RallyNews No.5 Service In Sun 3.30pm

Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage 8

1^st (5) John McCarthy/Dan Maguire (Impreza) 41.56

2^nd (6) Eddie Kinirons/ Greg Shinnors (Celica) 43.00

3^rd (4) Garry Jennings/Gordon Noble (106 MAXI) 43.34

4^th (2) Kevin O’Kane/Steven Griffith (Impreza) 43.43

5^th (7) Paul Staunton/Bruce Burgess (Escort) 44.15

6^th (3) John Donnelly/Greg McCarthy (Escort WRC) 45.05

7^th (1) Dermot Kelly/John Brennan (Escort WRC) 45.15

8^th (9) John McGaffin/Tom Graham (Legacy) 45.28

9^th (12) John Shanahan/Liam McLaughlin (Impreza) 45.54

10^th (104) Gareth McHale/Joe Downey (Peugeot 206) 47.12

11^th (28) P J O’Connor/Liam O’Connor (Sierra Cos) 47.16

12^th (14) Ray Benskin/Peadar Walsh (Escort) 47.25

Just off the leaderboard Noel Driver and Michael Nevin on 47.56, Alan Mulchahy on 47.59. Garry Jennings drove his socks off over stages seven and eight to move ahead of Kevin O’Kane again in the battle for third. Unfortunately Jennings broke both his rear shockers on the 106 Maxi and with no spares available the young Fermanagh driver is going to have to try and nurse the car home over the final two stages.

John McCarthy continues to lead and reports no dramas, while Dermot Kelly was a lot happier with his Escort WRC on those last two stages, Kelly commenting "the car feels a lot better, we think it was a fuel problem" explaining his time loss earlier on. John Donnelly is having a trouble free run in sixth while second placed Eddie Kinirons and co driver Greg Shinnors stalled the Celica at the hairpin in the Anner Stage.

John Shananan is still setting impressive times in his Impreza but suffered a puncture in Anner and now lies 9^th overall. Graham McClintock who was running in the top ten has crashed in stage 8, the crew are reportedly okay, but the organisers have taken the precaution of cancelling the stage. Also gone in Anner was James Murphy who is reportedly stopped at the end of the stage.

Gareth McHale reports that he has broken something in the front of his 206 dropping a bit of time in stage 8, while Alan Mulchahy is flying in his Starlett, despite a high speed collision with a deer on an earlier special stage. Earlier we reported Sean Benskin missing but in fact the G3 driver is still running albeit very late on the road. Vivienne Noone leads the Ford KAs after earlier leader Ian Chadwick punctured.

More News Later ….. Michael Patterson & Zoe Todd