UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 Ballykeeran
1ST (2) Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Corolla WRC) 14.31
2ND (6) Michael Barrable/M Morrissey (Focus WRC) 14.48
3rd (154) Martin Dohetty/Andrew Cullen (Impreza WRC) 14.52
4th (3) Aaron MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC) 14.54
5th (8) Noel McCarrick/Paul Horan (Impreza WRC) 14.59
6th (5) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 15.02
7th (7) Noel Redmond/Alan Keena (Focus WRC) 15.07
8th (17) PJ McGrath/Killian Duffy (Lancer WRC) 15.28
9th (20) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 15.34
10th (14) Ian Barrett/Eoin O'Flaherty (Lancer N) 15.35
11th (16) Gabriel Martin/Paddy Robinson (Lancer N) 15.40
12th (11) Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney (Impreza N) 15.43

The emphasis at the front of the rally has changed somewhat now that Patrick Elli8ott has retired and also that Tim McNulty has had a problem in stage 2 and dropped out of the leaderboard. This leaves Charlie Donnelly in a situation whereby he would like to score the best Dunlop Championship points, definitely has to finish the rally, but at the same time he wants to go flat out and win in style. Charlie’s brother Eugene is doing “weather crew” for him today and has strongly advised Charlie to “back off, take the safe option”. We shall see…

Tim McNulty was only a few seconds off the lead after stage 1 but it went a bit pear shaped on stage 2 when Tim spun his Subaru on a square right and clipped the back corner of the Pierse backed Impreza S11. Tim takes up the story…”We went too wide, my mind wasn’t on the game, whenever we hit the rear corner the car filled up with smoke then and I had to stop and check what was wrong. The exhaust was hitting the rear bumper. Sure that’s why we’re here, to get back in the groove”.

Michael Barrable has had a good run over the first couple of stages and he’s nicely in the hunt. Martin Doherty in 3rd is still feeling unwell with a stomach upset. Martin went on to say that everything was “dead on” with his Subaru and that he had lost a couple of seconds in stage 2 when he slowed to check that Jack Sleator and his co driver were OK. Jack crashed his Impreza at a square left just over a crest, and there was a hint of shiny tar. Aaron MacHale in 4th admits that he just hasn’t settled down to the job yet, and his Focus is fine. David McNulty is having a good run on his first outing in the ex Seamus Devine Impreza, David’s total 15.33. While Sean Gallagher is also going well on his first rally trip for over a year, his total 15.34. John Spain is feeling very nervous and is off the pace slightly, his total 15.57. Daragh Raftery is also struggling to get on the pace, his total 15.58.

In Group N Ian Barrett is still setting the pace, 6s up on Gabriel Martin with Willie Fannin 2s further back. Ian Barrett told us that over the skew bridge in stage 2 he hit a bit of a bump which knocked him off line, nothing major, but slowed ever so slightly.

In the 2 wheel drive battle Maurice Moffett has moved ahead of Enda Keenan now, Maurice has got the brake pads bedded in on his Starlet. Enda Keenan had led initially but spun his Escort close to the house with the great big railway engine in the garden. End’a’s Escort then stalled and he would nearly have had time to catch the train before the engine fired up! Paddy Boyle has also got ahead of Keenan now, Paddy leading class 13, although he says he is just going “middling”. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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