SS2: Henry Grabs Sperrins Lead from Devine!

By NI Rally Championship
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Updated: 16 October 2021

SS2: Desi Henry and Niall Burns have moved into the lead of the Go Power Tour of the Sperrins Rally after the second stage. A stunning time through the test moved them to the top of the order by 2.3s ahead of early leaders Callum Devine and Brian Hoy.

“That was a brilliant stage,” Henry said. “You need a lot of commitment over the bumps and crests. It’s probably the first time we’ve driven this car on grippy tarmac and it was amazing how quick it was.”

Meanwhile, Devine was not as happy at the end of the stage. “It wasn’t so good,” Devine said. “We struggled with a bit of rhythm in there.”

Phillip Allen and Eugene Donnelly were second quickest through the test leaving just 4.5 seconds separating the top three crews of Henry, Devine and Allen.

In the battle for the McGrady Insurance N.I. Championship title, Jonny Greer and Kirsty Riddick hold fourth overall which would be more than enough for them to secure the crown. Stephen Wright and Liam Moynihan are their main title rivals and they hold sixth, with Peadar Hurson and Damien Connolly fifth.

“The stage was a lot cleaner compared to the first stage,” Greer said. “There were a lot of jumps in the narrow sections. A wee bit tricky but happy enough.”

Wright echoed Callum Devine’s thoughts on the test and he lost around 12 seconds to Greer. “It felt like we left a lot behind,” Wright said. “I wasn’t pushing.”

Derek McGarrity lost time with a broken driveshaft and Peadar Hurson lost a few seconds with an overshoot. Garry Jennings is recovering from his stage one puncture but he reckoned his differential was damaged in the process. “It’s slipping a bit now,” Jennings said.

Aaron McLaughlin was still full of smiles at the finish in his Fiesta WRC. “Driving this car is like trying to hold on to a rodeo bull,” McLaughlin said. “We’re terrified!”

Crews are now on their way to stage three. For the latest results, visit rallyscore.net and for live stage end interviews, visit @onthepacenote.

After SS2

1 Desi Henry/Niall Burns (i20 R5)
2 Callum Devine/Brian Hoy (Fiesta) +2.3s
3 Philip Allen/Eugene Donnelly (Fiesta R5) +4.5s
4 Jonny Greer/Kirsty Riddick (C3 R5) +8.8s
5 Peadar Hurson/Damien Connolly (Fiesta WRC) +19.8s
6 Stephen Wright/Liam Moynihan (Fiesta) +22.4s

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