SEVERAL DRIVERS INCLUDING GARRY JENNINGS & RICHARD CATHCART HAVE RECEIVED A 1M PENALTY FOR EARLY ARRIVAL AT SS4. This may, or may not, stand.
Derek McGarrity was fastest through stage 4 by just .2 of a second from Alastair Fisher with Garry Jennings less than 2s back. Tim McNulty was a further 7s off the pace. Tim who still leads the rally by just over 6s is going to have to stay on his unsuitable dry weather tyres for a further 2 stages until he reaches service. Gareth MacHale was again off the pace as he struggles with his troublesome Focus and his brother Aaron is even further down the order as he comes to grips with the suspension problems on his Focus.
Neil McCance was the leading Mitsubishi Evo Challenge contender after stage 3 but he has slid from 8th to 19th following a puncture. John McGlaughlin now leads the Evo Challenge contenders. Marty McCormack had a great run through stage 4 to charge into the lead of the Citroen Racing Trophy category. Marty was 6th fastest o/a in his Citroen C2R2 Max. Robert Barrable had led the Citroens but a wrong tyre choice has cost the young Dubliner some time. Andrew Hockridge was well placed amongst the C2R2s but has suffered a slight accident and his car was on its roof briefly. Andrew was able to keep going but is down in 28th place just ahead of Andrew Fanning in his Puma. Andrew and his co driver Alan McCormack are seeded at No.46 and for some reason did not appear in the programme entry list.
Andrew Bushe has struggled a little with his Citroen C2 S1600 this year but a suspension overhaul seems to have transformed the car and he has set some solid times so far to move into the top 10. Donegal man Joe McGonigle has retired his C2R2 with a broken gearbox. Also out with a broken gearbox is Liam Egan. It was poor reward indeed for Liam to have the trip all the way from New York to compete on the Circuit and his Lancer grounds to a halt on the first corner of the first stage. Barry Greer in the Fiesta is struggling somewhat with a slight engine problem.
In the National Rally after their first 2 stages Kenny McKinstry had over a minute lead on John Waring with Camillus Bradley 3rd, the latter two in Mk2 Escorts. Kenny reports no problems with his Subaru and if he was doing the International Rally his time on the opening stage would have placed him 3rd o/a. Enda McNulty is 5th in his Lancer, Enda now with a sequential shift in the car. Emma McKinstry is having her first run out for a while and she is 6th in her Subaru, and having a ball.
LATE NEWS: Rally leader Tim McNulty is struggling in SS5, puncture 3km in.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with thanks to Joe McGonigle & Niall Burns
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