RALLY NEWS NO.5         Glenamaddy-service-Sat. 12.45
www.rallynews.net

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 Doo Lake
1ST (3) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Celica) 28.56
2ND (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 29.09
3RD (1) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla WRC) 29.29
4TH (9) Roy White/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 29.52
      (10) Seamus Leonard/Kevin O'Brien (Subaru N) 29.52
6TH (8) Trevor Cathers/Dessie Wilson (Lancer N) 30.01
7TH (6) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Impreza WRC) 30.04
8TH (18) Dominic Loughran/Lisa Roe (Lancer N) 31.10
9TH (31) Gerry McVeigh/Padraig Dineen (Lancer N) 31.22
10TH (20) Tom Holton/Andrew Cullen (Celica) 31.30

There is quite a race developing at the front of this West 2002 International Rally, with Eugene Donnelly now inched ahead of Austin MacHale, and nibbling at Peadar Hurson's lead.  Through stage 5 Donnelly's hired Stan Harper Subaru WRC stopped the clocks on 6.55, Hurson was on 7.06 and MacHale in the Tom Hogan Motors supported Toyota 7.17. Eugene commented "The tyres are brilliant, the car is unbelievable, I'm just driving it!"  Peadar Hurson said "Its hard to know where to commit and where not to commit, the grip is patchy".  Austin MacHale was not too happy in that his intercom was cutting out intermittently in the stage, which couldn't have given him much confidence, but at least his water injection system was fixed.

Roy White has certainly hot the hammer down - equal fastest with Trevor Cathers in the gpN race through stage 5.  White saying "I'm getting a savage amount of oversteer out of junctions, maybe I'm being over-enthusiastic".  Trevor Cathers, in subdued form today, said "Not too bad". While Seamus Leonard told us "I'm just being a wee bit cautious, there is more grip than you imagine, but just in some places!"

In the National part of the rally, Fergal Allen is on a total of 31.44, Tom Halliday 31.46 and Wesley Patterson 31.57.

Ford Ireland Focus standings after stage 5  show Colm Murphy in the lead by 34s from Oliver Stanley although the two were equal fastest on the stage. Brendan Kelly had led earlier, had a bit of a coming together with the scenery, is now running late and has possible radiator trouble.

Other stories include - Pat White's Impreza WRC suffering a sticking open throttle. Anthony O'Halloran is just off the pace, can't get the tyres to warm up. Sean McArdle just dropped off the leaderboard after a spin in stage 5. Tom Holton's Celica bashed a concrete fence in stage 4, only cost a few seconds, Tom saying "We got away light".  Wesley Patterson's Escort is jumping out of 1st gear. Raymond Drury is losing a lot of time now, his Escort's gearbox only got 4th and 5th cogs, held up Gene Meegan slightly. Raymond only has a replacement box out of a Sierra which will not be great.  Kevin Barrett total is now is 32.41, Pat White 32.25. More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON