RALLY NEWS NO.3                    Near Ballyvourney - Saturday 11.45am

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 Gortnagane
1st (3) Eamonn Boland/Damian Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 16.40
2nd (2) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Impreza WRC) 16.50
3rd (1) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 16.51
4th (8) Melvyn Evans/Marc Jones (Impreza WRC) 17.06
5th (11) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 17.10
6th (7) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Impreza WRC) 17.18
7th (10) Maurice Gass/Andrew Cullen (Impreza WRC) 17.31
8th (18) Roy White/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 17.40
9th (15) Tommy Graham/Bob Kelly (Impreza WRC) 17.47
     (17) Seamus Leonard/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza N) 17.47
11th (6) Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Corolla WRC) 17.48
12th (22) JJ Fleming/Jakes Kelly (Impreza WRC) 17.56

There was a suspicion that the top cars had broken the bogey time on the first stage, but that now has been clarified, and the times shown on the last RallyNews will stand.  Eamonn Boland was fastest on that first stage, and fastest again in stage 2, Gortnagane, with a time of 8.36.  Derek McGarrity and Austin MacHale tied for 2nd fastest on 8.45.  Boland commented here at service in "Not a bother, no problems".  Austin MacHale said "A bit cautious in places".  Derek McGarrity reported smoke in the cabin of his Impreza WRC on stage 1, and told us it was there again in stage 2, he thinks it is coming from a gearbox breather pipe, and hopefully should not pose any real problems, now that he knows what it is.

Fourth on the road Liam McCarthy is dropping down the time sheets, as his Corolla WRC is showing signs of losing power, the anti lag is not working and the temperature gauge is creeping up. Melvyn Evans in 4th place reported a big moment in that 2nd stage, a 6th gear heart stopper.  The Welshman is also having some problems with his Impreza throttle sticking on.  Maurice Gass reports himself settling in.  Tim McNulty said he feels very comfortable "with more to come".  Denis Cronin had a spin at a high speed junction, his BMW undamaged, Denis saying "I made the note slightly wrong, I had 40 into the junction and it should have been an into".  Ray Breen in the 6R4 lost some time, his intercom not working.

Seamus Leonard was fastest gpN through that 2nd stage, 3s up on Roy White, the latter saying that he had no problem, just a bit worried that he was setting too high a pace on the first stage and obviously thinking about the cagtegory win the Tarmac Championship.  Willie Fannin set a good gpN time ins tage 2, 2s quicker than Aaron MacHale, Willie admitting to a slow start. Was held up behind John Shanahan whose Impreza blew its engine, and then losing a few more seconds in stage 2 when he caught and passed Barbadian Barry Gale.     Eoin Doyle in the Suir Engineering gpN Impreza was 4s quicker than Fannin in stage 2, although Eoin feels that the rear of his Subaru is jumping about a bit.

023 Tiles man James O'Sullivan is well on the pace in his Mk2 Escort, 7s faster than David James through the 2nd stage, although O'Sullivan rported an awkward landing after a big jump which took the wind out of hi sails ever so slightly. Guy Woodcock in the Escort Maxi is going well, Guy was testing the car last week and the bonnet blew up and smashed the windscreen and roof, which was a bad start to the rally.  Some more totals include - Cronin on 18.09. Breen 18.23. Coleman 18.28. A MacHale 18.24. John Moynihan 18.08, now a second ahead of Cronin for the lead of class 12. Noel Redmond 18.03 despite an overshoot on the 2nd stage. Welsh visitor Peter Lloyd 18.41. More news later. BIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON     www.rallynews.net