RALLY NEWS NO.2    Service(Ballymahon/Edgesworthtown Rd) Sun.1.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER FIRST STAGE
1st (5) Tim McNulty/Julian Nangle (Celica) 8.31
2nd (4) Tommy Graham/Finbar Mangan (Escort Cos) 8.33
3rd (31) George Tracey/David Doherty (Metro 6R4) 8.35
4th (2) Rory O'Connor/Francis Kenny (Escort Cos) 8.47
5th (11) Sean Gallagher/Liam Costello (Celica) 8.55
6th (3) David Armstrong/Herbie Blackburn (Escort Cos) 8.57
7th (20) James Cole/John Clarke (Escort) 8.58
8th (21) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Lancer N) 8.59
9th (15) Mick McQuaid/Victor Fields (Escort) 9.06
10th (19) Michael Shaw/Eamonn McGarrity (Subaru N) 9.07

The bright sunny weather meant the stage had dried out considerably from the reconnaissance run, and several of the top drivers made a wrong tyre choice.  Going for intermediate rubber instead of the optimum slick.  Tim McNulty made the best hand of the first proper stage, despite clipping his Celica against a wall. The Toyota driver told us here at service "We just put the power on too early at a mucky square right junction. We lost maybe 5 or 6 seconds, hopefully it is just panel damage".  Rory O'Connor is running first on the road, and his Escort Cosworth anti lag system was not working through the first stage.  David Armstrong thought he had a flat tyre and eased back a bit in the stage, which cost valuable time.  Tommy Graham had a good clean run, no problems.  Norman Armstrong in the first of the Mk2 Escorts was just one of the drivers who made a wrong tyre choice.Noel McCarrick had a good stage in his gpN Subaru, although not the fastest of the showroom cars.  Just as a matter of interest, McCarrick's W. Coast Navigation Tril Dinner is taking place in Cawleys Hotel, Tubbercurry, on Sat. 6th May. 

Patrick Elliott in the Lancer leads gpN after that first stage with Michael Shaw in his Subaru 2nd, McCarrick 3rd.  In the up to 2 litre gpN category, John Kelly in the Peugeot had a good run with a time of 9.26.  An early retirement was Monaghan's Brian McKenna who stopped on the "familiarisation" run and was towed into service.  Gerry Reilly in the 205 Peugeot was held up behind a car that got stuck in the stage.  We don't know for sure who it was but it was possibly Dessie Keenan. More news to follow. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON