RALLY NEWS NO.2                         End of stage 1 - Sunday 12.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 (Arderra)
1st (1) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Subaru) 10.31
     (7) David Armstrong/Herbie Blackburn (Esc.Cos) 10.31
3rd (5) Robert Woodside/Dean Beckett (Subaru) 10.36
4th (3) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Subaru) 10.37
5th (9) Patrick Elliott/Sean Moriarty (Subaru) 10.43
     (10) Sean Gallagher/Victor Carruthers (Escort) 10.43
7th (22) John Dalton/Gwynfor Jones (Darrian) 10.45
8th (11) Cathal Arthurs/Bob Kelly (Celica) 10.49
9th (4) Steve Fleck/Mark Aspinall (Subaru) 10.50
10th (2) Melvyn Evans/Alun Davies (Esc.WRC) 10.52
     (6) John & Caroline Price (Metro 6R4) 10.52

Rain just before the start of the rally meant that already slippy farm roads became treacherous for the early stages.  First on the road, Michael Barrable, shook his head when he arrived at the end of the first stage, saying "Definitely one of the most slippy stages I've ever done".  Melvyn Evans, second on the road, but well down the leaderboard, reported no real problems but appeared to be struggling with the conditions. Dunlop Championship leader Niall Maguire reported an overshoot in the stage.  Robert Woodside, not normally seen on asphalt rallies, put up a good time to lie 3rd after the first stage, despite his Impreza WRC jumping out of 6th gear.    John Price felt that he could smell gear oil from his Metro 6R4 but everything seemed OK nonetheless.  David Armstrong turned in a stunning time to hold equal 1st and said "Scared ourselves silly".

In the race between the 2 wheel drive Escorts, as expected there were fireworks.  Phil Collins was given a higher start position than his No.29 and he emerged from the stage with the rear left corner of his Escort badly smashed. His time still a creditable 11.27.  Jimmy Lambert recorded 11.02, Derek Smith 11.04.  Lambert is running in class 13, Smith and Collins class 14, but also in that class 14 is the Darrian of John Dalton, and his time was a pretty stunning 10.45.  Tim Ball in the other Darrian did 10.59.  Mac McKenna in the rwd Peugeot had a time of 11.21 but was held up by another car in the stage.

Tony Davies was in early trouble although he finished the stage, he may decided not to continue.  Tony was out for the first time in his GpA Subaru, and was passed by several cars in the stage, reporting the windscreen to be so badly misted that he could not see where he was going, and also had gearbox troubles. 

In Group N Bob Fowden looks like the pacesetter - his time 11.04.  Aaron McHale reported taking it very handy on his first run out in his rebuilt Lancer and he did 11.40.  Kieran Molloy in gpN Subaru had a very creditable 11.12. Gwyndaf Evans 11.29.  No sign at stage finish of car 18 Geoff Kittney (Sierra).  Some more times - Eddie Kinirons 11.30: Richie Curran 10.54. Jon Mercer 10.56. More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON