RALLY NEWS NO.6                 Castletownhere - Sunday 2.15

UNOFFICIAL HISTORIC LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7
1ST (2) Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) 1.17.11
2nd (6) Steve Smith/Phil Spurge (Porsche 911) 1.18.27
3rd (3) Frank Cunningham/Ross Forde (Cooper S) 1.18.46
4th (9) Mervyn Johnston/Richard Hyland (Mini Cooper) 1.19.57
5th (38) Mark I'Anson/Graham Walker (Porsche 911) 1.22.31
6th (44) Les Allfrey/Kevin Devine (Mini) 1.22.56

UNOFFICIAL POST HISTORIC LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7
1st (87) Jim McRae/Paul Gullick (Porsche 911) 1.15.11
2nd (22) Chris Browne/Ali Cornwell (Escort) 1.17.35
3rd (12) Todd Falvey/Dan Barry (Porsche 911) 1.18.32
4th (24) Kevin Flanagan/Adrian Parry (Mini) 1.18.56
5th (5) Joe Connolly/Gareth Connolly (Escort) 1.19.43
6th (32) Craig MacWilliam/John O'Reilly (Escort) 1.19.52

Dessie Nutt had a bit of a shaky stage time on the Tim Healy test, but otherwise the Castlerock man is going really well, and he says the car is good.  Frank Cunningham blotted his copybook on the Cods Head stage, when his beautiful Mini got sucked into a muddy ditch and collided with a pole.  Frank lost quite a few seconds which allowed Steve Smith in the Porsche to get ahead.  Steve had been pushing Frank quite hard anyway.  Mervyn Johnston holds on to 4th place, his Mini continues to go well. Mark I'Anson is getting better by the stage and is now 5th overall. 

In the Post Historics Jim McRae is going from strength to strength and said here at service. "The Tuthill mechanics raised the ride height of the car and we're feeling a lot more confident in it. The Tim Healy wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and we even got the car around the tight hairpin in one go. I made a mess of a hairpin earlier when I grabbed the heater knob instead of the hand brake, no such problems this time".  Chris Browne & Ali Cornwell put their Escort off the road briefly on Tim Healy, the car now also suffering a misfire, but generally speaking they are having a ball.  Todd Falvey is going very smoothly in his Porsche to hold 3rd Post Historic. Kevin Flanagan is really surprised to be up into 4th in his Mini. Joe Connolly reckons he should have cleaned his teeth with the Colgate this morning, to give himself that "certain ring of confidence"…because he is certainly not very confident behind the wheel today. 

Martin Ward is now 7th in the Post Historics. Martin clipped the back of his Manta on the tight hairpin on Tim Healy.  Barry Duggan is 9th in the Post Historics behind Simon Evans, Barry saying "I lost half a stone pushing the car at the end of Molls, everything is now sorted and I've been having a ball since". 

CLASSICS LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 ARDGROOM
1st (91) Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry (Escort) 1.01.39
2nd (90) Pat Donegan/Damian Garvey (Escort) 1.03.45
3rd (95) Dave Slattery/Ger Somers (Escort) 1.03.54
4th (88) James Coleman/Owen O'Neill (Escort) 1.04.23
5th (162) Liam Wall/Denis O'Mahony (Escort) 1.04.57

6th (98) Wesley Patterson/Bob Kelly (Escort) 1.04.59
Despite a spin on the Tim Healy Dessie Keenan continues to set the pace on the Classics. Through the Ardgroom stage Liam Wall was 2nd fast3est, 2s up on Pat Donegan, but Liam is a long way behind 4th placed James Coleman.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net