UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 Caragh Lake 2
(6) Daragh O'Riordan/Tony McDaid (Impreza WRC) 1.03.34.3
2nd (1) Denis Cronin/Coleman Hurley (Impreza WRC) 1.05.26.9
3rd (23) Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley (Lancer N) 1.07.28.1
4th (12) Jer O'Donovan/Sean Hayde (Impreza N) 1.10.35.2
5th (28) Mark Sheahan/Mark Kane (Citroen C2R2) 1.10.41.1
6th (20) Eoin Doyle/Peter Brennan (Impreza WRC) 1.11.09.6
7th Joe Shrimpton/Ciaran Geaney 8th Scott McElhinney/Karl Reid 9th Colm McFall/Christopher Crowe 10th Samantha Thom/Johnny Baird
UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL L/BOARD AFTER STAGE 8
1st (10) Fergus O'Meara/Liam Brennan (Escort) 1.07.50.2
2nd (15) Kevin O'Donoghue/Joe O'Leary (Escort) 1.08.00.0
3rd (26) Geoffrey Dolan/Conor Murphy (Sunbeam) 1.11.06.3
4th (16) Charlie Hickey/Johnny Hickey (Escort) 1.11.13.7
5th (27) David Guest/Liam Moynihan (Civic) 1.11.30.8
6th (35) Jason McSweeney/Denis O’Mahony (Civic) 1.12.03.9
7th John Riordan/Donal Falvey 8th Graham Colfer/Alan Dolan 9th Kevin O’Sullivan/Timothy Murphy 10th Walter Dick/Keith Moriarty
Daragh O’Riordan and his co driver Tony McDaid in their Subaru Impreza WRC were fastest through all of today’s stages except for the opening Molls Gap test. His lead over last year’s winner Denis Cronin is now getting close to 2m so it is hardly any wonder that Daragh had a broad grin on his face when he brought his Subaru into the final service at the end of Day 1. When asked how he felt Daragh, a man of few words anyway, just said one. “Delighted”.
Thomas Fitzmaurice, now 3rd overall and leading Group N, has completed the last few stages with no top gear in his Lancer. Alan Ring who retired from the rally after stage 7 has kindly agreed that Thomas can borrow his gearbox to keep him in the rally. Engineer Colm Grant sent one of his guys over here to our Vito to borrow an elastic band. Apparently this is an essential piece of kit to hold one of the pipes out of the way when changing a Lancer gearbox! Jer O’Donovan has got the finger out over the last few stages to move up to 4th o/a and 2nd GpN, albeit just 5s ahead of the flying Mark Sheahan in his Citroen C2R2. Second in the Citroens is Joe Shrimpton with Scott McElhinney 3rd. Kieran Daly had been 2nd but his C2R2’s engine dropped a valve on one of this afternoon’s stages. Interestingly, because of all this warm dry weather, the Citroen runners have used up most of Bill Adair’s stock of Pirelli slick tyres. The Citroens must use Pirellis. The Italian tyre giant is reported to be shipping an extra supply overnight from the UK to Killarney. Sod’s law being what it is, it may rain in the morning.
On today’s Pirelli International Rally, David Bogie still led the 4wd section after stage 9, Pundershaw, with Robert Barrable 2nd and Elfyn Evans 3rd. In the 2wd category Craig Breen was 2nd after stage 10, Chirdonhead, 12s ahead of Marty McCormack. Mark Donnelly had pulled up to a remarkable 4th o/a in the 2wd, just 16s behind McCormack and that is despite Mark getting a 1m40s road penalty for being late out of parc ferme this morning.
Back here in Killarney – great emphasis is being placed this weekend on road safety and the “Keep the Race in its Place” campaign. There is a very interesting road safety shuttle bus display in the Glebe car park in Killarney. There is also a car on an electric hoop to let demonstrate the realities of being in a rolled car.
Plum Tyndall’s RPM television crew has some interesting footage from today’s rally on www.facebook.com/rpmmotorsport which will be on view tonight.
More news in morning: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net *For SMS results text RALLY ITC to 53030 (Irl) or RALLY ITC to 60066 (UK). Cost 30c/25p. Text STOP to switch off. Provided by stagetimes.com
