RALLY NEWS NO.2       Quinns Ballyconnell..Saturday 10.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1
1st(11)Derek McGarrity/Chris Patterson(Impreza)5.26.5
2nd (1) Ian Greer/Dean Beckett (Celica) 5.27.2
3rd (24) Mark Fisher/Gordon Noble (Lancer N) 5.31.1
4th (6) Stig Blomqvist/Mark Crowe (Impreza) 5.32.0
5th (3) Austin McHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla WRC)5.33.4
6th (4) Hannu & Juha Mikkola (Impreza WRC) 5.34.3
7th (15) Daniel & Michael Doherty (Impreza) 5.39.9
8th (2) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC)5.40.6
9th (18) David Greer/Michael Reid (Celica) 5.43.9
10th (23) Trevor Cathers/Gary Lyons (Lancer N) 5.44.8

There were dramas from the word go on this Fisher Engineering Summit 2000 Rally, with top seeds James Cullen, Frank Meagher and Niall McShea all stopped on the first stage with accidents.  It was Derek McGarrity who set the pace, the Glengormley man fastest despite an overshoot, and stopping briefly at the scene of Cullen's accident.  Derek's co driver Chris Patterson reckons they lost at least 12 seconds. 

First on the road, Ian Greer, in the Taranto de Pol Celica said at the end of the stage "The fog was pretty difficult on top of the hill, maybe 30 metres visibility, but the run down the gravel section towards the end was lovely".  Andrew Nesbitt in the Cuisine de France car passed little comment at stage finish, except to the say "Steady".  Austin McHale said "very very slippy, the fog was really bad". 

When former World Champion, Hannu Mikkola, saw his time, he said "Not too bad for being out of a rally car for 7 years. Juha, on his first rally, was doing well on the pace notes".  Stig Blomqvist told us that he felt his Subaru engine was a bit flat at the start, and then seemed to come on song.  We have not spoken to James Cullen yet, but reports suggest he had a fair accident.  Frank Meagher drove out of the stage after about 10 minutes, and he told us "The back just came round, went up a bank, and the car fell over. If we had had more room we would have got away with it".  Happily there was little damage and Frank is continuing.  Stephen Murphy clocked a time of 5.53.7, having stopped at the scene of Cullen's accident. Donegal man Daniel Doherty joked at stage finish "Boy am I glad to see you, to get to the end of the stage".

Frank O'Mahony reports a down on power engine, James Gillen stopped for a while when the engine switched itself off and Hugh Dunne in the Legacy told us "It's madness in there, no skill, all luck".  Mark Fisher, on the other hand, showed just what a class driver he is with his superb time in the ToughMac Group N car, and observed "We just kept it tidy".  That is probably a total understatement, but it was a great run.  Brendan Kelly felt he was just too cautious.  While Robert Woodside in the Barretts Subaru said "I'm the ultimate misser of gears today".  Martin Howley had a road accident on the way into the first stage and is non starting. More later..BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON