1^st (2) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru WRC) 7.22.6

2^nd (1) Patrick Snijers/Willie McKee (Subaru WRC) 7.25.8

3^rd (9) Denis Biggerstaff/Robin McCandless (6R4) 7.28.8

4^th (4) Maurice Gass/Declan McKeown (Subaru WRC) 7.29.2

5^th (3) Eugene Donnelly/Barry Watt (Subaru WRC) 7.29.4

6^th (16) Kevin Lynch/Martina McNicholl (Subaru WRC) 7.33.9

7^th (12) Glenn Allen/Brian McCracken (Escort WRC) 7.37.3

8^th (5) Ollie O'Donovan/Conor Bruton (Subaru WRC) 7.41.5

9^th (11) Will Nicholls/Nick Broom (Subaru WRC) 7.44.5

10^th (10) Trevor Moore/Roy Wilson (Esc.Cos) 7.47.6

Denis Biggerstaff was equal fastest through stage 4 with Patrick Snijers – Kenny McKinstry just a tenth of a second slower. Biggerstaff looked bemused at stage finish and reckoned his previous time had been every bit as good as that one, but yet the results sheets showed him 3s slower. Denis reckoned that the car was going well, he wasn’t making too many mistakes and he was reasonably happy. McKinstry commented "I lost a bit of time, I was too late on the brakes over the bridge and the car got on to the grass, didn’t spin or anything, but there was no traction, and of course the time ticks away". Snijers just said "We had a good run".

Maurice Gass is battling very hard to keep up with the leaders now, Maurice still having problems with his Subaru gear change and reckons he won’t get it fixed to day, he’ll just have to live with it. Trevor Moore was another to get on to the grass on that run and watched the second tick away, but still, Trevor is going well, just inside the top 10.

In Group N Niall McShea turned in a stunning time on that 4^th stage, almost up with the leaders, to leave the other gpN men fairly open mouthed. Richard Hogg was just under 2s slower than Niall through that stage, and Richard thought he had gone well. McShea is now 11^th, just ahead of Kevin Barrett, whom we have unofficially in 12^th.

Garry Jennings has got his gear linkage tightened up and set a time of 2.20.8 on that stage 4, but Keith White has pulled out all the stops to continue to lead the 2 wd category, his stage time 2.18.6.

Will Nicholls has speeded up considerably despite a half spin on stage 4. Nigel Worswick is also having a good run, Nigel now on a total of 7.54.2, just outside the leaderboard.

More news after stage 5

BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net