RALLY NEWS NO.6 Glenariff Service/Saturday 3.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 Ballypatrick
1st (2) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 34.29
2nd (75) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 34.35
3rd (7) John & Mandy McKeown (Escort WRC) 35.57
4th (9) John McGlaughlin/David McIlroy (Lancer N) 36.13
5th (12) Richard Cathcart/Aidan Friel (Impreza N) 36.27
6th (5) James Murphy/John Brennan (Escort WRC) 36.42

This is turning out to be one drama filled rally with the latest news coming in from Michael Patterson at the end of Ballypatrick that joint leader after stage 7, Raymond Johnston, has crashed his Impreza WRC into the ditch. Last year the stage went straight on after a short tarmac section and this year it goes left. Raymond has slithered wide on that turn left junction and his Subaru is stuck in the ditch. Apparently there doesn’t seem to be any real damage, but that is that for the Fermanagh man. Kenny McKinstry has just come in from the stage and he told us that there was a lot of muck pulled out on to that short tarmac section and it was really slippy. This leaves Glenn Allen with a 6s lead over Sean Devine. There is still plenty to play for but Glenn is looking pretty good. Sean stalled his Subaru at an acute right turn in Ballypatrick and admitted at the stage finish that you just can’t afford mistakes like that.

John and Mandy McKeown are a brilliant 3rd in their Escort WRC, John saying that his gearbox Is still rattling like hell, and he has retired before because of that noise but this time he’s just going to drive it until it finishes or blows! John McGlaughlin in 4th continues to lead group N but Richard Cathcart is taking some time back on each stage. Richard seemed to be treated harshly by the nominal time for stage 5 when Ballantine crashed. Gareth Logan was also in the running for gpN honours but he has retired his Lancer with transmission trouble. Errol Clarke was going very well all day and he was into 10th o/a and well up in gpN at service, but his Lancer has problems with the differential and the brakes starting Ballypatrick, and he wasn’t sure if he could get the car through. George Robinson lost a little time in stage 7 with a puncture on his Lancer, otherwise OK, George’s total 38.36.

Looking back to stage 6 – Enda McNulty and Colin Britton in their respective group N Lancers were just on the edge of the top 10. Andy Magee continued to lead the 2 wheel drive category with Martin McCormack 2nd and Mark Barnett 3rd. Joe McQuillan led class 5 from young Alistair Fisher, but Alistair in his Peugeot has closed to within a couple of seconds of McQuillan's Honda. Emma McKinstry is still going well and is 27th o/a.

A little more news from Ballypatrick – Errol Clarke has got his brakes changed and has got going, no time for him as yet. The cars are running out of order now, Colin Britton has got through Ballypatrick and his total is 37.49. Mark Barnett took a chunk of time out of Andy Magee through 7 and 8 so perhaps Andy has some small problem or could be that Mark has just speeded up.

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with thanks to Michael Patterson and Martin McGrath)