RALLY NEWS NO.9       End of Molls Gap..Sunday 09.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 10 - MOLLS GAP
1st (2) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Subaru)1.13.42
2nd (5) Stephen Finlay/Rory Kennedy (Focus WRC)1.14.11
3rd (6) James Cullen/Ellen Morgan (Subaru)1.14.53
4th (7) Stephen Murphy/MJ Morrissey (Subaru)1.15.43
5th (1) Ian Greer/Dean Beckett (Celica)1.16.12
6th (18) Donie & Tim O'Sullivan (Escort Cos)1.18.48
7th (28) Hugh Dunne/Greg Shinnors (Legacy)1.19.00
8th (29) Mark Fisher/Gordon Noble (Impreza N)1.20.09
9th (14) Davy Greer/Michael Reid (Celica) 1.20.20
10th (15) Frank O'Mahony/Hugh McPhillips (Impreza)1.20.49

Modifieds:
1st (23) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Nagle (Escort)1.19.34
2nd (20) Wesley Patterson/Bob Kelly (Sierra Cos)1.20.14
3rd (32) Pat & Sean Mullane (Escort) 1.23.46

Stephen Finlay made absolutely the right Pirelli tyre choice for Molls Gap this morning and stunned the opposition with a time of 10.09. James Cullen was on 10.19 and Nesbitt 10.22. This meant that the overnight gap between rally leader Andrew Nesbitt and 2nd placed Finlay was cut from 42s to 29 at a stroke.

Other main stories from the Gap include - Derek McGarrity & Chris Patterson (4th overnight) getting a puncture and slipping off the road, happily no injuries.  Pete Doughty was in the top 10 overnight, he was reported to be going slowly with a blown turbo, and has not appeared here at the end of the stage. Johnny O'Sullivan was also in the top 10, he finished the stage pretty well OK,but the car had a broken driveshaft which obviously cost a few seconds.

Wet and slippy conditons greeted the drivers on the gap. Andrew Nesbitt, who took a ride up the Muckross Road on a jaunting car this morning, went for a slick type tyre with very little cuts, it cost Andrew dear, in this hard fought battle over every second.  James Cullen had a good run. Stephen Murphy lost a few seconds when he was waved down briefly where McGarrity went off.  Ian Greet seemed to have picked the right tyre but was slightly dismayed when he saw his stage time, well off the pace of the first few cars. Donie O'Sullivan and Hugh Dunne (Escort Cos and Legacy turbo respectively) are having a huge battle, with Dunne 6s quicker than O'Sullivan that time.

Mark Fisher had a very clean run, obviously on the right tyres although Mark felt that there were just a few too many cuts in the tread.  Harold Bunting maintains 2nd in gpN, 6s faster than Gerry McVeigh over the gap, but both a long way slower than Fisher. In the Modified section of the rally Eugene Donnelly was slowed slightly, his Escort G3 now with a cracked exhaust manifold. The intercom has also packed in.  Wesley Patterson was 8s faster over Molls. More later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON