RALLY NEWS NO.1                       Friday - Ocean Terminal -  9.45pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Ocean Terminal
1st (16) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 1.00.9
2nd (15) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 1.01.3
3rd  (12) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 1.01.7
4th (14) Austin McHale/Brian Murphy (Impreza WRC) 1.01.9
5th (21) Barry Johnson/Stewart Merry (Impreza WRC) 1.02.0
6th (18) Tapio Laukkanen/Mikka Anttila (Impreza WRC) 1.02.7
7th (25) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Impreza WRC) 1.03.5
8th (3) Gwyndaf Evans/Claire Mole (MG) 1.03.7
     (4) Kris Meeke/Chris Patterson (Opel Corsa) 1.03.7
10th (17) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.03.9
THE ABOVE TIMES ARE UNOFFICIAL

Huge crowds of spectators applauded the opening stage of this Jim Clark Memorial Rally, the cars running in reverse order.  As can be seen above Jonny Milner was fastest, the Yorkshireman trying step 3 tarmac suspension in his Corolla WRC for the first time, Jonny not even having had a chance to try it out.  Last year's winner Andrew Nesbitt was right on the pace, but in truth the stage was more akin to a slalom, and had to be shortened from its original planned length to 0.68 of a mile.  Eugene Donnelly was 2nd fastest despite forgetting to switch on his Subaru centre differential.  Derek McGarrity lost some time when he made a mess of the chicane.  Young Finnish driver Latvala did not like the stage at all, finding it very dusty and slippy. 

As can be seen above, Gwyndaf Evans and Kris Meeke tied and were the fastest of the Super 1600 cars.  Garry Jennings in the works Peugeot had a 1.05.1. Simon Hughes did 1.05.2 in the Clio. Leon Pesticcio 1.08.0 in the Punto.  Mirco Baldacci  was also entered in a Punto but has non-started. Ryan Champion in the works Ford was on 1.07.8, having spun his Puma at the chicane. 

Other stories from the first stage include - Peadar Hurson feeling that his car was all choked up at stage start, and indeed his Impreza was smoking a lot before the start.  James Thompson admitted to stalling his Lancer on the start line, his time 1.04.6. 
The rally is remarkable in being also a round of the Irish Tarmac Championship, as well as the Pirelli British Championship.  Maurice Gass recorded a time of 1.04.2, Maurice just one of the Irish drivers who had to put extra lead weight in his Subaru to bring it up to the level required for the Pirelli British series.

In Group N the fastest time we have so far is Roy White on 1.04.9. Brendan Crealey was just a tenth of a second slower and Neil Buckley .9 of a second behind that. In the Ford Ka series Jonny Wigmore was fastest by just over half a second from Nicky Cleland with Ian Forgan 3rd.  Swedish visitor Lars Goran Andersson was quite a few seconds off the pace and couldn't understand why. In the Peugeot 206 Super Cup Chris Moore was fastest by just over 2s from Dessie Keenan, with Cataluyna driver Joan Roca just over half a second back.  More news after stage 2. BRIAN &* LIZ PATTERSON