RALLY NEWS NO.2          Eyrecourt/End of SS1/Sunday/Noon

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Tiraranscragh
1st (1) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 9.00
2nd (4) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Impreza) 9.18
3rd (3) JJ Fleming/Robbie Ward (Impreza WRC) 9.21
4th (15) Ivan Stewart/Gerard Callaghan (Esc.Cos) 9.28
5th (12) James Foley/Andrew Cullen Lancer N) 9.30
6th (8) Philip Shaw/Derek Brannigan (Escort) 9.33
7th (7) Anthony O'Halloran/Kevin Synott (Manta) 9.43
     (22) Gerard McKiernan/Trevor Knox (Lancer N) 9.43
9th (10) George Tracey/Elva Roe (Impreza N) 9.48
10th  (6) John Spain/Peter Egan (Manta) 9.52

The shock news from stage 1 is that Paul Harris has crashed his Impreza  at a square right.  Driver and co driver are reportedly out of the car and showing the OK board.  We haven't spoken to Paul as yet but we can only presume that there was some problem, as the outgoing National Champion is too good a driver to have made a fundamental mistake. 

This leaves Michael Barrable really out on his own.  Michael told us at stage finish that he wasn't that happy, still under the weather with a touch of the flu.  Also he was using a new type of hard compound slick tyre, and because he wasn't feeling so well he hadn't taken the time to "bed them in".  Second on the road, JJ Fleming, reported all well with his Subaru WRC, but at the same time he had one big scare in the stage.  Patrick Elliott had a good run to record 2nd fastest time, although he felt that his Impreza suspension was set just a little too soft, and he is going to ask his mechanics - mainly Robbie McGurk - to stiffen the dampers etc., at Portumna service.

George Cullen described his run as "steady as we go".  At least his Celica is running well. George's time was 9.56 good enough for 11th overall. Philip Shaw was fastest of the 2 wheel drive ccars, although he reported, as did several other drivers, that his front yres were going off on the warm roads. 

Other stories included - Brian McKenna crashing his G4 Escort and holding up John O'Sullivan in the rear wheel drive Peugeot.  John Dempsey overshot the crossroads square right in his Impreza and lost a bit of momentum, John's time 10.00.  James Foley had a good run to 5th overall and also led group N.  Gerard McKieran was 2nd gpN and George Tracey 3rd.        
Some other times include - Dominic Loughran 10.09.  Wesley Patterson recorded 9.57. The Hillsborough man can feel a vibration in the back of his Escort but can not work out what is causing it.  Stephen Bird in his cl.12 Escort 10.02. David Percy in the F2 Escort 10.13.  David was not happy, the car had cut out on the stage and also the intercoms had stopped working.  Raymond Drury is competing today for the first time in his re-shelled Escort and reports the car wandering all over the road, and also 4th gear has gone. Aidan Walsh did 10.05 despite the car flooding out. Stephen Carway reports his Escort Cosworth's handling awry. Gary Cairns in the gpN Lancer did a 10.02 despite brake problems.  More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON