RALLY NEWS NO.8      Killarney..Sunday morning/very early

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9 (OVERNIGHT)
1st (2) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Subaru)1.03.20
2nd (5) Stephen Finlay/Rory Kennedy (Focus WRC)1.04.02
3rd (6) James Cullen/Ellen Morgan (Subaru) 1.04.34
4th (8) Derek McGarrity/Chris Patterson(SubaruWRC)1.04.54
5th (7) Stephen Murphy/MJ Morrissey (Subaru) 1.05.09
6th (1) Ian Greer/Dean Beckett (Celica) 1.05.30
7th (4) Frank Meagher/Pat Moloughney (Escort WRC)1.05.37
8th (18) Donie & Tim O'Sullivan (Escort Cos) 1.08.04
9th (28) Hugh Dunne/Greg Shinnors (Legacy) 1.08.22
10th (19) Johnny O'Sullivan/S Moriarty(EscortWRC)1.09.00

53 cars are left in the International Rally, 42 are listed in the modified section and 21 in the Historics.
Eamonn Boland who retired his Hertz Ford Focus on Caragh Lake yesterday when he clouted a rock, is scheduled to run as one of the OO cars this morning. Although Frank Meagher is listed in the overnight leaderboard it is highly unlikely that the Tipperary man will tackle Molls Gap this morning. Frank's Escort WRC engine has either got a blown head gasket or a cracked block, and it is felt that it would be foolish to destroy the engine altogether. 

The Modified section of the rally is now being shown as a separate category.  Eugene Donnelly would be 10th overall if shown on the main results, on a total of 1.08.26.  Second in the modifieds is Wesley Patterson on 1.09.15. Third, Pat Mullane in his 2litre Escort after a super run yesterday on a total of 1.12.10. Dessie Keenan is next up. Then it's Michael Moloney on 1.13.05. With Philip Shaw next recovering brilliantly from his 4 min. delay on stage 1 yesterday. The Moneymore man speeded up throughout yesterday and equalled Eugene Donnelly's stage 9 time. In the Historic section, John Keatley leads in his RS2000 from Martin Freestone with Dessie Nutt 3rd. Ketley & Freestone are Post Historic cars, Nutt, Historic. Lloyd Hutchinson did lead but crashed out on the Kilgobnet test, while Geoff Crabtree retired his Porsche with mechanical problems, oil all over the rear mudguard testimony to big problems.

Mark Fisher continues to hold a brilliant lead in gpN, Mark a long way ahead of 2nd placed Harold Bunting, who is having a big dice with Gerry McVeigh, just 8s between them. Derek Daly leads the Ford Puma championship from Simon Maugher, Ian Chadwick 3rd. Max McKillen in his Peugeot 106 leads class 6. Aidan Long leads cl.3 in his Astra. Kevin O'Donoghue leads cl.7(F2) in his Sunny, from John O'Leary in his Peugeot 306. Chris Rogers from Draperstown leads cl.2 in his Civic, Billy Gamble leads cl.1 in his Suzuki, while Alyn Spiers leads cl.5, also in a Swift.
There a further 9 stages on the agenda today and of course the million dollar question is..can Stephen Finlay make any impression on the 42s gap between himself and Andrew Nesbitt in his Subaru WRC at the head of the field. More news after Molls Gap.BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON