RALLY NEWS NO.3 Glenariff/Saturday 11.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 PARKMORE
1st (82) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 5.17
2ND (75) Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 5.22
(3) Raymond & David Johnston (Impreza WRC) 5.22
4TH (2) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 5.24
5TH (34) David Crossan/Andrew Bushe (Lancer N) 5.27
6th (7) John & Mandy McKeown (Escort WRC) 5.31
(12) Richard Cathcart/Aidan Friel (Impreza N) 5.31
8th (9) John McGlaughlin/David McIlroy (Lancer N) 5.35
9th (10) Peter McCullagh/Alan Dolan (Lancer N) 5.36
10th (5) James Murphy/John Brennan (Escort WRC) 5.42

The Parkmore stage was as usual quite slippy and Kenny McKinstry was fastest. John McKeown said he was more backwards than forwards in his Escort WRC. Maurice Gass had 2 spins in his Celica.

Drivers in trouble in Parkmore included front running group N driver John McGlaughlin whose Lancer broke a brake disc.

John Donnelly’s Escort WRC was in some sort of mechanical trouble and Martin Carey’s Escort WRC had engine problems, and indeed Martin pulled out halfway through the stage.

Paul Britton and co driver Kenny Bustard also pulled out when they smashed a front wheel on their Impreza having cut a corner too tight.

Brian McGillin is struggling to come to terms with the 6 speed gear box in his Impreza WRC. Brian just flew in from New York yesterday to do the rally. While in NYC he paid a visit to Tiffanys, where he parked a stretch Lincoln Continental with blacked out windows at the front door and nearly got arrested by the FBI…..

A snippet from the first stage – Martin McCormack, co driven by his brother Greg, in their Escort was just 1s down on the fastest 2 wheel drive pilot Andy Magee (1.52 and 1.53).

Adrian Heatherington and Terry Walkinshaw did 1.56 on stage 1, just 1s down on Paul Britton. Drew Stewart also went well with a 1.56. Emma McKinstry reported a good run through the opening stage and said when she heard her father Kenny had hit the chicane “I warned him about that chicane, its just over a crest and you arrived at an awful speed!” Modern Tyres man Conor Byrne reported a misfire through stage 1. Middle East Rally Champion co driver Chris Patterson was keeping a careful eye on his younger brother Jody through the first stage. Jody and co driver Jeremy Taylor got through the first test in Raymond Mason’s hired Lancer with no problems, but pretty stunned at how fast this group N caper is!

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with thanks to Michael Patterson and Martin McGrath. Thanks also to Stan Harper)