1^st (1) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Focus WRC) 58.04.5

2^nd (2) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 58.12.6

3^rd (3) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 58.31.9

4^th (5) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 59.10.0

5^th (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 59.11.8

6^th (9) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 59.19.2

7^th (6) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 59.45.2

8^th (8) Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin (Focus WRC) 59.57.2

9^th (7) Peadar Hurson/Damien Connolly (Impreza WRC) 59.59.3

10^th (10) David Higgins/Daniel Barritt (Lancer N) 1.01.51.6

Tim McNulty was fastest on the opening stage this morning and fastest again on stage 10, Todds Leap, with Andrew Nesbitt 6^th fastest and Mark Higgins 3^rd. On our last RallyNews we described how Mark Higgins had a very lucky escape on this morning’s first stage, Ivy Hill, when his Focus careered backwards into a telegraph pole. When he arrived here at service he was immediately out of the car and round to the back to survey the damage.  He said. “I can’t believe how we got away with that, I know I’m one very lucky boy, I thought it was all over.  When the banks and pole were whizzing past the side windows I thought this was going to hurt.  The steering wheel of the car is slightly out of line now, but otherwise it seems fine.  Through the last stage I thought I’d better catch myself on and start to think about the championship. So I went semi hard”.  On the subject of last night’s 10s penalty for an alleged jump start, Mark said. “There was a load of confusion and I was the first car on the road, whether we were positioned too close to the beam or not I don’t know, but apparently I triggered it, but I really didn’t think I had jumped the start”. 

When Andrew Nesbitt arrived in behind the Higgins’ Focus he was straight out of his Subaru and over to see Mark, and said. “There was so much damage I backed off expecting to see you parked round the next corner, I don’t know how you got away with knocking that pole down and you are still going!”  Third on the road, Eugene Donnelly, said he had a good run this morning but that the Todds Leap stage didn’t suit the Corolla, it was too jumpy. Still, Eugene was in top form and is really enjoying the rally.  Derek McGarrity commented that his Impreza just doesn’t seem to be pulling properly, there’s no grunt in it, and the first stage this morning was a real power stage anyway.  When asked about his sudden spring to the top of the time sheets Tim McNulty just shrugged his shoulders and commented. “Honestly, I’m just concentrating on having a good clean run, no dramas”.  One of the other competitors, Paul Kiely, laughed then and said. “Well, I’ll tell you what, Nestor must be fairly spitting the notes out, there must be snow all over the car” 

Eamonn Boland is another to get a bit of a move on this morning and set good times.  Peadar Hurson said he had a good clean run on the first stage this morning, although a bit of an overshoot on the 2^nd and his Impreza feels better, the intercom has been changed and he can hear the notes better.  Austin MacHale told of getting caught out on a downhill 90 right in Todds Leap when he grabbed for the handbrake and the back of the Focus came round in a half spin costing him 5s.  Overall though Austin feels that he is going better today.  His engineer Tom Gahan has changed the drop gear in the car and it seems to be a lot sharper. 

In Group N David Higgins is till in very subdued form, David still concerned about his 3 year old daughter Alicia who has been taken to hospital with a suspected viral infection. Seamus Leonard was fastest group N through stage 10, co driver Gerry McVeigh recounting. “We did have a few hairy moments. The car was a bit twitchy for the first time over the jumps in Todds Leap although there is a lot of off camber stuff in there. On the jumps in Donegal the car was always nice and straight but here it was getting out of line, but then some of the jumps are as crooked as some of the boys!”   Alan Nesbitt is 3^rd group N and having a good run although he did have a half spin on a downhill square left over jump in that stage 10.  Garry Jennings is 4^th group N, his Lancer minus its rear bumper following a stage 9 incident when the back of the car scraped the bank on a tight corner. Garry said he lost no real time but he did lose a few seconds following it because the bumper was half jammed under the car and he could smell burning rubber for a few miles. Aaron MacHale is just 2s behind Garry in the gpN race then its Barry Clark followed by Glenn Wilson.  Keady man Glenn reports that the brake discs on his car are so warped that “I couldn’t houl the steering wheel the vibrations were so bad”.  Barry Clark went out this morning with the same tyres on the front as he finished last night, the tyres went off slightly and he was slowed with a lack of grip. Justin Dale is sitting around about 16^th o/a in his Super 1600 Fiesta. Justin saying that the car was pretty horrible through stage 10, it was too jumpy and too narrow for the car, and it was very exciting trying to keep it all steady with 2 wheels often in the grass or on the gravel.    More news later.

BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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