RALLY NEWS NO.3 Millstreet Service/Saturday 10.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 GORTNAGANE
1st (6) Donie O'Sullivan/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 20.30.7
2nd (4) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 20.31.2
3rd (14) Gareth Jones/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 20.37.4
4th (2) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 20.42.2
5th (1) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 20.48.1
6th (15) George Cullen/Jakes Kelly (Impreza WRC) 20.58.5
7th (11) JJ Fleming/Robbie Ward (Focus WRC) 21.13.5
8th (16) Stephen Murphy/M Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 21.24.6
9th (8) Denis Cronin/Helen O'Sullivan (Impreza WRC) 21.29.7
10th (27) Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty (Lancer N) 21.35.9
11th (12) Aaron MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC) 21.44.7
12th (25) Alan Ring/Brian Duggan (Impreza N) 21.45.2

Young Welsh driver Gareth Jones was fastest on the 2nd stage to reinforce his 3rd place. While Donie O’Sullivan had a good run, not quite as good as his first stage, but still held on to the lead. Eugene Donnelly made a slowish start but the No.1 seed was 2nd fastest through that tough 2nd stage Gortnagane and was looking a bit more confident when he came in here to service at Millstreet. Eugene said. “Everything worked alright, we had a good run, nothing over the top”. Gareth Jones reported no problems and everything going well. Derek McGarrity was slowed a little by dust hanging in the air. Tim McNulty got caught out on cold tyres and had 2 spins and got wedged at the start of stage 2. Tim said then that he tramped the Pierse backed Subaru on pretty hard through the middle of the stage and managed a decent time. Eamonn Boland lost another minute with his gearbox trouble, engineer young Dom Buckley saying. “The hydraulic filter burst on the way up to Molls Gap and pissed all the oil out. It is a very high pressure system and works the diffs and the change. Eamonn had to go on to manual change. We should be able to change it here in a couple of minutes”.

Donie O’Sullivan said he was a bit a wee bit cautious through Gortnagane but no way did he expect to be on the top of the time sheets early in the rally. JJ Fleming says he is settling in. Stephen Murphy had a big spin at the first junction in Gortnagane, he is also settling in on his first run in an Impreza WRC S11. Aaron MacHale is getting more used to the Focus WRC and said that on the way up Molls Gap he was “driving like a gentleman, waving to the spectators!” Nigel Hicklin has the throttle sticking open in his Subaru. George Cullen’s Impreza WRC still needs some slight adjustments to the suspension.

Seamus Leonard continues to lead Group N despite a little brush with the scenery. Kevin Kelleher damaged the front of his hired Lancer on a hairpin right hairpin left. Paddy White has some clutch slip with his Impreza WRC. Tom Holton’s Celica went down on power halfway up Molls Gap. Johnny O’Sullivan’s Escort WRC has drive shaft trouble, still going OK. Tom Randles lost time on the way up to the Gap when the steering spacer fell out of his Celica.

Roy White had warped brake disc trouble. John McGlaughlin went off the road on a square right over gravel, has damaged something in the steering. Willie Fannin was slow through stage 2 because of a damaged manifold. Ken O’Neill in the Puma at No.61 is apparently going very hard and is up into the top 20. Walter Walsh/Sean Duggan have lost gears in their Subaru and have damaged the clutch trying to keep going. Tony Davies has drive shaft troubles in his 6R4.

Just outside the above leaderboard – Garry Jennings, slightly off form in 13th. Alan Ring 14th. Nigel Hicklin15th. Kevin O’Donoghue 16th. James Foley 17th and Roy White 18th.

More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net