RALLY NEWS NO.7                          Parc Ferme Galway/Saturday  5.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9
1st (13) Tapio Laukkanen/Harri Kaapro (Impreza WRC) 1.03.13.0
2nd (2) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.03.19.3
3rd (1) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.03.36.3
4th (3) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.04.23.2
5th (4) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 1.04.39.6
6th (9) Tim McNulty/Julian Nangle (Impreza WRC) 1.05.22.4
7th (8) Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 1.05.53.0
8th (15) Roy White/Greg Shinnors (Lancer N) 1.06.59.7
9th (23) James Foley/Lisa Roe (Lancer N) 1.07.09.9
10th (16) Aaron MacHale/Ger McMonagle (Lancer N) 1.07.36.5

THE ABOVE LEADERBOARD IS UNOFFICIAL

Tapio Laukkanen moved into the lead of this First Choice Flooring Galway International Rally on stage 8 when Derek McGarrity's Subaru hit a large rock lying in the road and punctured a wheel.  Eamonn Boland hit the same rock but lost little time. McGarrity's car suffered a puncture and lost over a minute.  This left Laukkanen with a clear run through the final stage to hold the overnight lead. The Finnish driver reporting all well with the car.  McGarrity was obviously desperately disappointed to lose the lead and said "I couldn't avoid the rock, it was right on the line, on a left hand corner.  I think the rock was pulled out by a car in front, but that's rallying".

Eugene Donnelly has been a revelation over the afternoon stages, fastest on the final stage of the day, his car seemingly transformed when the mechanics were able to get the engine anti lag working properly. Eugene saying "We settled in well to the new car and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow now".

Austin MacHale led the rally initially, but disappointed to have some brake problems and drop a few places. However, there is only 20 or so seconds between first and third, no doubt Austin's Sanyo Air Conditioning and Tom Hogan Motors backed Focus WRC will be on full song for the Sunday leg. 

Group N leader Roy White had a few dramas through stages 8 and 9. On 8 he over-cooked it into a hairpin left junction and slid into a bog.  Then on stage 9 he went too fast into another junction, had an overshoot and lost a few seconds. 2nd in Group N James Foley was worried about his Lancer's clutch, but he seems to have that sorted now.

Further stories include - Tim McNulty having a spin in stage 9, just losing a few seconds. Top Galway driver John Spain lost time in stage 9 when his Celica incurred a broken drive shaft. Billy Coleman Award winner Dessie Keenan was delayed in stage 8 when he caught Noel Redmond's'straddled Hyundai.  Noel had spun the Accent which was jamamed across the road. Tom Holton had managed to push his way through, but Dessie got stuck for quite a few seconds.

Looking back to stage 7 - it was stopped for safety reasons - spectators on the road in front of the cars and the officials tell us they will have no hesitation in stopping stages on Sunday if the same thing happens again.

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (with thanks to Michael Patterson and Zoe Todd).