RALLY NEWS NO.4     Strokestown..finish..Sunday 6 pm


UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 (LAST STAGE)
1st (4) Tommy Graham/Finbar Mangan (Escort Cos) 25.19
2nd (5) Tim McNulty/Julian Nangle (Celica) 25.33
3rd (2) Rory O'Connor/Francis Kenny (Escort Cos) 26.06
4th (11) Sean Gallagher/Liam Costello (Celica) 26.27
5th (20) James Cole/John Clarke (Escort) 26.31
6th (21) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Lancer N) 26.45
7th (15) Mick McQuaid/Victor Fields (Escort) 26.55
8th (18) Mervyn Wedlock/Martin Nicholl (Escort) 27.06
9th (9) Noel McCarrick/John McCafferty (Impreza) 27.15
10th (35) Patrick Higgins / Liam Higgins (Escort) 27:27

Tommy Graham's cup overflowed with joy when he arrived back in here to Strokestown, the winner of this Midland Single Stage Rally.  It was 4 years ago that Tommy did his first tarmac rally, having spent many years on the Rallycross circuit.  This is his first rally win, and no doubt the big haulage man from Prosperous in Co. Kildare, along with co-driver Finbar Mangan, will be celebrating in style tonight.  Tommy set fastest time on the last stage of 8.23, while David Armstrong recorded 8.25 and Tim McNulty 8.29.  McNulty led after the first stage, but a big moment in the 2nd took the edge of his performance, and he had to settle for runner up spot on a rally he really wanted to win.  David Armstrong's last minute charge brought him into 3rd place ahead of Rory O'Connor. Unfortunately David was then excluded from the results.

Patrick Elliott had an overshoot on the final stage, but still won gpN convincingly in his Lancer, with Noel McCarrick 2nd in gpN and Michael Shaw 3rd on a total of 27.28.  Mick McQuaid had a great run to win class 11A in his Mk2 Escort from the G3 version of Mervyn Wedlock, one of Wedlock's best ever runs, and indeed he equalled McQuaid's time in stage 3. There was quite a race for the cl.12 honours, and they look to be shared between Enda Keenan and Brian Corey, who both finished just outside the top 10. Micky Cadden was a few seconds in arrears. James & Ann Foley were slowed towards the end when their Honda again developed an electrical problem. James Cole had a brilliant run to take 6th place. John Culleton was a few seconds slower through SS3 than his earlier runs but should have done enough to take the class in his Corolla. As Mick McQuaid said at the end here "a great day's rallying, a lovely stage, a bit of everything".To cap it all we have a real Easter holiday atmosphere here at Strokestown. Well done to Noel McGrath and Angela Bumster and all the Midland MC team.
BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON