RALLY NEWS NO.6                       End of stage 7 - Saturday  3.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7 Kilnahoun
1st (3) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 45.08.9
2nd (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 45.23.7
3RD (13) Tapio Laukkanen/Harri Kaapro (Impreza WRC) 45.24.5
4th (1) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 45.25.1
5th (4) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 46.14.5
6th (9) Tim McNulty/Julian Nangle (Impreza WRC) 46.43.6
7th (8) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 47.13.9
8th (15) Roy White/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 47.49.5
9th (23) James Foley/Lisa Roe (Lancer N) 48.18.5
10th (16) Aaron MacHale/Ger McMonagle (Lancer N) 48.22.1

Eugene Donnelly was fastest through stage 7, by 3s from Austin MacHale and Derek McGarrity with Tapio Laukkanen a further 1s back. Eugene was in top form, the anti lag system on his Corolla now working, and he has a lot of confidence coming in as regards the car and his tyre choice. Tapio reported the stage very slippery, and reckoned he was just a little too careful.

Austin MacHale was still having some brake problems, having to pump the pedal after left hand corners.  Derek McGarrity wasn't too happy with his tyre choice, the road was drying and he was on wets, but then so were most of the other top drivers. Eamonn Boland felt for sure that he was on the wrong tyres, and he dropped well over 10s to the drivers in front. Tim McNulty was 10s faster than Boland, but still is a fair bit behind the Wexford man in overall terms.

Donie O'Sullivan has been doing a lot of work to the suspension on  his Bio Clear Focus WRC. Donie's times are improving stage by stage. 

Roy White sete a scorching group N time, 7s up on Aaron MacHale.  The time for James Foley is a "scratch time" as the stage was stopped after about 12 cars went through.  Reason for the stop board at the radio point was too many spectators on the high speed crests and jumps. Noel Redmond is lying down the order, the engineers found that the car wasn't running the proper anti lag system and he felt a great difference on that stage 7, but then he had to back off from the half way mark, because of the stop board. John Spain in the Celica is having some clutch problems, but otherwise going well, and is now the highest placed Galway driver. JJ Fleming we think has pulled out because of his Subaru transmission troubles.  The reason for Maurice Gass' retirement was transmission problems.

Latest news from Sweden is that Markko Martin has put his Focus off the road for 6 minutes - Loeb now leads. 

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