RallyNews No.4 End of Stage Four / Sunday 3.15pm

Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Four

1st (1) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 33.57
2nd (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 33.58
3rd (3) Michael Barrable/Dermot O’Gorman (Focus WRC) 34.20
4th (4) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 34.34
5th (9) Sean Devine/Martin Brady (Impreza WRC) 34.40
6th (6) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Impreza WRC) 34.48
7th (12) Sean Gallagher/Claire Gallagher (Impreza S8) 35.38
= (15) Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty (Lancer N) 35.38
9th (10) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 35.39
10th (14) Michael Curran/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 35.57

The leading cars of Aaron MacHale and Patrick Elliott both made it through Stage 4 before a massive hail storm struck but it was Michael Barrable who was fastest with a time of 7.19. Both rally leader and second placed man Patrick Elliott recorded equal times of 7.20 leaving them still fighting for the lead by just one second. Glenn Allen reported a trouble free run in his Corolla setting a time of 7.23 followed by Niall Maguire and Sean Devine both on 7.25. All of the leading drivers were on a cut slick but this could prove to be risky as the roads into stage five were reportedly streaming wet. Kevin Barrett continue to go well in the Triton Impreza and co driver Barry Goodman is confident that they will get their stage three time adjusted and this will almost certainly move them up the leaderboard a little.

Seamus Leonard was once again fastest GpN car but like most of those running from about tenth on the road they were all quite heavily affected by the hail, Seamus was happy enough but was a bit concerned about the slick tyres in the slippy conditions. Willie Fannin dropped out of the GpN race in stage two when his Ashfield Builders backed Impreza got a puncture, loosing at least a minute and a half but Willie is still pushing and was third fastest GpN car in SS4. Michael Curran is as cool as ever and was second fastest on a 7.46 compared to Leonard’s 7.39. Kevin Kelleher was fourth quickest on a 7.51 with Alan Ring 7.52.

Earlier we reported that Wesley Patterson’s Escort has gone onto three cylinders and without confirmation Wesley has just driven back into the service area and we assume into retirement. Some class leaders include Rodney Wilton who we do not have times for after SS4 and was in the top ten and leads class 13, Gary “Cooper” McPhillips lead class 14 and is just outside the top ten while James Cassidy leads class 12 and is well into the top 20. Also going well is Joe McHugh who leads class 15 in his Escort Cosworth while Mark Sheehan leads class 6 in his Clio. Eugene Donnelly has won the Jim Clarke in dominant style from Tim McNulty, Eamon Boland third and Mark Higgins wins GpN and takes a load of tarmac points for fourth. More News Later Michael Patterson and Zoe Todd

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