SS6: Desi Henry overshoots, McGeehan retires with engine problems
- Updated: 19 October 2019
AFTER SS6: There’s been more drama as rally leader Desi Henry had an overshoot on stage five while Derek McGeehan has retired at the side of the road after the end of stage six with engine problems.
At the top, Henry continues to lead the rally despite his overshoot. He reckons he lost around six or seven seconds with the incident but has arrived back at service with a lead of nine seconds over Derek McGarrity and Paddy Robinson.
“I had to go past the junction and handbrake the car around,” Henry explained.
Meanwhile, it appears Derek McGarrity’s concerns about a noise from the rear of his Skoda are nothing to worry about.
“The preload in the differential is set too soft and it’s lifting a wheel at the back,” he explained. “The diff has to be changed on a bench so there’s nothing we can do about it. It doesn’t suit me but that’s the way it is.”
Third placed Stephen Wright reckoned he was a bit untidy and is still two seconds behind McGarrity. William Creighton is now setting top three times and when asked if he was able to use the handbrake any better on this loop, he just nodded with a big smile!
Martin Cairns had a clean run, as did Sean Devine whose car now appears to be behaving itself after it switched itself off earlier.
The two-wheel-drive battle between James Kennedy and John Devlin is nip and tuck with Kennedy fastest by one second on one stage, only to be better by Devlin by the same amount on another!
Barry Morris lost time with another overshoot in his Darrian and Paul Britton struggled with a misfire in his Subaru midway through stage six.
“We’re running low on fuel…maybe a bit too low,'” he said.
Championship sponsor, Fintan McGrady, thinks he could have thrown away a potential class victory after landing his Escort among some shrubbery.
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