RALLY NEWS NO.4 Skibbereen Service/Sunday 1pm

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 Coolkellure
1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 33.49
2nd (1) Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Focus WRC) 33.57
3rd (8) Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 34.55
(6) Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 34.55
5th (17) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 35.07
6th (5) Aaron MacHale/Paul Nagle (Focus WRC) 35.18
7th (18) James O'Sullivan/Brian Duggan (Impreza WRC) 35.29
8th (21) Kevin O'Donoghue/Joe O'Leary (Lancer) 35.52
9th (11) Willie Fannin/Mick Courtney (Impreza N) 35.55
10th (16) Phil Collins/Derek Brannigan (Escort) 36.09

Ray Breen was fastest through the 3rd stage and Patrick Elliott quickest through stage 4. Michael Barrable and Melvyn Evans are now tied for 3rd place overall while Denis Cronin dropped like a stone down the leaderboard when his Subaru suffered a puncture on stage 3. Denis was really getting into his stride, confidence up, but he caught a right hand corner too tight and suffered the consequences when a wheel clipped a stone.

Patrick Elliott’s Subaru has some wiper troubles at the end of stage 4, not a good day for that sort of problem in this persistent heavy misty rain. Elliott’s co driver Paul Goodman said “Hairy stuff”. Ray Breen found the 2 stages even more slippy than the first run through and said he himself is settling in. Aaron MacHale had to give best to Michael Barrable through stages 3 and 4, Aaron struggling a bit in the wet conditions, while Barrable is looking pretty comfortable. James O’Sullivan had a great run through those stages considering it is his first time in an Impreza WRC.

Kevin Kelleher continues to lead Group N although his Lancer seemed to go off cylinders through stage 4. Keith Cronin was fastest in gpN through both stages but has a long way to go to recover from his earlier puncture, his total now 37.44. Willie Fannin was faster than Alan Ring through stages 3 and 4. Ring playing it cool and determined to get to the finish.

Kevin O’Donoghue is running a big restrictor in his Lancer so is running in class 8 instead of group N, Kevin was held up behind Mark Morgan in stage 4 but is still 8th overall. Mark Morgan spun his Lancer, had to reverse and then it knocked his confidence.

Phil Collins is extending his lead in the 2 wheel drive category, with Peter Kelly his closest pursuer.

Further stories include – Eamonn Daly changed his suspension settings to try and get more grip. David James lost time earlier with intercom problems and also a leak in the turbo oil pipe. David Guest has crashed his Peugeot 205 heavily, happily driver and co driver are OK. Tadgh Linehan admits to being miles off the pace, can’t even drive his Impreza on the road sections because he is getting so little grip. John Hickey is having problems with his “Fubaru” 2nd gear, probably as a result of the hammering he gave it on the Cork 20. Thomas Fitzmaurice had some intercom problems with his Escort WRC, otherwise going well.

Further to our earlier RallyNews about the Production World Rally Championship in Australia – the 3 Argentinian drivers, Ligato, Pozzo & Beltran, have been excluded. Possible reason is an irregularity in the turbo pipes. We are just getting news that they may be stripped of all points for the year, so we don’t know as yet how that will affect Nasser Al-Attiyah & Chris Patterson at the head of the points table heading to New Zealand. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTESON www.rallynews.net (with thanks to Andrew Kellitt & Christel Deberdt)