RALLY NEWS NO.13 irvinestown Service/Monday 12.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 19 Lurganboy

1^st (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 2.12.35.7

2^nd (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 2.13.06.7

3^rd (9) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 2.14.53.6

4^th (2) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 2.16.02.4

5^th (12) Daniel & Michael Doherty (Impreza WRC) 2.17.08.2

6^th (16) Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry (Lancer N) 2.22.54.9

7^th (15) Aaron MacHale/Ger McMonagle (Lancer N) 2.24.53.7

8^th (19) Cathal Rogers/Sean McLaughlin (Lancer N) 2.29.08.8

9^th (33) Willie Fannin/Mike Courtney (Impreza N) 2.30.00.8

10^th (17) Guy Woodcock/Phil Harrison (Escort Maxi) 2.32.56.9

11^th (21) Charlie Mavitty/Nigel Frazer (Lancer N) 2.36.28.7

12^th (43) Alan Cathcart/Paddy Flanagan (Integra) 2.37.57.2

Eugene Donnelly managed to nip a couple of seconds out of Derek McGarrity’s lead through stage 18, but in stage 19 McGarrity reversed the trend in dramatic fashion by beating Donnelly by 9s. This leaves McGarrity’s lead at 29s with 3 full stages and St Angelo still to follow. Not a massive margin but fairly safe. McGarrity commented when he came in to service here at Irvinestown. "We were a bit adventurous over some of the jumps, trying to open the gap up to Eugene, I think that’s enough now". On saying that, Derek jumped out of the Impreza to try to secure the spare wheels into the boot, the wheels and jack having once again burst free from their strappings, and were bashing around the boot. Eugene said. "I could see Derek’s lines, where he was cutting but I wasn’t prepared to go that route. I have no answer for that time, in a way its technology counts again, it’s a much newer car". Donie O’Sullivan said "We’re having a ball, of the 3 stages this morning the first one was slippy, but really they were fairly clean, got a bit of mist and rain on the 3^rd one". O’Sullivan is now looking very secure in 3^rd, 4^th placed MacHale saying "Nice and steady to the finish". Fifth placed Daniel Doherty said "The sticking throttle isn’t quite as bad, but the confidence is out of it".

In Group N, Billy Coleman Award winner Dessie Keenan was again fastest of the category through stage 19, but the Monaghan lad paid a fair price having bent the front chassis legs of his Lancer on the renowned Trillick jump. 2^nd in Group N, Aaron MacHale, said "We’re going steady now, want to take it to the finish, you could break anything on the car, the yoke has been well shook over the last 3 days". Cathal Rogers is 3^rd in gpN, but the Dungiven man is in a spot of bother, his Lancer clutch starting to slip. Willie Fannin’s Lancer is down on power and he is struggling to keep up. Guy Woodcock in 10^th is still having battery trouble, but setting good times. Alan Cathcart continues to lead his class, but he bent the front of his Honda on that Lurganboy stage 19 jump. Dermot Hanafin is just behind Cathcart in 13^th, but his Impreza is still suffering an intermittent electrical problem. John McElhinney is going well, just outside the leaderboard and leading his class by 10 minutes in his Peugeot.

Further to our last RallyNews and the report on Kevin Watson’s accident on stage 17. Kevin was taken to hospital with a broken arm and cuts to his face. Co driver Kevin Flanagan got a lift back to service with a following competitor, Brendan Connor, who pulled out of the rally. Sean Devine also pulled out of the rally because of his immediate concern about Kevin.

In the National section of the event, Jaye Jordan leads, Seamus O’Connor 2^nd and Gary Keenan 3^rd. Adrian Kermode leads the Historics in his Porsche 911 from Stephen Hall in his Triumph TR4.

Looking back to yesterday, Shaun Gallagher did indeed win the Peugeot 206 Super Cup Championship round in France, the Rallye Auvergne, by 39s. Also looking back to yesterday on the Circuit, Colm Murphy’s retirement came about when he overshot an acute junction, snicked his GpN Subaru into reverse, the box didn’t like it one bit, and refused to play ball.

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net