RALLY NEWS NO.5         Service-Saturday  6pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 - Lurgan Boy
1st  (7) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 30.33
2nd (8) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Celica) 31.10
3rd (5) Eamonn Boland/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 31.13
4th (3) Derek McGarrity/Chris Patterson (Impreza WRC) 31.14
5th (2) Austin McHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla WRc) 31.26
6th (4) Daniel & Michael Doherty (Impreza WRc) 31.27
7th (9) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 31.55
8th (6) David Greer/Michael Reid (Corolla WRC) 32.13
9th (19) Trevor Cathers/Gordon Noble (Lancer N) 32.22
10th (14) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Impreza WRC) 32.48        
11th (10) Brendan Kelly/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 32.49
12th (26) Dickie Curran/Gary Lyons (Lancer N) 33.12
      (44) David Armstrong/Herbie Blackburn (Escort) 33.12

Some other times - Roy White 33.27: Donie O'Sullivan 33.51: Sean McArdle 34.26: Kevin Barrett 34.44: Gene Meegan 34.50: Patrick Elliott 34.31:

Eamonn Boland and Peadar Hurson were equal fastest through stage 5, Carronbridge, on a time of 6.43, Daniel Doherty and Andrew Nesbitt were equal on 6.50 and Austin McHale was 6.51.  Through stage 6, Nesbitt re-asserted his authority with a time of 6.53. Austin McHale was 2nd fastest with 7.07, Derek McGarrity and Daniel Doherty recorded 7.08. Eamonn Boland and Peadar Hurson 7.09.  

A sudden shower of rain caught rally leader Andrew Nesbitt slightly off guard in stage 5, Andrew running dry weather slicks.  Otherwise all appears well in the Nesbitt camp. Derek McGarrity had a spin and lost enough time to drop him from 2nd to 4th. Derek telling us "It was a costly spin, off the start line we went into a square right and then through a farmyard and then into a tight hairpin right, don't cut, and we lost it. Had to reverse and fanny about".  Daniel Doherty told us "On the bits without the bumps the car goes like a rocker, but the set up is not quite right, the car is a bit low, a bit hard."  Niall Maguire reported a spin on a square right and he lost about 10s.  McHale told us "Still being a bit cautious with the left hand drive, especially through the narrow stuff. The car is nervous on the straights over the bumps, I'm not convinced that the differentials are set right, and we need to soften the suspension".
In Group N, Trevor Cathers looks relatively untroubled at the front. Brendan Kelly now has the hammer down but is a still a couple of seconds a stage slower than the flying Omagh man. Roy White softened his Lancere'' suspension and is going well, but disappointed to be a second or two slower than he expected. Donie O'Sullivan in the Bio-Clear Subaru is still settling in, but going nicely on 33.51, and not sure how hard he can push the car. The sister gpN machine of Seamus Leonard has as we suspected, stopped, at the start of stage 5. The Seamless Aluminium car having a broken rear diff.  Seamus commented "I was going hard but safe, so disappointed".  Finally for now, we have just heard the very sad news that the Queen Mother has died in her sleep, peacefully.                 BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON

 

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TC