1^st (1) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 26.50

2^nd (3) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 26.53

3^rd (2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 27.01

4^th (4) Patrick Elliott/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 27.25

5^th (5) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 27.48

6^th (10) Aaron MacHale/Eugene O'Donnell (Corolla WRC) 27.53

7^th (9) Martin Doherty/Andrew Cullen (Impreza WRC) 28.06

8^th (8) JJ Fleming/Robbie Ward (Focus WRC) 28.07

    (11) Noel Redmond/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 28.07

10^th (14) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 28.18

Two wandering Kerry cows, along with their two calves, nearly upset the apple cart in stage 4, Brandon Creek.  First on the road Ray Breen met them on the road about a mile and a half from the end of the stage and had to virtually stop his Focus WRC to get around them.  Charlie Donnelly, Tim McNulty, Patrick Elliott and Niall Maguire all came across the strolling bovines.  Charlie Donnelly arrived at the scene in his Corolla WRC, he tried to out-guess the Friesians but they ran the wrong way on him, and he had to stop.  Patrick Elliott and Niall Maguire reported similar experiences, but happily then the cows decided to go grazing in a field instead of on the verges.

Tim McNulty is keeping the pressure on Ray Breen but Breen was still fastest through that 4^th stage, Tim saying “We’re tipping away, getting more used to the car on every stage”.  Former National Champion Niall Maguire said he car is 100 per cent and he’s going well.  Martin Doherty reported an overshoot at the triangle outside the pub not long after the start of the stage, and Martin had to go the long way around the triangle. Noel Redmond is keeping the pace up and said “We’re getting more used to the car with every stage, it is so good”.  His co driver Sean Mullally laughed and said. “We were nearly out of the rally for a very technical reason. The time cards slipped under the seat and I couldn’t get them out!!”  Aaron MacHale had a good run through stage 4, 5^th fastest, just ahead of JJ Fleming in his Focus. Aaron reported some small intercom problem after stage 3 but that seems to be sorted out. Michael Barrable’s total is 29.24. Michael doesn’t think there is anything wrong with the car, its just down to him, he feels he is not getting it together.

Kevin Kelleher was fastest group N car through stage 4, just 1s up on Andrew Stewart. Andrew has dropped back of course following his stage 3 puncture, the Letterkenny man’s total now 29.01.  Willie Fannin still feels his Impreza is slightly down on power today, his total 28.33.  Alan Ring is on 28.26 and lost a bit of ground in stage 4, felt his Impreza centre differential was going wonky, and the back of the car was trying to catch up with the front under braking.  Also in differential trouble is James Stafford. He was joint leader of GpN after the first couple of stages, but he reckons his Lancer is developing a centre diff problem, and certainly he was a bit slower through stage 4.  Tadgh Linehan had a fairly good run through stage 3 but the Bio-Tech man seemed to be on the wrong tyres on stage 4 and he lost a couple of seconds, now lying around 20^th o/a.

Pat Price has rolled his new Lancer out of the rally in Brandon Creek. A 5 left long with a bump in it catching out the Dubliner, Pat and his co driver Sean Duggan were unhurt.  PJ McGrath was another going well in gpN earlier, but his Impreza has a broken drive shaft. He is still going but has lost a bit of time.  Ian Barrett is having a relatively trouble free run in his GpN Lancer and his total is now 29.16.  In the 2 wheel drive category Mike Quinn is now battling for the lead with Mark Alcorn, Escort and Corolla respectively. Alcorn’s Corolla developed a small misfire through stage 4 and he lost a few seconds. Maurice Moffett in the Starlet was making a charge in the 2 wheel drive category but he got caught out on a square left at the school in stage 4 on shiny tar and he spun the Starlet, dropping a few seconds, happily with no damage. Ollie O’Reilly was fighting for 2 wheel drive position in his G3 Escort but now has a slipping clutch.

Finally for now one of the stalwarts of the Irish rallying scene is Jim McLoughlin who drives the big Pit Lane truck. Jim celebrated his 60^th birthday this week and we extend our best wishes, hopefully he’ll be on the scene for many years to come. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net