RallyNews No.4 Service In Sun 1.30pm

Unofficial Leadership After Stage 6

1^st (5) John McCarthy/Dan Maguire (Impreza) 30.17

2^nd (6) Eddie Kinirons/ Greg Shinnors (Celica) 30.56

3^rd (2) Kevin O’Kane/Steven Griffith (Impreza) 31.20

4^th (4) Garry Jennings/Gordon Noble (106 MAXI) 31.23

5^th (7) Paul Staunton/Bruce Burgess (Escort) 31.48

6^th (9) John McGaffin/Tom Graham (Legacy) 32.33

7^th (1) Dermot Kelly/John Brennan (Escort WRC) 33.19

8^th (12) John Shanahan/Liam McLaughlin (Impreza) 33.21

9^th (66) Graham McClintock/Gerard Loughrey (Peugeot 206) 33.38

10^th (30) Brian Lawlor/Peter Kavanagh (Escort MK2) 33.39

11^th (104) Gareth McHale/Joe Downey (Peugeot 206) 33.42

12^th (8) James Murphy/Con Mulcahy (Escort COS) 33.57

13^th (14) Ray Benskin/Peadar Walsh (Escort) 33.58

The drivers arrived into service after having missed stage four after it was cancelled following an accident, John McCarthy continues to stretch his lead following the second run through Clondonnel and Gurteen 2. McCarthy is having a trouble free run in his Impreza, but a man going really hard is Kevin O’Kane in third. The former forestry champion set a stunning time in stage five to move him ahead of Garry Jennings. Jennings has bent the gear linkage on the 106 Maxi, but the factory Peugeot driver thinks it is not costing to much time.

Dermot Kelly continues to battle with his Escort WRC, the car still suffering from a mysterious electrical problem, but Dermot has now moved into the top ten. We have no times for John Donnelly following him suffering a puncture in stage six, John reckoning on dropping about a minute, but he could still be in the top ten.

Paul Staunton bent the steering rack on his Mk2, he is still running strongly in fifth overall but concedes to loosing time with all his small problems. Second placed Eddie Kinirons is having to reverse his Celica on the tight hairpins, the handbrake on the car still not working.

Other retirements include David James and Sean Benskin who both failed to make it to first service.

In the Ford KA Championship Ian Chadwick leads from Eoghan Fogarty and Vivienne Noone who are tied for second place after the first three stages. Reigning champion John Carroll retired with an unknown problem and is now 00’ing.

More News Later ………….. Michael Patterson & Zoë Todd