RALLY NEWS NO.3 Service Tralee/Sunday 12.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 Desmonds Grave
1st (12) John Kearney/Denis O'Connell (Escort) 19.53
2nd (3) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 20.03
3rd (19) Kevin O'Donoghue/Joe O'Leary (Escort) 20.10
(2) Alan Ring/Derek Brannigan (Impreza N) 20.10
5th (6) Tadgh Linihan/Mark Kane (Impreza N) 20.17
6th (8) Joe & Dermot McHugh (Esc.Cos) 20.25
7th (7) Pat Donegan/Jakes Kelly (Escort) 20.46
8th (17) Dave Slattery/Craig McSweeney (Escort) 20.50
9th (11) Aidan Walsh/Jim Casey (Escort) 20.52
10th (67) Patrick Corcoran/Amanda Giles (Starlet) 20.53
10th (31) Mike Bird/Kevin Keane (Lancer N) 21.02

Patchy slippery conditions through stage 2, Desmonds Grave, caught out many drivers, not least the No.1 seed Noel Redmond. Bunclody man Redmond crashed his Subaru very heavily at junction 4, a very fast right left sequence down to a T junction, the car was stuck for several minutes. The crew eventually got the car extricated from the scenery and made it here to service. Damage doesn’t seem too bad, but co driver Diarmuid Falvey says he is completely devastated, very shook up, and really doesn’t want to continue. Diarmuid commented. “This was a flat in 6th gear accident”.

Alan Ring lost a few seconds getting past the scene of Redmond’s accident and he remarked just how patchy the conditions were. Kevin Kelleher was also held up. Kevin told us that he was off the road briefly on the first stage, Knocknagoshel, at a square right after a slippy crest and slightly deranged his Lancer steering geometry.

Tadgh Linehan had a very narrow escape towards the end of the 2nd stage, his Bio-Tech Group N Impreza going up the bank on a long 6 left double tightens. The Subaru shot up in the air, did a backwards flip and then landed backwards, Tadgh managing to get the car straight, virtually no damage and finished with a good time. Co driver Mark Kane said at stage finish. “I’m dizzy!” Pat Donegan & Jakes Kelly had a good run through stage 2, pulling back some of the time they lost on stage 1.

Mike Quinn led the rally after the opening stage but his Escort has crashed about 3 miles into stage 2 on a square right corner. Kevin O’Donoghue had a good time through stage 2 but reported 2 major moments. John Kearney was fastest through that stage 2 and in the process of setting his time he caught and passed Aidan Walsh on a fast medium right corner, Aidan managing to spin his Escort as Kearney was going past.

Tom Randles retired on the first stage when the Celica had a soft tyre and got dragged into the ditch. Joe McHugh reported a major moment in stage 2 when he came around a corner and there were rocks all over the road, he went into the ditch to avoid them. Seamus Murphy damaged the side of his Escort at a chicane.

Dave Slattery had a good run, his new engine working well. Dave Randles has got a new ex works Nissan Almera and was supposed to be doing OO duties today but decided against it when the new car gave some brake troubles.
Looking outside Kerry for a minute – Duval has won Rally Australia, his first WRC win. Rovanpera 2nd. Stohl 3rd. Colin McRae’s charge expired when the team decided to change the Skoda clutch as a precaution and ran out of time. Toshi Arai won the Production category from Mark Higgins. Arai also wins the Production World Championship. Nasser Al-Attiiyah and “our Chris” were 5th Group N on the rally and are 2nd in the Production World Championship. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net