RALLY NEWS NO.7 Service/Near Castlederg/Sunday 10.30

1^st (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 48.29.3

2^nd (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 48.59.6

3^rd (9) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 49.38.5

4^th (2) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 49.38.8

5^th (12) Daniel & Michael Doherty (Impreza WRC) 50.16.8

6^th (16) Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry (Lancer N) 52.27.5

7^th (23) Garry Jennings/Paul Garry (Lancer N) 52.35.2

8^th (15) Aaron MacHale/Ger McMonagle (Lancer N) 52.54.6

9^th (18) Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey (Lancer N) 53.19.7

10^th (28) Conor Byrne/Niall Byrne (Lancer N) 54.08.5

11^th (29) Dermot Hanafin/Claire Mole (Impreza N) 54.31.6

12^th (33) Willie Fannin/Michael Courtney (Lancer N) 54.34.3

The opening Croagh Bridge stage of this Circuit of Ireland Day 2 saw Derek McGarrity turn in a superb time, 8s faster than Eugene Donnelly. Austin a further 1s slower and Donie O’Sullivan 5s back. Here at service McGarrity wouldn’t admit that it was a tactical ploy to let the opposition know where they stand, but it certainly looked that way. Derek said. "Yes I was going hard, but we got it just right, the Pirellis worked really well, we picked a dry weather tyre and it was perfect. However it wasn’t quite so good on the second one which was more gravelly". Second placed Eugene Donnelly in the Envirocare Corolla WRC said "I’m not that bothered, its down to tyres really, there’s a long way to go. I did think I’d got the stage right. We had a slight overshoot but it was maybe only 2 seconds". Eugene’s brother Charlie is shadowing Eugene and his only comment was. "I think we’ve still a bit to learn about tyres". Austin MacHale admitted he was too ambitious in his tyre choice, that the tyres were too hard. Donie O’Sullivan whose Focus WRC is being backed by Bewleys Hotels and Staircrete, felt that his car was bumping about too much at the back and admitted that he had asked the engineers to stiffen it up yesterday in order to cure some understeer, but in his own words. "It has come against us this morning". Daniel Doherty was lowed through stage 8 when his intercom system stopped working and he couldn’t hear the notes, but Daniel is still putting up a tremendous show to hold on to 5^th.

In Group N Aaron MacHale has been fastest through the first 2 stages today, 3s up on Garry Jennings and 7 up on Dessie Keenan through Croagh Bridge. Aaron was just over a second faster than Keenan through stage 8, Barley Hill, with Jennings a further 2s back. Still Dessie Keenan holds on to the group N lead but admitted that he was sleeping through the first one, but then had a good run through the 2n^d. Garry Jennings said. "It’s a different car in the dry, a lot more stable and I can’t believe the brakes". Aaron MacHale said "It could be close enough here all day".

There was disappointment for Robbie McGurk, 3^rd in gpN overnight and moving into home territory, Robbie’s Lancer broke a rear top arm/wishbone thingy, and that pulled out the driveshaft and hub – end of rally for Robbie & Rory. Sean Devine’s gpN Impreza slid off the road into a field beside stage 7 and was stuck for quite a while, eventually getting out and on to service. Cathal Rogers’ Lancer suffered a puncture in stage 7 and dropped about 40s. Colm Murphy is finding his gpN Impreza running out of top speed. Willie Fannin says his gpN Impreza is bouncing about all over the road. Eoin Doyle has moved up to 13^th overall this morning with a couple of good times, his gpN Impreza looking slightly battered at the front after a 30s trip into a stage 4 ditch, and also nudging the tyres at St Angelo. Eoin Doyle is 13^th. Raymond McLoughlin 14^th. Guy Woodcock 15^th. Keith McIvor 16^th. Paddy White 17^th, and with oil leaking on to the clutch. Cathal Rogers 18^th. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net