RALLY NEWS NO.3                     Near Castletownbere - Sunday 11am

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 TIM HEALY PASS
1st (7) John Farrell/Christy Farrell (Escort) 24.08
2nd (9) Ray & Elaine Cunningham (Mini Cooper) 24.26
3rd  (1) Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) 24.29
4th (4) Martin Freestone/Chris Hayes (RS1600) 24.40
5th (6) Lloyd Hutchinson/Lester Hutchinson (Mini Cooper) 24.54
6th (2) John Keatley/Maurice Beckett (Porsche 911) 25.03
7th (16) Mervyn Johnston/Richard Hyland (Mini Cooper) 25.35
8th (11) Martin Ward/Linda Conroy (Manta) 25.36
9th (8) Sean Tracey/Paddy Flanagan (BMW) 25.37
10th (15) Con Ward/Timmy Horan (Mini Cooper) 25.46

Conditions on this Killarney Historic Rally are still intermittently wet, showery and blustery, with the drivers reporting the roads to be quite slippy, but not too bad.  John Keatley had a spin on one of the hairpins on the Tim Healy, indicative that the drivers have their cars on the edge of adhesion.  On Kilmacillogue John Farrell posted a 6.20 in his Mk1 Escort with Lloyd Hutchinson really speeding up to do a 6.25 in his Mini Cooper. Martin Freestone was 6.26 and Dessie Nutt 6.27.  Martin Freestone was initially shown as fastest on the first stage but this was an incorrect time and in fact John Farrell was fastest.

Up and down the Tim Healy Pass it was John Farrell who was fastest on 6.48, Lloyd Hutchinson had a 6.55, Freestone 6.57, Dessie Nutt 7.00.  Dessie commented here at service "No problems at all, going well".  Steve Perez was expected to give Nutt a big race for the Historic honours but his Porsche is suffering slightly from fading brakes, and in any case Steve is still settling in to the car.  Martin Freestone reports a slight noise from the back end of his Escort. Lloyd Hutchinson is keeping a wary eye on his Mini's temperature gauge as the needle creeps ever onwards into the red.  Sean Tracey's BMW has a slight misfire. Barry Duggan's Escort has broken its fuel pump, the Millstreet man lucky to get into service at all, his total now 26.01.  Les Allfrey's'Mini has broken the tail end of the gearbox. Con Ward is another in bother with overly high temperatures in his Mini. 

Some other Historic and Post Historic times include - Douglas Richardson on 25.51. George Tracey 26.30. Liam Sheehan 26.00.  Frank O'Mahony 26.39.  Frank is running with No.64 on his Mini Cooper but started well up the order. Frank caught another car on Molls Gap and also the rubber sealing strip around the door fell off and round Frank's knees mid stage, which did not help the Cork man's cause.      

In the Classic section of the rally there is a terrific battle at the top with Donie O'Sullivan (total 22.29) leading by just 1s from Philip Shaw, with Phil Collins 3rd, a further 6s back.  Equal 4th is John Hickey and Wesley Patterson with Gareth Lloyd in 6th, Padraig Price in 7th and James O'Sullivan 8th.  Tom Randles crashed his Escort out on Kilmacilloge and Kieran O'Neill has stopped on the Tim Healy, again after an accident.  We have had a unconfirmed report that Joe Connolly has put his Porsche on top of a wall on Tim Healy. Phililp Shaw commented "I'm starting to find some grip now". Donie O'Sullivan felt he was slightly slow on the downhill section of Tim Healy. Phil Collins reported a massive tank slapper not long after the start of Molls Gap, which cooled his ardour. Dave Slattery was running out of brakes on stage 3. Wesley Patterson feels his car is understeering and John Hickey is another in brake difficulties.  More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON