RALLY NEWS NO.2                    Fornenst Ballyvourney - Saturday  11.30am

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Mushera
1st (3) Eamonn Boland/Damian Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 8.04
2nd (2) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Impreza WRC) 8.05
3rd (1) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 8.06
4th (8) Melvyn Evans/Marc Jones (Impreza WRC) 8.17
5th (11) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 8.19
6th (7) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Impreza WRC) 8.21
7th (10) Maurice Gass/Andrew Cullen (Impreza WRC) 8.27
8th (18) Roy White/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 8.30
9th (6) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Corolla WRC) 8.34
10th (12) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (BMW M3) 8.36

Beautiful weather conditions, dry roads, great visibility, greeted the drivers on the opening stage, Mushera,  of this Cork 20 Rally. That also meant that speeds were high, and unfortunately it looks as if the top 7 drivers have beaten the "bogey time" for the stage.  It still has to be confirmed if this will be applied of course, so we are using actual times for the moment.

New Tarmac Champion Derek McGarrity complained of smoke in the cockpit of his Pirelli Impreza WRC at stage finish.  Austin MacHale had some minor intercom troubles at the start of the stage. Otherwise the top drivers seemed happy enough.

Roy White was fastest of the Group N runners, Seamus Leonard recorded a time of 8.40. Aaron MacHale 8.58.  Leonard complained of some brake troubles at stage finish and interestingly there was an air duct flapping on to the ground behind the front bumper, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Some more times include - Ray Breen in the 6R4 8.44. Tommy Graham 8.38. Barry Coleman 8.57.  JJ Fleming 8.39.  John Moynihan 8.57. Noel Redmond 8.39.  Welshman Peter Lloyd in the Impreza WRC 9.07.

More news after stage 2 Gortnagane.

BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON                www.rallynews.net