UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 12 Knockalla

1^ST (6) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Lancer WRC) 1.14.30.5

2^nd (19) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Lancer WRC) 1.14.42.5

3^rd (1) Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 1.14.48.0

4^th (5) Derek McGarrity/Chris Patterson (Impreza WRC) 1.15.10.5

5^th (10) Kevin Lynch/Allan Harryman (Impreza WRC) 1.15.24.5

6^th (12) Paul Harris/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.16.11.7

7^th (2) Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr (Focus WRC) 1.16.14.1

8^th (9) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.16.20.7

9^th (8) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Focus WRC) 1.16.23.6

10^th (15) Stephen Murphy/M Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 1.16.52.8

Car No.3 Colin McRae/Nicky Grist (Metro 6R4) 1.16.40.7.  Leading National Rally and times good enough for 10^th o/a in the International.

Over the fabulous Knockalla stage Mark Higgins was fastest on a time of 9.12.4 with Andrew Nesbitt on 9.16.3 and Gareth MacHale 9.17.6.  Derek McGarrity had a good run to record 9.19.4 while Eugene Donnelly’s time was 9.21.1. 

Mark Higgins is really happy with the way his Lancer WRC is going now so we could have a great race on our hands between Mark and Andrew Nesbitt in their matching Mitsubishis.  Over the years Andrew Nesbitt has normally stamped his authority on the rally on Knockalla so this was quite a turn up for the books. Andrew made no real comment at the end of the stage.  Mark Higgins said. “We’re on a fair attack, I’m really happy now that the car is good”. 

Tim McNulty was up as high as 2^nd in the rally and then 2 punctures this morning knocked him to the back of the top 10, but it has all gone wrong for the Meath man, his Pierse backed Subaru sliding into a ditch on a square left on Knockalla. There were no spectators to help and Tim spent 10 minutes getting the virtually undamaged car back on to the road.  He made it to the end of the stage, his time 17.25.5 and decided that his Shell Donegal Rally was over for this year. Tim was cool enough about it, just one of those things, he had had a good run. 

Kevin Lynch was going hard in the stage, trying to make up for lost time and took one of the jumps really hard and now has a rattle in the Subaru, possible from the gearbox but he doesn’t know for sure. Gareth MacHale was happy enough with his time and said “Not too bad up against the Donegal specialists when its my first time over Knockalla in the world rally car”.  Eamonn Boland said he had a very good run, but he may not be so happy when he gets back to HQ and finds he has been knocked another 30s for his stalling incident at the start of stage 7 this morning.

Colin McRae wasn’t too happy at stage finish, his Metro 6R4 suffering from a sticking throttle. Michael Patterson was at the finish of the stage and asked him was it really bad and Colin said “Do you want to sit in here and drive this with a sticking throttle?”  Former World Champion Colin was hoping to try and unstuck the throttle before stage 13 but he didn’t seem overly optimistic. Colin had already survived a huge spin in stage 11, his co driver Nicky Grist saying “We were lucky to get away with it”. Patrick Elliott stalled his Impreza WRC at the tight chicane at the church two thirds of the way through the stage and lost a few seconds. Austin MacHale, Paul Harris and Matthew Wilson all said they had a good run.

In Group N Shaun Gallagher had a time of 10.03.0 as against Garry Jennings on 10.04.7 and Roy White 10.13.1.  Shaun is doing a fantastic job staying at the front of the group N contingent. Garry Jennings is driving hard to try and catch him. While Roy White is scratching his head at the speed of the 2 guys in front. As ever there were traffic problems going up to Knockalla and the rally is now running quite a few minutes late.

In the National section Colin McRae is of course leading, the gap between himself and Dessie Keenan now over 3 minutes. Damien Gallagher has got ahead of Camillus Bradley to hold 3^rd, Camillus is 4^th, John Dalton 5^th, Ivan Stewart 6^th, Paul Gallagher 7^th just ahead of Robbie Peoples. Ollie O’Reilly is 9^th and Seamus McCusker 10^th in his Escort G3 and 2^nd cl.14 to John Dalton in his Darrian. We mentioned on the last Rally News that Phil Collins had retired his Escort. Phil told us that it was the gearbox that cried enough, and as ever he has little luck here in Donegal. The last time he finished this event was in 1984 when he finished 4^th behind Cyril Bolton. Phil’s co driver today Derek Brannigan raised his eyes skywards at this piece of news, and muttered “I was only 6 years old then!”    More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net