The Mayo Stages 2004 - RallyNews LIVE

RALLY NEWS NO.3                          Westport/Service/Sunday 1.15

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 Partry Mountain
1st (2) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (Impreza WRC) 23.47
2nd (5) Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 23.55
3rd (6) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Impreza) 23.56
4th (10) Tommy Graham/Francis Kenny (Impreza WRC) 24.31
5th (22) John Cairns/James Cairns 9Impreza N) 24.47
6th (7) Aaron MacHale/Ger McMonagle (Lancer N) 24.50
7th (20) Pat Donegan/Damien Garvey (Escort) 25.01
8th (32) Dominic McLoughlin/Cyril Donellan (Peugeot rwd) 25.03
9th (15) Kieran Shaw/Crawford Henderson (Impreza WRC) 25.04
10th (31) Trevor Lancashire/Noel Hall (Escort) 25.22

Niall Maguire ran into intercom problems on stage 3 which affected his performance somewhat, and allowed Kevin Lynch to set fastest time - a whacking 18s quicker than Maguire. Patrick Elliott had been 2nd, but his Subaru succumbed to a broken piston on that 3rd stage, Partry Mountain. Seamus Leonard has been driving a blinder in his more or less Group N Subaru, but running in the Group A category today. Leonard commented here at service "We're running out of brakes, a car's no good without stoppers!" Maguire did not seem too annoyed about his intercom problem and not being able to hear the notes, but he is certainly going to have to do something about the charging Kevin Lynch, who admitted to a cautious start, but is really going for it now.

Tommy Graham had a pretty stunning time through stage 3. Co driver Francis Kenny saying "We are really enjoying ourselves, caught David Armstrong earlier which held us back, on a jump in Partry, towards the end, the car flew so high I thought we were going to have to get clearance from Knock Airport". As for David Armstrong, normally a a front runner, he just doesn't understand why he is being slow today.

Kieran Shaw, up into the top 10 now, although he may have some road penalties from parc ferme, said. "Just footering really, its coming on, on the first stage we discovered that the tyre pressures were at 45, and then on that last stage we caught Ray Breen."

John Cairns is now the fastest gpN car. Aaron MacHale was quickest initially, but Cairns commented "We're trying to keep the Impreza up a gear, and its paying off". Derrick Jobb said something, possibly a sump guard, flew off over a crest jump in stage 3. Michael Shaw admits to just not being on the pace today. Danny McBride has lost 1st and 2nd gear in his gpN Subaru, but still going rightly and on a total of 25.54.

Raymond Drury broke something in his Escort's rear suspension and hopes to get it fixed in service. Gordon Rogers suffered a stage 1 puncture in his Escort, dropped 5 minutes and on a total of 31.26. Martin Howley put his Lancer off the road for 2 minutes in stage 1, respectable times stages 2 and 3, total now 26.40. Pat Price has parked his new Lancer in a bog and can't get going. Gavin Harris is driving Robbie McGurk's Lancer, going well, but then a broken brake pipe caused the brake pedal to sink in stage 3.

Eoin Doyle was delayed in stage 3 and is now on a total of 26.13 in his new Subaru. Dominic McLoughlin has been flying but unfortunately has incurred a 30s penalty for clipping a water divider chicane in stage 2. Many other drivers have incurred penalties for hitting the chicanes, most of them further down the field. David McNulty has been knocked off the leaderboard because of a chicane penalty. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON     www.rallynews.net

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