RALLY NEWS NO.8            End of stage 9-Saturday 5.45
www.rallynews.net
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9 Boleybeg
1st (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 59.33
2nd (1) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Corolla WRC) 1.00.39
3rd (3) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Celica) 1.00.48
4th (9) Roy White/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 1.01.58
5th (8) Trevor Cathers/Dessie Wilson (Lancer N) 1.02.04
6th (6) Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr (Impreza WRC) 1.02.14
7th (10) Seamus Leonard/Kevin O'Brien (Subaru N) 1.02.22
8th (18) Dominic Loughran/Lisa Roe (Lancer N) 1.05.32
9th (31) Gerry McVeigh/Padraig Dineen (Lancer N) 1.05.46
10th (25) Seamus Heron/Billy McCullins (Celica) 1.06.25

This West 2002 International Rally has changed complexion once more as the drivers now tackle 4 stages in darkness over moorland.  The first of those stages is this stage 9, Boleybeg.  The first 3 or 4 cars had twilight zone visibility, light mist.  Then as each car tackled the stage the darkness increased, the mist and the rain got ever thicker.  We reported on the last RallyNews that Tom Holton was going to pull out of the rally. He changed his mind and decided to try and keep going, but unfortunately his Celica blew its turbo halfway through the test. So what with darkness, thick mist and then smoke from the Celica's turbo the drivers behind Tom had a really bad time.  Eugene Donnelly stunned the opposition with a time of 6.26 for the 7.6 mile stage, Peadar Hurson's Celica stopped the clock on 6.36 and Austin MacHale's Corolla recorded 6.53. Interestingly, the fastest of the gpN drivers, Roy White, was just 5s slower than Austin MacHale. Trevor Cathers 1 behind that and Seamus Leonard a further 5 back.

The drivers were all pretty uptight at stage finish and were passing little comment, it was a question for most of hunching the shoulders and getting through the next 3 stages. Ironically, despite his jarred back and having set such a stunning time, probably the most relaxed of the leading men was Eugene Donnelly.
Just outside the above leaderboard Anthony O'Halloran is on a total of 1.09.34. Eugene Meegan 1.08.04. Willie Fannin going well on 1.07.32. Sean McArdle 1.07.07.
Perhaps the conditions were summed up best by some of the later drivers. Gerry McVeigh said "From two thirds of the way through the stage I just had to switch the spotlights off, not a thing could I see, I was in and out of several ditches". 
Looking back to the finish of stage 8 - some of the class leaders included: Frank Tuomey (Suzuki) cl.1: Gerry Broderick led cl.2 in his Civic: Alan McMahon was in front in cl.3 with his Integra. Paul & Brian Cleary led cl.5 in their Micra from Alyn Spiers in the Suzuki with Aisling Dooris/Wendy Blackledge 3rd in class and, we believe, leading Ladies Crew.    In the ding dong class 6 Glenn Wilson has not got ahead of Alan Ring by 1s. Ivan Allen is 3rd in that class. While Dessie Keenan has somehow survived his accident and is 4th - all in Peugeots.Fergal Allen leads the National Rally in his BMW M3 from Conor Curley/Nigel Frazer in their Escort. Paul Dempsey is highest placed Galway driver in his gpN Impreza running in the International.  More later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON