UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 12
1st (1) Tim McNulty/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 1.46.27.8
2nd (2) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 1.50.08.6
3rd (4) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Lancer N) 1.50.50.2
4th (11) Tommy Doyle/Liam Moynihan (Clio) 1.54.13.5
5th (9) Sam Moffett/James O'Reilly (Lancer N) 1.54.37.3
6th (10) Ross Forde/Robbie Ward (Lancer N) 1.58.28.0
NATIONAL
1st (8) Tom Flaherty/Patrick Curley (Escort) 1.54.48.0
2nd (21) Geoffrey Dolan/Conor Murphy (Sunbeam) 1.58.49.6
3rd (18) Eamonn Dervan/Keith Gardiner (Escort)# 2.00.56.5
4th (20) Neil Pierce/Enda O'Leary (Civic) 2.02.01.1
5th (34) Alan Fair/Jarlath Conneely (Civic) 2.05.40.5
6th (25) Jonathan Folan/Ger Myers (Impreza) 2.05.46.6
With just 3 stages to go Tim McNulty’s 3m40s lead over Kevin Barrett would indicate that Tim is on course for victory. Of course in rallying anything can happen and Tim said here at service. “It is very difficult to keep the concentration but we have been taking it nice and steady, no dramas. The last 2 stages were a bit drier.” Kevin Barrett told us. “I’m happy enough, everything is going well. The winter tyres worked very well though the opening stage today but as the flooding subsided we didn’t have the same advantage”. Alan Ring said he had a very big moment on a flood in stage 12, otherwise he is concentrating on keeping a good pace and also a bit of pressure on Kevin Barrett.
Tommy Doyle is looking fairly secure in 4th now and his Clio windscreen isn’t quite as misted up now that the rain has stopped. Tommy has the services of Edwin Abring from Holland this weekend keeping an eye on the Clio’s suspension. Edwin has also supplied the ECU for the car. Sam Moffett in 5th place reported. “A ball of smoke from under the bonnet”. This was after stage 12 and he reckons the differential pump may have sprung a leak. Ross Forde rounds off the top 6 and said “The car is just perfect now”.
In the National Rally Tom Flaherty has preserved his lead over this morning’s stages and says now it is a matter of coasting through to the finish. 2nd placed Geoffrey Dolan had the gear stick break in his Sunbeam and had to jury rig a screwdriver to get the gears.
In the History Rally Ed Murphy holds a strong lead from Seamus Burke with James Power 3rd. All 3 are in Escorts. Vincente Frontinan retired his Historic Mini when he came around a corner to find that a bale had been pulled out. He swerved around it but clipped a tree. It was disappointing for Vincente who travelled from the USA to do the rally. Kieran Walsh in his Civic led the Juniors after 2 stages this morning. John Kelly (Peugeot) was 2nd.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
*For SMS results text RALLY ITC to 53030 (Irl) or RALLY ITC to 60066 (UK): Text STOP to switch off. Cost 30c/25p. Provided by stagetimes.com
