Sport

Leckey and Millar take Rally of the Lakes

Ulster crew James Leckey and George Millar in a Subaru Impreza are the winners of the weekend's Gleneagle/Ordnance Survey Rally…

By BRIAN FOLEY
Mon May 04 1998 - 01:00

Ulster crew James Leckey and George Millar in a Subaru Impreza are the winners of the weekend's Gleneagle/Ordnance Survey Rally of the Lakes.

After the first stage exit of Bertie Fisher, Austin McHale looked certain to take his third Toshiba Tarmac Rally Championship victory of the season. But a penalty for late arrival at the penultimate stage cost McHale the rally and handed victory to Leckey.

The much expected battle between Austin McHale and Bertie Fisher was short lived, terminated by Fisher on the first stage at Molls Gap on Saturday morning when the Ulsterman rolled his Subaru Impreza into early retirement. With Fisher firmly out of the equation the pressure was off McHale, although the Rathcoole driver had to play it cool whilst not loosing any time on the testing stages in the Kerry-Cork Mountains.

At the end of Day One, McHale was only 15 seconds in front of Leckey. Eamonn Boland in his Ford Escort WRC was six seconds down on Leckey, with a gap of one minute 33 seconds back to fourth placed Hugh Martin Doherty in another Impreza.

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Positions at the end of day one (after 9 stages): 1- McHale, 1 hour 20 minutes 52 seconds; 2- Leckey, 1:21:07; 3 - Boland, 1:11:13; 4 - Doherty, 1:22:46; 5 - Nesbitt, 1:23:14; 6 - Murphy, 1:24:29; 7 - O'Callaghan, 1:25:23; 8 - Cronin, 1:27:19; 9 - Morrisson, 1:27:34; 10 - Kirk, 1:27:39.

Stephen Murphy did not start Day Two as his Escort WRC lost drive to two wheels and the Carlowman pulled out. The glorious weather brought out record crowds - McHale remarking "there must have been 20,000 people on the Caragh Lake Stage alone." McHale was "keeping it neat and tidy", but a suspension problem slowed him considerably on Stage 14 at Shanera. With three stages to run, McHale had no alternative but to have a front strut replaced in the next service.

The change was completed in time, but McHale was 12 minutes late checking in to the next stage. A three-minute penalty relegated McHale to second behind Leckey.

Eamonn Boland rolled his Escort on SS13 and retired - he should on form have beaten Lecky.