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Rally News
No.5 Service Area Limavady Saturday 15.45pm
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage Eight
1st (1) Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 30.47
2nd (2) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 31.03
3rd (7) Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N) 32.36
4th (16) John McGlaughlin/David McElroy (Lancer N) 32.43
5th (3) Kevin O’Kane/Martin Hanna (Impreza WRC) 32.57
6th (27) Tony Arnsby/Phil Cook (Lancer) 33.01
7th (21) Conor Kelly/David Vance (Lancer N) 33.20
8th (8) Sean Devine/Paddy Robinson (Impreza N) 33.27
9th (25) Andy Magee/Joe McAleese (Escort Mk2) 33.41
10th (9) Brendan Connor/Alan Redstone (Impreza) 33.43
11th (20) Mark Barnett/Gerard Callaghan (Escort Mk2)
34.04
12th (15) Martin Elliott/Brian Crawford (Lancer N) 34.05
Second placed man Glenn Allen had a resigned look on his face here
at the Limavady service area, Glenn reporting that he has driven
faultlessly over the last couple of stages and had nothing but
admiration for Kevin Lynch’s controlled drive at the head of the
field. Glenn saying “you have to hand it to Kevin, he has driven
superbly today” and then went on to say that he didn’t think he could
challenge the rally leader over the final two stages. Lynch was
fastest once again through both stages seven and eight but such is the
pace with the leading pair that they both beat the bogey on stage
seven, Lynch by six seconds and Allen by 3 seconds, with Kevin taking
a further three from Glenn on stage eight. Tony Armsby is slowly but
surely reeling in Kevin O’Kane in fifth and over the last two stages
took three seconds from the Omagh man and Kevin’s co driver Martin
Hanna now waiting at the in control to check the Englishman’s times.
Neil McCance and John McGlaughlin are at it tooth and nail for the
GpN lead and over stages seven and eight they tied on SS7 while
McGlaughlin took one second back over SS8 to leave the gap at just
seven seconds. Both drivers reporting trouble free runs over those
two stages. Raymond McLaughlin has retired his Lancer from the GpN
race after struggling with gear box problems all day and eventually
the unit has broken. Conor Kelly has now moved into a strong third in
GpN and this was despite putting a shock up through the turret but
Conor reckons it didn’t cost him that much time and he is pulling away
ever so slightly from Sean Devine who is reporting no problems in his
Impreza.
Andy Magee and Mark Barnett are another involved in a great battle
with Andy taking two seconds from Mark in stage seven while Barnett
responded to take two back in SS8. Kieran Graffin is another driver
having a good solid run and lies just off the leaderboard on a total
of 34.16 while Stanley Ballentine slightly damaged the front of his
Lancer in Cam but is also having a good run and is on a total of
34.24.
More News Later Michael Patterson & Zoe Todd
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