RALLY NEWS NO.4 Service/Milford/Saturday 2pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 Kindrum
1st (1) Eugene Donnelly/James Sharkey (Impreza WRC) 24.11
2nd (6) Dom Buckley/Mike Wastling (Impreza) 24.17
3rd (3) Paul Harris/Donal Barrett (Corolla WRC) 24.44
4th (7) Martin Doherty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 25.09
5th (8) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 25.11
6th (9) Adrian McElvaney/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 25.16
7th (16) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 25.22
8th (14) James Cullen/Reba Graham (Lancer N) 25.36
9th (35) Wesley Patterson/Ruth Guest (Escort) 26.01
10th (20) Gabriel MNartin/Killian Duffy (Lancer N) 26.03

Eugene Donnelly really put the pressure on through stages 3 and 4 to move into the lead of this Donegal Harvest Rally with Dom Buckley having a ball in 2nd place in his older model Subaru and Paul Harris playing it pretty cool in 3rd. Peadar Hurson had been 3rd but his Subaru has stopped in stage 3. There was a suggestion of a puncture, but it could be a mechanical problem. Donnelly was in buoyant form when he came into service at Milford and said of his first proper run in this Subaru. “I haven’t touched any of the settings, I’ve moved the tyre compound up, the car is very good and I will possibly play with the settings now. I’m not sticking my neck out and the car doesn’t even feel quick, it is very comfortable to drive. Charlie warned me before the rally not to over drive it, the car seems to do the work for you”. Dom Buckley reported no problems, his co driver Mike joking “The suspension is not quite up to date for the Donegal bumps!”

Paul Harris said. “We’re taking it handy”. Martin Doherty in 4th place is on the pace but will find it difficult to recover from his stage 2 over shoot/spin. Niall Maguire and Adrian McElvaney are having their own battle, Niall saying “Going alright, good stages but tough.” McElvaney said. “We’re nip and tuck with Niall, having our own wee Monaghan race!”

Kevin Barrett in 7th reckons he picked too soft a compound tyre for that loop of stages otherwise OK. James Cullen in 8th continues to lead group N but got some funny noises from his Lancer gearbox when he was hoking for 6th and almost went into reverse. Gabriel Martin is now into 2nd gpN with young Michael Curran 3rd. Michael has come to the conclusion that there is something wrong with the diffs in his Lancer. The wee light on the dash is coming on OK but he reckons the electronics just are not working.

In the 2 wheel drive category Wesley Patterson is setting the pace. Lisburn man Wesley has a new sequential gearbox in his Escort and he feels it is just the job. Damien Gallagher is only a few seconds behind Wesley. Damien thinks that his Escort back axle is twisting. Brian Brogan is running further back the field and he is setting good times, possibly up to 3rd 2 wheel drive.

Further stories include – Patrick Elliott now setting top 3 times but having lost over 4 minutes with a puncture is well out of the picture. Patrick feels there is more to come but he picked too soft a compound tyre for that loop of stages. Trevor Cathers has retired in stage 3 when he knocked a wheel off his Lancer. Retirements in stage 4 include John McKeown whose Escort Cosworth had diff troubles. John was leading his class. Camillus Bradley had pulled in and was working under the bonnet of his Escort. Ivan Stewart had been having gearbox troubles in his Escort Cosworth and he had pulled into a lane. Stuart Darcy’s Subaru was stopped with mechanical problems. Kieran Graffin was slowed with a broken drive shaft on his Lancer. Eugene Ferry is setting good times but Eugene and his co-driver John Gallagher are nearly choked with the fumes from a broken exhaust. Rory McBride has a slipping clutch in his Lancer. John Cairns lost time with a stage 4 overshoot but is enjoying the rally. Robbie Peoples is right on the pace on a total of 26.31 and told us his co driver Keith Stewart first sat in with him on this rally 22 years ago and there’s a whole story about that!! Stanley Ballantine had his rear tyres go off on that last loop otherwise OK. Shaun Reid was lying 289th overall and 9th group N after stage 2 in his Lancer. Young Toni Kelly was 3rd in class 3 behind Christopher Boyce with Shane Orr leading – all in Hondas. Gavin Harris/Shaun Lafferty are having a good run were lying 31st after stage 2. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net