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RALLY NEWS
NO.2 End of stage 1..Saturday 12.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1
1st (14) Eugene Ferry/John Gallagher (Escort) 6.09
2nd (10) Philip Shaw/Richard Curry (Escort) 6.11
3rd (5) Ivan Stewart/Joe Friel (Escort Cos) 6.17
4th (4) Hugh M Doherty/Billy McCullins (Escort WRC) 6.19
5th (3) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Celica) 6.22
(20) Joe McHugh/Dermot McHugh (Escort Cos N) 6.22
7th (12) Camillus Bradley/Danny O'Neill (Escort) 6.23
8th (24) John Cairns/Brown (Impreza N) 6.27
9th (23) Andrew Stewart/Fabian McShane (Impreza) 6.30
10th (11) Norman Armstrong/Ciaran Kelly (Escort) 6.35
11th (19) Alan Nesbitt/David Smith (Escort) 6.38
The big story from the first stage of this Killybegs Harvest
Raly is that that one of the favourite drivers, Brendan Kelly,
put his Mitsubishi Lancer off the road for over 4 minutes, at
a tough square left, just 2 junctions into the stage. As
can be seen above Eugene Ferry was sensationally fastest in his
Mk2 Escort, reinforcing the sort of form that Eugene has been
showing over the last few rallies. Philip Shaw was pretty spectacular
also with 2nd fastest time. It is pretty amazing to see
Mk2 Escorts in the top frame ahead of the 4 wheel drive cars,
and that is despite slippy damp conditions. No.1 seed Tim
McNulty reported an overshoot after the jump into the first junction,
co driver Eugene O'Donnell reckoning it cost them 15s.
Hugh M Doherty reported that he was just playing himself in on
the first stage, while Ivan Stewart had a good run. George
Robinson joked at stage finish "Everything's fine, I'm just
going too slowly!" George was caught and passed by
Philip Shaw in the stage.
Joe McHugh leads the gpN category. His Escort Cosworth
seemed a bit smoky at stage finish. Co driver Dermot remarking
that it didn't seem that quick. Rory Kennedy in the gpN
Lancer did 6.46 and told us "I'm just learning the car".
John Cairns is out in a brand new gpN Subaru and he says he has
never felt as nervous a car. Mervyn Wedlock recorded 6.50 and
told us he felt the stage was very bumpy. Paul Gallagher
recorded 6.46 in his chase after Border championship victory,
no times yet for Robbie Peoples or Charlie Beatty, the next 2
cars in the class. Mac McKenna recorded 6.43, Maurice Moffitt
6.40. Micky McArdle, his fingers crossed for a bit of mechanical
reliability, stopped the clocks with 6.46 in his BMW M3. More
news later.BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
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