RALLY NEWS NO.2 Paddock/Punchestown/Sunday 1.45

1^st (1) Colin McRae/Richard Dunwoody (Ford Focus WRc) 5.05.0

2^nd (2) Andrew Nesbitt/James O’Brien (Subaru WRC) 5.08.9

3^rd (3) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla WRC) 5.10.0

4^th (11) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Subaru WRC) 5.16.03

5^th (4) Derek McGarrity/Willie McKee (Subaru WRC) 5.16.5

6^th (9) Michael Barrable/Ann Kearney (Subaru WRC) 5.18.3

7^th (8) Robert Woodside/Graham McKee (Subaru WRC) 5.18.7

8^th (10) David Greer/Rory Kennedy (Corolla WRC) 5.19.1

9^th (7) Peadar Hurson/David Roe (Celica) 5.21.3

10^th (5) James Cullen/Ronan Kilroy (Subaru) 5.23.0

Colin McRae had a broad smile on his face when he finished the second stage here at Punchestown, and we don’t know whether he was joking or serious when he commented "That was better, Richard here was on the notes that time." On the notes or not Colin was definitely fastest with a time of 2.31.4, Andrew Nesbitt recorded 2.33.7. Austin MacHale 2.35.0. Tarmac Champion Nesbitt reported again about a noise in the transmission and although he said that it didn’t slow him down, and he wasn’t really thinking about it, it could have had some small affect. Austin MacHale shrugged his shoulders at stage finish, fully aware that running wide at the corner in the final slalom probably cost him a second at least. It is so tight here today the Dubliner can’t afford to give Nesbitt the slightest inch advantage. Derek McGarrity slipped from 4t^h to 5^th, Derek reporting the ignition cut out on the gear stick which allows him to keep the foot flat on the accelerator when changing gears, was sticking on on the back straight, holding the car back. Maurice Gass was just over a second faster than his first run, with no puncture this time.

Robert Woodside did have a punctured rear tyre, Robert saying "In fact we got a puncture on the way to the start line, changed on to the spare in a hurry, and it is too hard a compound". James Cullen reported that he reckoned he was on the limit of his tyres, buthe was running a very soft compound, also the car was jumping out of gear. Ollie O’Donovan told of a very heavy landing after the big jump.

Billy Coleman is driving one of the Ford Focus Clubman Championship cars and he joked at stage finish "This rallying is like an awful disease, you can’t get away from it". Billy has journalist Vincent Hogan co-driving. Of the 7 Challenge Focus cars, Oliver Stanley and Brendan Kelly are levl pegging.

Natalie Barrett is running a Hyundai Accent WRC here today, and there is some little confusion over Natalie’s stage time, but she could be into the top 10. More news on that later. Recap on Group N – James Foley was fastest on the first run. However Seamus Leonard has got his rear brakes sorted and was almost 7s faster that time, so it will be interesting to see how the others react. LATE NEWS – Natalie Barrett is talking about retiring, having difficulty with her Hyundai’s differential set up. More news to follow…BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net