UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9

1^st (1) Gwyndaf Evans/Gary Savage (SEAT WRC) 14.42.8

2^nd (3) Derek McGarrity/Adrian Foley (Subaru WRC) 15.08.4

3^rd (2) Kenny McKinstry/Mark McDonnell (Subaru WRC) 15.18.8

4^th (17) Trevor Moore/Roy Wilson (Escort Coswsorth) 15.19.2

5^th (7) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Subaru WRC) 15.19.7

6^th (4) Denis Biggerstaff/Robin McCandless (Metro 6R4) 15.22.9

7^th (37) Stephen Harron/Nigel Forster (Legacy) 15.29.5

8^th (21) Gary White/Angela Hamill (Escort Cosworth) 15.31.1

9^th (19) James Gillen/Victor Carrothers (Escort Cosworth) 15.34.9

10^th (18) Wesley Patterson/Bob Kelly (Sierra Cosworth) 15.45.6

Just outside leaderboard – Peadar Hurson 11^th: Neil Simpson 12^th: John McKeown 13^th: Jim Crozier 14^th: Keith White 15^th: Daniel Doherty 16^th: Raymond Johnston 17^th: Eugene Donnelly 18^th: David Greere 19^th: Niall Maguire 20^th:

Gwyndaf Evans produced a dominant display today, fastest on every stage, giving SEAT Sales Director Gary Savage a thrill a minute over the slippy stages. Derek McGarrity realised early in the event that he had no answer to the flying Cordoba in front, the Glengormley man having to settle for 2^nd place. Kenny McKinstry made a rotten start to the rally, down 10s before proceedings hardly started. Kenny’s second stage wasn’t brilliant either, but he settled down then and charged up the leaderboard. Kenny had an extra worry throughout the day, his Subaru’s clutch starting to slip, but he put that to the back of his mind and came through at the end to 3^rd place.

The slippy conditions caused all sorts of dramas, none happily resulting in major damage, although many drivers had spins and slides at the last hairpin. One of these was Wesley Patterson, who also demolished the timing light mechanism at the stage finish, causing some delay in the official times. Trevor Moore came through well during the day to take 4^th place, Maurice Gass was slightly disappointed to slip to 5^th, while Denis Biggerstaff overcame niggly engine problems on his way to 6^th.

Neil Simpson drove another brilliant rally to take group N victory. Raymond Johnston was ahead early on but a shortage of correct tyres saw him slip back, the Fermanagh man having to be content with 2^nd gpN finisher at the end. Uwe Nittel showed his class over the gravel sections and brought the Harryman Lancer into 3^rd. Keith White put up a powerful performance to take best class 2, two wheel drive, ahead of Eugene Donnelly. Last minute dramas included…Willie Singleton crunching a rear quarter panel of his Escort Cosworth against a tree and Niall Maguire had electrical problems with his Subaru.