Rally News No.2                        Service In Mountrath Mart Sunday 10.45am

 Unofficial Leaderboard After Stage 2

 1^st (1) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 16.06

2^nd (3) Martin Doherty/Andrew Cullen (Impreza WRC) 16.38

3^rd (12) David James/Derek Brannigan (Focus WRC) 17.25

4^th (15) Ian Barrett/Eoin O’Flaherty (Lancer N) 17.31

=    (19) Darragh Raferty/Martin Brady (Impreza WRC) 17.31

6^th (20) P J McGrath/Killian Duffy (Impreza N) 17.38

7^th (17) James M Stafford/James F Stafford (Lancer N) 17.39

8^th (21) John Kelly / Robbie Shaw (Lancer N) 17.50

9^th (6) Aaron McHale/Gerard McGonigle (Corolla WRC) 17.55

=    (11) Liam Wall/Bob Kelly (Escort Mk2) 17.55

11^th  (18) Mark Courtney/Paul Kelly (Celica) 18.00

12^th (164) Stephen Cullen/Edward Roche (Impreza N) 18.01

Ray Breen and Andrew Purcell blitzed the opening 18.3 kilometre Birch Grove Bridge first stage  with a time one second underneath the bogey and almost twenty seconds faster than their nearest rival, Martin Doherty who was second quickest.  Breen then went nine seconds quicker in the second stage to lead Doherty by 31 seconds after just two stages.  Both these drivers reported a trouble free run but the same cannot be said for Aaron McHale who punctured on the opening test dropping nearly two minutes to the leaders but was right on the pace again through stage two with third fastest time only one second down on Martin Doherty.  David James was late into service following two punctures both on the left front wheel but fortunately both deflations sustained on the road section between stages. 

Already gone from the leading pack are Tommy Graham and GpN front runner Willie Fannin.  Local man Graham is reportedly off the road while Willie Fannin is stopped at the second junction in stage one with the bonnet up and steam coming from his Subaru’s engine bay. 

Young Ian Barrett is flying again in his Triton GpN Lancer but reports a mysterious engine problem with the car though it did not seem to loose him any time.  Also going well in the GpN race is P J McGrath and John Kelly who are well into the top ten and both reporting trouble free runs.  Mick Courtney had a spin in his Celica but is still going strongly while Liam Wall is the leading 2wd but reports his Escort Mk2 to be very very twitchy.  Other 2wd times include John Collins in his class 11 Civic whose lying just off the leaderboard on a total of 18.05 while David Delaney is flying in the little S1600 Fiesta and reports a total of 18.09 after the first two stages putting him about 14^th overall.  Other times includes Mike Quinn in his Mk2 on 18.21 and John and Alice Quinn who have their Chevette on a total of 18.34.

Just outside the top ten, GpN runners include local team John and Marie Culleton on a total of 18.15 while Adrian Quinn set a good time over the first stage but lost about 30 seconds in stage two and has a total of 18.18.

More News Later Michael Patterson & Zoe Todd