RALLY NEWS NO.4                Portumna/Service/Sunday 3.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 Timsallagh
1st (1) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC)  2902
2nd (4) Patrick Elliott/Martin Cahill (Impreza) 29.24
3rd (3) JJ Fleming/Robbie Ward (Impreza WRC) 29.32
4th (15) Ivan Stewart/Gerard Callaghan (Esc.Cos) 30.14
5th (12) James Foley/Andrew Cullen Lancer N) 30.23
6th (7) Anthony O'Halloran/Kevin Synott (Manta) 30.39
7th (10) George Tracey/Elva Roe (Impreza N) 30.40
8th (6) John Spain/Peter Egan (Manta) 31.11
9th (5) George Cullen/Sean Mullally (Celica) 31.16

The unofficial leaderboard above is shown as after stage 5 - we have no times as yet for stage 4 as the connection between the flying finish and the stop car broke - hopefully those times will be slotted in later when the master sheets are checked.

On our last RallyNews we reported Michael Barrable's Impreza WRC as having some turbo problems, and he was only 3rd fastest on stage 3.  His mechanics replaced the turbo at service and status quo has been resumed with Michael recording a time of 5.12 through stage 5. JJ Fleming and Patrick Elliott both on 5.17.  Even although the turbo has been replaced Michael can still feel a slight hesitation in the car and indeed a whiff of oil smoke could be detected at the end of the stage.  Otherwise there was no real change amongst the leaders with all the top cars through stages 4 and 5 with no real problems. 

There have several more retirements - John Dempsey reported fluctuating oil pressure at the end of stage 3 and he decided to retire his Impreza at service. Gerard McKieran also withdrew his Lancer at service following a broken drive shaft and puncture in stages 2 and 3. Stephen Carway pulled his Escort Cosworth in at the end of 4, the engine electronics playing up. The reason for Philip Shaw's retirement on stage 3 was a broken gearbox, Philip was flying in the black Escort, in the top 6.  Tom Lawless was running very late in his Civic, the Honda reportedly having distributor problems. Sheena O''rien/Francis Kenny retired their Nova when the wheel studs sheared on a square right corner and the car ground to a halt. We carried a story earlier that Brian McKenna has crashed his G4 Escort and held up another competitor - Monaghan man McKenna refutes this and says the car just lost a wheel, although others tell us that the car is damaged.

In today's Belgian Grand Prix Michael Schumacher clocked up his 10th win of the season to create a new record. Barrichello was 2nd and Montoya 3rd. Eddie Irvine got the Jaguar into the points with 6th place.

Eoin Longworth is doing time control here at service and he tolls us that the Birr Forestry Rally on the 29th September is well advanced in the planning stakes and will be backed by Stephen Carway's C Sport and Mr O's Nightclub of Templemore.  More news after stage 6.
BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON