UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8

1ST (9) Robbie McGurk/Rory Kennedy (Subaru)43.52

2ND (2) Dominic McNeill/Francis Beegan (Escort)44.22

3RD (4) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Nagle (Toyota)44.28

4TH (11) Brian Murphy/M J Morrisey (Subaru WRC)44.31

5TH (3) Eamonn Boland/Anthony Nestor (Subaru WRC)45.02

6TH (6) Kevin O'Kane/Stephen Griffith (Subaru)46.08

7TH (21) John Treacy/John Smithwick (Escort) 47.49

8TH (25) Brian McCloskey/Shane O'Neill (Escort)47.54

9TH (24) Garry Jennings/Cian Curley (Peugeot 106)48.10

10TH (15) Eddie Kinirons/Thomas Kinirons (Celica)48.25

Rally leader Robbie McGurk emerged from the long Gurteen stage with a time 13 seconds quicker than his nearest challenger, the Omagh man on the mobile to car owner Willie John Dolan saying "It is the WRC driver in a GpN car, not GpN drivers in WRC cars" he joked, this despite a spin on stage seven.

Dominic McNeill wasn't laughing as his KBB doors Escort WRC had a misfire all the way through the long stage and dropped 8 seconds to Eugene Donnelly. Donnelly moving the within six seconds of McNeill for third place.

Eamonn Boland reports all is well in his NVD Impreza while Brian Murphy has settled in to his RHD example and was pleased with his times over those two stages.

The rally is starting to take its toll, and local man Pete Willoughby who was going so well in the ex-Neill Simpson Lancer has retired with transmission failure. Reportedly stopped on the side of stage eight is the ever unlucky John McCarthy who was holding 6th place overall. Jimmy Lambert hasn't appeared here at service and as yet we have no times for the down the field Paul Barrett.

Garry Jennings found the little 1600 Peugeot struggling for top speed on the long Gurteen straights, the car only geared for 95 mph loosing 15 seconds to a flying John Treacy in his Escort Mk2.

Brian McCloskey continues to go well in his Escort Cosworth, he and co-driver Shane O'Neill had a spin on stage seven but continue to position themselves strongly in the top ten. The other GpN people including Kieran Molloy and Patrick Elliott both are enjoying themselves and lie just outside the top ten.