RALLY NEWS NO.3       Service/Sunday 2.15

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3  O'Briens Castle
1st (1) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC)  25.28
2nd (6) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza) 25.55
3rd (4) Patrick Elliott/Sean Moriarty (Impreza) 26.19
4th (11) Sean Gallagher/Liam Costello (Escort Cos) 26.37
5th (8) Hugh Dunne/Derek Brannigan (Impreza WRC) 26.42
6th (9) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (BMW M3) 26.49
7th (24) James & Paul McCann (Esc.Cos) 27.02
8th (5) David Armstrong/Herbie Blackburn (Esc.Cos) 27.12
9th (3) Ollie O'Donovan/David Moynihan (Hyundai WRC) 27.16
10th (15) Tom Randles/Diarmuid Lynch (Escort) 27.29

Niall Maguire reported no problems through stages 2 and 3 of this Clare Stages Rally, saying that the car is running well, but he did find stage 3 a bit bumpy and jumpy.  With Michael Barrable having retired, Ollie O'Donovan is now 2nd on the road, but Ollie was slowish through stage 3, finding the new Hyundai very wide down the narrow bit of of the stage.  Otherwise Ollie reports all well with the Accent.  It is Tim McNulty who is closest to Maguire's times, but Tim tells us that his Impreza WRC has got clutch troubles, in his own words "knackered". Indeed, there is a question mark if Tim will be able to continue. Hugh Dunne spun his Impreza WRC in stage 3, while David Armstrong feels that perhaps his stage 2 time is incorrect.  This will have to be checked, and David may move up the leaderboard slightly.  Denis Cronin in the BMW M3 said here at service "I feel rusty but there's flashes of form coming. Some people think that maybe the car is misfiring, but I feel it is the traction control cutting in".
Sean Gallagher had a good time through stage 2, but wasn't quite so quick in 3 when his Escort Cosworth developed a misfire.  Tom Randles also went well through stage 2 but stage 3 wasn't so good, an errant water bottle rolling under the Killarney man's feet/pedals.  Local driver John O'Sullivan was slowed in stage 3 when he caught up with the struggling Sierra Cosworth of David and June Long, a puncture their problem.  No sign here at service of Mike Moloney (No.17). His Escort was reportedly overheating before the start of stage 1. Liam McCarthy's Corolla WRC lost a mountain of time in both stages 2 and 3, when the engine cut out. Seabastian Stackpoole arrived into service with the rear of his ex works Ascona badly smashed in. Seabastian retired for today.  Tom Halliday is going well in his class 12 Escort - on a total of 27.32, but Tom feeling that the gearbox is not at it's best today, and had trouble selecting gears. James McCann in the Escort Cosworth has been setting good times, and that was despite a stage 3 overshoot. No sign here at servic of John Spain/Peter Egan in the ex McHale Manta.
In the Ford Ireland Focus Championship Oliver Stanley was 2s up on Colm Murphy after stage 2 with Brendan Kelly a further 2 in arrears. More to follow. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON                    www.rallynews.net