RALLY NEWS NO.3                       Service - near Manorhamilton - Sunday 1.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 Doolargy
1st (4) Glenn Allen/John Gallagher (Escort WRC) 18.15
2nd (3) Steve Hendy/Aled Davies (Esc.Cos) 18.22
3rd (12) Steve Fleck/Andy Card (Impreza WRC) 18.24
4th (5) Alan Nesbitt/Enda Sherry (Celica) 18.27
5th (21) Ivan Stewart/Gary Cooney (Esc.Cos) 18.41
6th (15) Mac McKenna/John Loughran (Peugeot rwd) 18.55
7th (9) David McNulty/Martin McGarrity (Esc.Cos) 18.57
8th (23) Raymond & David Johnston (Lancer N) 18.58
9th (7) David Kynaston/Andy Russell (Audi) 19.05
10th (10) Willie Fannin/Brian Duggan (Lancer N) 19.13

Glenn Allen remarked when he got to the end of the first stage that he had taken it fairly steady, the Cookstown man certainly made up for lost time setting fastest time by far of 8.32 for the 9 mile stage 2.  Second fastest was Steve Fleck in his Subaru WRC on 8.38. Third Alan Nesbitt 8.39. Steve Hendy was 4th fastest on 8.42 to knock him from 1st ot 2nd overall.

In Group N Willie Fannin was the early leader, but on stage 2 it was Raymond Johnston who really got the hammer down setting a time of 8.50 with Fannin on 9.13 and Mark Worley 9.17.  Further back Mark Courtney, also in a gpN Lancer, did a time of 9.15.

We mentioned early retirements in RallyNews No.2 -  Cahal Arthurs and Trevor Lancashire.  Arthur's Celica encountered turbo charger problems while Lancashire's Escort broke a half shaft.   Interestingly, Lancashire's problem happened where he crashed last year when the stage was run in the opposite direction.  It hasn't been Cahal Arthurs' week either - he crashed the Celica at his Kirkistown farm when testing!

Mac McKenna continues to set a brilliant pace to lead class 13. Patrick Boyle also going very hard, 2nd in that class on 19.38. Damien Gallagher 3rd on 20.01.  Norman Armstrong 20.05. Class 14 is being led by Enda Keenan on a total of 19.34 while Peter Rogers seems to be the man so far in class 11, his Escort on 19.37.  Robbie Peoples was also running class 11, had a slowish stage 1 time and has disappeared after stage 2.

Looking away from this Sligo Rally for just a moment - on the Expo Rally on the Dutch/Belgian border - Ollie O'Donovan is 5th. Kevin Barrett 6th. Ollie was further up but was delayed with a broken driveshaft. Donie O'Sullivan had been fighting for the lead with Erik Wevers in the ex Ian Greer Corolla WRC, but has retired with mechanical problems. 

In the Ford Ireland Focus Championship John Foley now leads from Colm Murphy with Oliver Stanley 3rd.  Murphy was slowed on the 2nd stage when the power steering pipe blew off, having been provisionally leading the Focus contenders after stage 1. Some of the Focus drivers are seeded much further back and we don't have their times as yet, so the picture could change.  More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON