1^st (2) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru WRC) 5.12.4

2^nd (1) Patrick Snijers/Willie McKee (Subaru WRC) 5.15.7

3^rd (4) Maurice Gass/Declan McKeown (Subaru WRC) 5.17.8

4^th (3) Eugene Donnelly/Barry Watt (Subaru WRC) 5.18.4

5^th (9) Denis Biggerstaff/Robin McCandless (6R4) 5.18.7

6^th (16) Kevin Lynch/Martina McNicholl (Subaru WRC) 5.22.1

7^th (12) Glenn Allen/Brian McCracken (Escort WRC) 5.23.8

8^th (8) Niall McShea/Wm. Mavitty (Lancer N) 5.25.2

Kenny McKinstry really switched on the style on this 3^rd stage of this Triton Showers Lurgan Park Rally with a fastest time of 2.09.7 as against Patrick Snijers 2.11.2. Maurice Gass was leading after stage 2, but the Armagh man was 5s off the pace through stage 3, his Impreza WRC losing power through the gears as Maurice wrestled with the manual change, the automatic stick once again snapped off. Belgian driver Snijers reported hitting a bale on the stage. While Kenny McKinstry told of running a bit wide on the tightening right hander through the laurels in the gravel section, and also clipping a bale, possibly the one that Snijers hit, but otherwise OK.

Eugene Donnelly reckoned he lost time with a "big slide". Kevin Barrett of Triton Showers had a miserable run, smashing the front of his new Impreza WRC. At least Kevin made it back to the finish, having lost about 20s. Gary White’s Escort Cosworth was marooned over in the gravel section, for about a minute, after an accident.

As the rally has moved more into the gravel it has certainly changed the emphasis for several of the drivers. Isle of Wight visitor Will Nicholls had a good run that time, as did Glenn Allen.

In Group N Raymond Johnson lost time when he hit a bale, Richard Hogg really speeded up but Niall McShea leads the category overall with Dickie Curran still 2^nd, Hogg up to 3^rd. Interestingly, Curran also had a good run through the gravel although he is normally classed as a tarmac driver.

More news later

BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net