RALLY NEWS NO.4 Lurgan Park/Press area/Saturday 3.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5
1st (1) Mark Higgins/Michael Gibson (Impreza WRC) 9.56.8
2nd (2) Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Focus WRC 10.01.2
3rd (3) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 10.08.08
4th (6) Charlie Donnelly/Andrew Mullen (Corolla WRC) 10.11.9
5th (9) Richard Hogg/Mark Hanna (Octavia WRC) 10.30.2
6th (8) James Gillen/PJ Gillespie (Impreza) 10.32.3
7th (11) Garry Jennings/Darragh Mullan (Lancer N) 10.34.7
8th (10) Nigel Worswick/Clive Molyneaux (Escort WRC) 10.35.0
9th (4) Niall McShea/Steven McAloon (Impreza WRC 10.35.3
10th (12) Mike Curran/Brid Deary (Lancer N) 10.36.3

With the rain continuing to soak Lurgan Park it was Kevin Lynch’s turn to be quickest over the slippy roads of stage 5, Kevin over 2s faster than Mark Higgins. When we quizzed Lynch on any changes he may have made to the set up of his Focus WRC he refused to be drawn and said “Malfunction, the whole thing including me malfunctioning!” Mark Higgins said. “It didn’t feel good, the inside wheel of the Subaru was spinning on the corners, maybe the differentials are set wrong”. Kenny McKinstry in 3rd said he had a good clean run. Kenny was 4th fast4est, with Charlie Donnelly in his Corolla slipping into 3rd fastest. Charlie said. “That wasn’t bad, but still a few mistakes.” McKinstry commented. “We had a nice clean run”.

Just outside the leading 4 Richard Hogg is doing a good job in maintaining 5th place in his Skoda just ahead of James Gillen. James was disappointed to lose a couple of second with a spin.

Neale Dougan has decided to pull his Subaru out of the rally after that 5th stage, citing something wrong with the car’s transmission. Kieran O’Neill retired his Kadett after stage 4 as the gearbox had had enough and Kris Meeke decided not to go any further in case he damaged the engine of the Mk2 Escort he had been loaned for the day. We mentioned earlier that Denis Biggerstaff had put his Subaru off the road in stage 3 – it transpires that this was as much down to gearbox problems and he sort of parked it off the road!

Just outside the leaderboard following stage 5 – Derek McGeehan held 11th place. John McKeown 12th. John McGlaughlin 13th and Emma McKinstry, now with a new ECU fitted to her Subaru, in 14th place. Wesley Patterson was still the best of the Mk2 Escorts. Looking back to the class positions after stage 4 – John McKeown was 2nd in class 3 to Nigel Worswick with Brian Dowey 3rd. Wesley Patterson led cl.2 from Darren Gass with Martin Teggart 3rd. Kyle Orr, with Siobhan McGarry co driving in Andrew Mullen’s Saxo was 28th and William Carey, with Pamela Ballantine in the hot seat, was 35th.

More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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