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Rallynews No.2 Sunday 12.30pm Hillgrove Hotel
Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage One
1st
(2) Adrian McElvaney/Paul Goodman (WRC) 8.33
2nd
(1) Niall Maguire/Paul McLoughlin (WRC) 8.36
3rd
(4) Sean Devine/James McKee (Subaru) 8.39
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(6) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Subaru) 8.39
5th
(5) Hugh Martin Doherty/Michael McBride (Subaru) 8.56
6th
(14) Enda Keenan/Paul Garry (Escort) 9.00
7th
(8) Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney (Subaru) 9.04
8th
(3) David Armstrong/Bob Kelly (Subaru) 9.08
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(12) Maurice Moffett/Jason McKenna (Starlet) 9.08
10th
(16) Mac McKenna/John Loughran (205 rwd) 9.09
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(19) Mick McQuaid/Victor Fields (Escort) 9.09
12th
(15) Paddy Boyle/Marty Sherlock (Escort) 9.10
Adrian McElvaney set the pace over the opening
Doogary stage just to the North of Monaghan town with a time three
seconds faster than Niall Maguire. Adrian is pleased as punch with
his new Impreza WRC but the young Monaghan man admitted to
forgetting to adjust the tyre pressures before the stage and felt
that his rubber was going off towards the end of the stage and was
unsure as to whether he had cooked his tyres or not. Niall Maguire
reported no problems running first on the road but David Armstrong
who is running third on the road had a slow time as he tried to
settle himself in with co driver Bob Kelly. Tied in third place are
Sean Devine and Kevin Barrett, Devine having a trouble free run
despite his Impreza smoking oil due to being overfilled with the
lubricant while Triton Showers man Barrett reported no problems over
the first stage.
First 2wd car on the road is Dessie Keenan but
he and co driver Enda Sherry had a dreadful first stage when they
dropped almost two minutes as the battery lead kept coming off their
hired Air – Contracts Escort Mk2, their time for the stage was
10.31. Leading the 2wds is father Enda Keenan and this was despite
catching and passing Eugene Ferry, Enda loosing a few seconds in the
struggling Lancer’s dust. Just behind is Maurice Moffett who
reckoned he had a good run in his Starlett but the car would not
restart at the end of the first stage and needed a push start to get
going again. Mac McKenna and Mick McQuaid both tied on a 9.09 and
are both right in the hunt for 2wd honours. Just off the
leaderboard Gordon Rogers set a time of 9.16 in his Mk2 while John
McGaffin settles into his new to him Impreza WRC and set a time of
9.24.
Across the water we are pleased to see that
Austin McHale and Brian Murphy have won the opening round of the BRC,
the Rally of Wales. Rory Galligan brought his works Mitsubishi home
in fourth and won GpN just ahead of Gareth McHale in fifth. More
News Later Michael Patterson & Zoe Todd
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