How will Gronholm

[sal]

Pics of Gronholm and car in service prior to the shakedown.

http://www.irish-rallying.com/articl...=070202/130534

[sal]

From rallynews.net

RALLY NEWS NO.5 Portumna Service/Saturday 2.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 Pallas


1st (1) Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen (Focus WRC) 42.28.1
2nd (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 42.33.7
3rd (4) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 43.46.6
4th (14) Stephen Murphy/MJ Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 43.51.8
5th (3) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 43.52.5
6th (8) Kevin Lynch/Gordon Noble (Focus WRC) 44.01.5
7th (2) Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 44.07.4
8th (12) Ray Breen/Damien Morrissey (Focus WRC) 44.12.1
9th (16) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 44.28.7
10th (11) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 44.52.8

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I rated Donnelly highly before this event, I'm still a little shocked to see a middle aged business man taking time from a Double world champ. SWRT should give this man the best they have for Rally Ireland, ok new event for Marcus but he is a pro, and its a new car for Eugene, 7 incredible stages so far, really enjoying following this one :-)

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After SS7, thanks to rally.connect.ie!!

1 5 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiley Subaru Impreza 8 O/A 9:44.0 0:00 1:00:24.0
2 1 Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Ford Focus WRC 06 8 O/A 10:03.7 0:00 1:00:36.1 0:12.1 0:12.1
3 2 Gareth Machale/Paul Nangle Ford Focus WRC 8 O/A 9:39.3 0:00 1:02:00.2 1:36.2 1:24.1
4 4 Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan Ford Focus WRC 8 O/A 9:54.3 0:00 1:02:05.8 1:41.8 0:05.6
5 3 Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy Subaru Impreza 8 O/A 10:05.4 0:00 1:02:18.7 1:54.7 0:12.9
6 8 Kevin Lynch/Gordon Noble Ford Focus WRC 8 1 9:56.6 0:00 1:02:19.5 1:55.5 0:00.8

[cannyboy]

Hey, how can you doubt about Markus victory??? He is a world's number 1 (OK, number 2 !!) driver, all guys you are talking about are yust a local heroes!! Markus can beat them almost with N4 car.

Haha - donnelly is up!

Solberg better be careful, or he'll be out of the job :')

A truly impressive performance...

Humble pie anyone, with cream on top?

[MJW]

Marcus was ahead until he had a puncture, he also spun on one stage and overshot a junction on another stage.

[cannyboy]

Marcus was ahead until he had a puncture, he also spun on one stage and overshot a junction on another stage.

Your right - he must not be trying so with all these spins :')

“A little bit of everything today, I touched the stone and got the puncture.” When queried on just how hard he was trying Marcus said. “I have made some mistakes but still trying to do fast times. He is doing well this Donnelly!”

In all fairness lads, Donnelly is beating Grondholm, fair and square.

A middle aged business man, beating a world champ!

No matter how you look at it, it's bloody impressive!

Whether he can hold him off tommorow is another story, but either way, amazing driving in his first rally in a car he has 4 weeks!

And the S12 was a long way behind the ford in wrc.. or so Peter and Chris keep saying

[Simmi]

There's always the argument of how well would Genie do in Finland against Gronholm... It's impressive all the same.

[jonas_mcrae]

so whats on today or is it finish? anyone one has pics or links? its difficult to find anything about this Irish rallies.

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so whats on today or is it finish? anyone one has pics or links? its difficult to find anything about this Irish rallies.

really difficult? I posted 2 links already in this thread.......