Eamonn Boland has set the pace here this morning from the word go and despite losing a couple of seconds when he stuck behind Rautenbach’s Xsara towards the end of stage 3 Tarmac Champion Eamonn was again fastest. Conrad Rautenbach told us here at service in OP Oran Pre-cast at Oranmore. “I lost my confidence in the back end of the car, it seemed really slippy, a different surface”. Third placed Eugene Donnelly said. “I was struggling a bit in the tight stuff, I’m going to soften the Skoda up a bit. As well as that I picked an intermediate tyre which was just about 50 per cent right”. Kevin Lynch in 2nd place remarked. “So far just steady as she goes. Do you mind the last day I speeded up!!” That was when he put his Impreza on it’s roof on the Donegal Harvest.
Gareth MacHale was 6th earlier on and has moved up to 4th following a good time, 2nd fastest in stage 3 and he said. “I’m starting to get the feel for it, it was definitely getting better”. Fifth placed Peadar Hurson expressed much the same sentiment, that he was settling down with the car. As he said himself. “Getting there, learning the grip level.” Aaron MacHale was 9th and now he is up to 7th and he told us. “On the 2nd stage I had an overshoot, hard to judge the braking. I drove better in stage 3. It’s a fabulous car, I’m getting used to the speed that it carries through the corners”.
Derek McGarrity is having a low key rally so far. The Glengormley man reported a stall in stage 3 at the first junction. When Derek put the hand brake on the car seemed to shudder to a halt so he decided just to leave it alone for the rest of the stage.
Kevin Kelleher has now come up into 10th and leads group N. He lost time in the first stage with an overshoot but has gone well since although he feels that on the tighter corners he is getting a bit of under steer and reckons he was just a bit ambitious with his tyre choice. Damian Tourish did lead group N but he has crunched the front left corner of his Lancer. The Donegal man told us that he left his braking just a fraction too late at the end of very long straight. The intercooler and radiator of his are damaged and he’s not at all sure if he can get it sorted here at service. Damian is a very talented driver but is on a low budget and doesn’t have a whole pile of spares or back up. Anthony O’Halloran has come into 2nd group N despite making a small faux pas on stage 2 which he described as “must have a brain like a brick, I forgot to switch on the differentials!” Also in differential trouble but of a slightly different nature is Sean Flanagan. The hand brake button on Sean’s GpN Impreza has worked loose and it is the button that controls the diff release, so the diffs are coming on and off in the stage.
Further stories include: Martin McGee has lost some time, his Escort suffering clutch and stall problems. Mark Alcorn has retired his Escort because of engine troubles. Kevin O’Donoghue’s Escort broke down and held up Eugene Ferry in stage 3. Eugene lost time in stage 1 when he went off just past McPhillip’s accident site. Paul Gallagher is going well in his Corolla. Aaron Burkart is just a few seconds ahead of Tommy Doyle in the race for class 6 honours. Tommy’s Clio is a bit stiff at the back and is moving about a fair bit. Brendan Cumiskey reported no power and no boost with his Lancer. James Foley said of his Evo X. “Power of a WRC on the straights but won’t turn in”.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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