1^st (1) Gwyndaf Evans/Gary Savage (SEAT WRC) 4.15.1

2^nd (3) Derek McGarrity/Adrian Foley (Subaru WRC) 4.20.5

3^rd (7) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Subaru WRC) 4.23.8

4^th (21) Gary White/Angela Hamill (Escort Cosworth) 4.26.1

5^th (4) Denis Biggerstaff/Robin McCandless (Metro 6R4) 4.26.2

6^th (17) Trevor Moore/Roy Wilson (Escort Cosworth) 4.26.6

7^th (14) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Celica GT4) 4.26.7

8^th (19) James Gillen/Victor Carrothers (Escort Cosworth) 4.27.0

9^th (37) Stephen Harron/Nigel Forster (Legacy) 4.28.9

10^th (18) Wesley Patterson/Terence Teggart (Sierra Cosworth) 4.31.1

Gwyndaf Evans was fastest again through stage 3, although interestingly his time was a few seconds slower than stage 2. Indeed, nearly all the drivers were slightly slower than their stage 2 performances. Obviously the drizzle that is now besetting Lurgan Park is making the tracks greasier by the minute. Denis Biggerstaff was one of the worst affected on that 3^rd stage when his Metro 6R4 went into a huge slide and spun around a bale, the Dromara man lucky to only lose a few seconds. Gwyndaf commented at stage finish "I didn’t quite get the stage right anyway, just marginal here and there and it was definitely slippier". McGarrity said "We’re having trouble finding the limit of the grip, and we’re struggling to get away from the starts, the car seems to want to bog itself down, and I’m maybe losing a second off the start line". Third placed Maurice Gass was relieved to hear at stage finish that most other people were a fraction slower as well, the same applying to Gary White who lost several seconds with a big slidy overshoot.

Trevor Moore was bursting with sweat at the end of that stage as he steps up the pressure and 7^th placed Peadar Hurson told us that he is gradually getting used to the car, there is a bit left yet and he is being a little cautious. John McKeown arrived at a square right backwards in his Sierra, losing a few seconds. Eugene Donnelly lost a bit of ground in the 2 wheel drive battle when he had a couple of overshoots, sticky wipers not helping. Damien Cole lost some time when the handbrake stuck on in his gpN Lancer and he crawled away from the hairpin up near the paddock. Wesley Patterson had an overshoot at the hairpin into the carpark and James Gillen made a small mistake with an overshoot and a missed gear change into the car park.

Young Roy White was looking rather grey after that stage, finding the Porsche a terrific handful, "the car just wants to go straight on at every corner" commented the Tipperary man. Neil Simpson has moved into the lead of gpN, Raymond Johnston has slipped back slightly with a poor time on stage 3. Keith White has moved into the cl.2 lead from Eugene Donnelly with Max McKillen 3^rd. On Deutschland Rally Bugalski still leads from Gronholm. Neil Wearden/Trevor Agnew 6^th, Robert Woodside/Chris Patterson retired – puncture and off road – OTL. More news later..BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON