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| Circuit of Munster |
| RALLY NEWS No.6 - Finish - Sunday @ 17:14:15 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.6 Woodlands House Hotel Adare/Finish/Sunday
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9 – FINAL STAGE
1st (1) Denis Cronin/Coleman Hurley (Impreza WRC) 1.32.43
2nd (3) Barry Meade/Eamonn Hayes (Escort) 1.34.52
3rd (4) Ed O'Callaghan/Ger Clancy (Escort) 1.36.34
4th (5) Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery (Escort) 1.37.15
5TH (6) Shane Maguire/Enda Sherry (Impreza N) 1.38.32
6TH (143) Padraig Cummins/Graham Kelly (Escort G3) 1.39.25
7TH (32) David & Owen Percy (Escort F2) 1.41.07
8TH (14) Frank Sweeney/Jane Cogan (Escort) 1.41.40
9TH (9) Brian O'Keefe/Donnacha O'Callaghan (Impreza N) 1.42.24
10TH (7) Ed Synan/Denis O'Connell (Escort) 1.42.31
West Cork man Denis Cronin and his co driver Coleman Hurley recovered brilliantly from a first stage puncture on their Subaru to set a scorching pace on this Circuit of Munster Rally and score a very emphatic win. Eamonn Hanley/Frank Curtin did lead the rally for the first couple of stages but as Cronin upped the pace Eamonn got a bit flustered and spun his hired Derek McGarrity Impreza WRC on stage 5. He then crashed out of the rally on stage 6. Barry Meade/Eamonn Hayes had a drive of superb quality to take 2nd o/a in their Mk2 Escort. Ed O’Callaghan/Ger Clancy overcame a fluffing engine in their Escort to take 3rd podium place. O’Callaghan’s Escort is a 2 litre as against Meade’s 2.4 so Ed has to twice as hard to set the times.
Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery quickly settled down to an Escort that was new to them and totally different from their own car. They increased the pace through the day to finish 4th. This should move Mike & Grainne into first in the points of the Top Part West Coast C/ship. Current Champion Shane Maguire overcame several small mechanical problems to take 5th o/a and best GpN in his Impreza. Enda Sherry was co-driving for Shane. Padraig Commins did well to bring his Escort G3 into 6th while David Percy speeded up through the day to finish 7th and Frank Sweeney drove around the problem of a seized front suspension strut to take 8th. Richard Burke had been 8th but crashed his Subaru in S8.
Peter Barrable finished best of the Citroens just ahead of Scott McElhinney, just 3s separated the two cars at the finish. Denis Cronin said when he brought his Subaru into the Woodlands House Hotel finish. “The stages were brilliant, a mix of everything. I got my confidence up today and enjoyed it so much it was effortless carrying the speed. I was always cursed when I had No.1 on the car but not today"” Barry Meade who was being co driven for the first time by Eamonn Hayes and viewed today as a warm up for Donegal Rally, said. “Everything went fine. I didn’t go mad”. Co-driver Eamonn remarked. “You made no mistakes”.
Finally for now we would like to thank everyone who supported and assisted with the RallyNews service. Well done to Clerk of the Course Kieran Ambrose and his enthusiastic and hard working Limerick MC team for organising such a good event.
BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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