Having lost time over High Glen and Atlantic Drive stages to Sam Moffett, Declan Boyle reversed the trend on Fanad to win the stage by 4s and leave the gap at the top at 30s with 3 stages to go. Sam Moffett said here at service. `I was disappointed to lose that 4s on Fanad. I was hoping to have the gap down to about 20s. That would have been possible. But I will not stop trying until the finish line of the last stage` It is 30 years since a Donegal crew has won this Donegal Rally so it is understandable that Declan Boyle was a bit edgy as he surveyed his Subaru here at service. Declan was undecided about whether to go for a harder compound tyre that he thought might work better. However he has never tested the harder tyres and may well stick to what he has been using. He did say that they lost their edge in this morning`s warm conditions. Garry Jennings in 3rd is trying different suspension settings on his Subaru. Garry cannot really improve his position this afternoon as regards the cars in front and Derek McGarrity is a long way back in 4th, but Garry is using the opportunity to set the car up for this Saturday`s Lurgan Park. Similarly, McGarrity has nobody breathing down his neck but he is also trying the improve the handling on the McKinstry Subaru as he feels the car is getting too sideways, that the back end is too loose.
Josh Moffett continues to comfortably lead group N. Indeed ever more comfortably as it would appear that Eugene Meegan`s Lancer was in mechanical difficulties at the start of Fanad and has not yet appeared here at service. This leaves Josh with 3m30s lead over Stephen McCann for Group N. Josh said. `Everything is going the best. I am having a good run but I am getting a bit bored now`. Young Callum Devine is now up to 8th o/a and continues to lead Cl.2 in his Fiesta from Richard Tannahill (Peugeot 208). Aaron McHale is up to 7th and says he is on an economy run and most reluctantly is going to have to buy new tyres.
In the National Rally it is not all plain sailing for Gary McPhillips since Daniel McKenna retired. When we went down to the McPhillips` Escort in service there were 12 legs sticking out from under the Mk2. Six pairs belonging to mechanics all flat out changing the clutch. Conor Harvey holds 2nd from Frank Kelly in the National. Brian Brogan stays 4th and Adrian Hetherington has been in the wars again to hold on to 5th place. Adrian`s Escort was off the road in Atlantic Drive. One of the results was a smashed wheel and he is very grateful to Gary McPhillips for the loan of his spare wheel. John McQuaid/Seamus O`Connor were nicely placed in the National but have dropped 2m with a trip through a hedge on Fanad and when asked if the car was damaged, quick as a flash, just like his Dad Mick, John replied. `Just the pride`.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with thanks to Michael & Zoe Patterson: Our thanks as well to Dougie Hughes: Aidan Harper: Richard Talbot: John Tynan: Alan Verso plus the Clonakilty Black Pudding girls for lunch!)*Follow RallyNews on Twitter @Pacenotes or @Real_RallyNews
