1^st (7) Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr (Focus WRC) 1.17.54.4

2^nd (6) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.19.47.8

3^rd (9) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 1.21.49.9

4^th (1) Daniel Carlsson/Mattias Andersson (Lancer N) 1.22.19.4

5^th (8) Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle (Corolla WRC) 1.22.24.6

6^th (2) Freddy Loix/Robin Buysmans (Ignis) 1.23.03.7

7^th (16) Roy White/Stephen McAuley (Lancer N) 1.24.36.7

8^th (10) Sean Devine/Killian Duffy (Impreza N) 1.26.11.2

9^th (18) John McGlaughlin/David McElroy (Lancer N) 1.26.13.7

10^th (25) Noel McCarrick/Anthony O’Brien (Impreza WRC) 1.26.56.6        

This Rally Ireland switched disciplines this morning from yesterday’s asphalt stages to the forestry tracks of Fermanagh.  Slippy tracks they are too as the drivers quickly found out when they tackled the Lough Navara stage. Rally leader Matthew Wilson was first on the road and he arrived at stage finish in a huge lather saying. “We had a big moment on a jump dip just towards the end of the stage, the car landed on it’s nose and then went for a 100 yards all over the place. I could see Wales all over again!”  (Matthew referring to his horrific accident in Wales earlier this year).  The fact remains that Matthew was fastest. Eamonn Boland was 53s behind overnight, but Eamonn was a full one minute slower on that opening stage.  Wilson’s Focus WRC stopped the clock on 8m59.4s for the 14.67km test. Boland’s time in his similar Focus was 9.59.6. Eamonn could give no real reason, reading between the lines he didn’t enjoy the stage, didn’t’ settle. The one thing he did say was “Thought it would never end”.

Wilson’s overnight lead was suddenly looking a bit more secure with just Kevin lynch to worry about. However that came to nothing that the Northern Ireland Champion’s Subaru was stuck in a ditch part way into the stage before the tarmac section, at a spot where there were no spectators. Ironically there didn’t seem to be any damage to the Impreza and both Kevin & co driver Allan Harryman were both out of the car and displaying the OK board. One of the following drivers, Daniel Carlsson, said it was after a downhill bumpy section and he thinks maybe the bumps caught Lynch out. This leaves Wilson with a massive lead, now almost 2 minutes.

Glenn Allen in 3^rd place had problems all through the Saturday stages with his Corolla brakes fading. He laughed at the end of the first stage this morning and said. “We’ve got new pads fitted and now the brakes are too good, locking up!” Daniel Carlsson jumped from an overnight 7^th place to 4^th after that first forest stage, the Swedish driver showing lots of class through the forests, even though he wasn’t desperately happy with the handling of his Lancer which he felt was too stiff, too bumpy. Gareth MacHale was 8s faster than Glenn Allen this morning, these 2 having a great battle although Gareth reported some sort of damage to the front left wheel after a big jump and said the car wasn’t turning in very well. 

Freddy Loix dropped a position this morning, the Belgian looking very frustrated at stage finish and saying “Too many changes of direction, too slow”.  Next up on the leaderboard is Roy White.  The Clonmel man hasn’t been in the forests for quite a while but still really enjoyed the stage and his FESP Lancer seems to be on full song. Sean Devine got held up behind Noel McCarrick in the stage, this cost Sean a few seconds.  McCarrick had spun his Impreza WRC and then slowed to let Devine through.  John McGlaughlin had a good run very happy to be back on gravel stages.  Eddie Donaghy in 11^th and Gordon Coleman in 12^th both said that they had never done a forestry stage in a competitive 4 wheel drive car, and they seemed fairly happy. Estonian driver Jaan Molder was lying 22^nd overnight and has been reseeded on safety grounds, had a reasonably good time through that first stage but said his GpN Lancer isn’t handling too well and won’t turn into the junctions. Also reseeded this morning (on safety grounds) are Aaron MacHale and Shaun Gallagher – Aaron was 23^rd overnight, Shaun 25^th. Garry Jennings retired his Lancer yesterday because of a small part in the gear linkage breaking and he is acting as OO car this morning.

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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