keith Curley won cl.14 in their BMW after a good run, although they did have some intercom problems.
There was heartbreak towards the end of the rally for Mark Sheahan and his co driver Anthony O’Conaill in their Citroen C2R2 Max. They had just edged ahead of Ed Synan and were in 8th place and winning Cl.6 when the engine cried enough 2 miles from the finish of the final stage. Pat Kelly put his Impreza in a ditch on the final stage and there is no sign of him as yet making the finish. David Quigley/Des Sherlock had a couple of very big moments on the last stage but kept their Civic on the road to win Cl.6. Provisional Dunlop Championship points show Niall Maguire leads on 100 points: Melvyn Evans 92: Derek McGarrity 90.
Kevin O’Connor/Donal Balfe were leading the Junior category in their Citroen C2R2 with 1 stage remaining. Darren & Nicola McKenna were 2nd in their Corolla. Gerard McCarthy was leading the Historics in his Triumph TR7.
Finally for now our thanks to CoC Kieran Ambrose and his hard working and enthusiastic Limerick MC team for providing such a good day’s rallying. We would also like to thank all the sponsors of the RallyNews service and everyone who helped and supported RallyNews, particularly Dougie Hughes: Angus & Jane Sealy and Spectator Control Mike Mulcahy & Noel Nicholson. .
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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