UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 Killala

1^st (1) Ray Breen/Damien Morrissey (Focus WRC) 29.24

2^nd (3) Aaron MacHale/Derek Brannigan (Focus WRC) 30.03

3^rd (12) Noel Redmond/Ger Healy (Impreza WRC) 30.23

4^th (4) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 30.35

5^th (11) Sean Devine/Martin Brady (Impreza WRC) 30.43

6^th (7) Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 30.53

7^th (5) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 30.57

8^th (9) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 31.12

9^th (17) Michael Curran/Fabian McShane (Lancer N) 31.41

10^th (8) Noel McCarrick/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 31.45

Ray Breen was fastest through stages 3 and 4 to make it a clean sweep of the times so far for the Waterford man.  Aaron MacHale was 6s down on Breen through stage 3 and 9s down through stage 4 which gives a fair indication of how it is going at the front.  Breen commented “There was lots of standing water but we had a good run, 100 per cent”.  Aaron MacHale said. “The car was bottoming out a bit on the jumps, I softened the suspension to try and counteract the wet roads, I may try hardening it again for later”.  Glenn Allen said. “I was pushing a bit harder there but also making a few mistakes”.  Noel Redmond is in 3^rd place, 13s up on Glenn and Noel said. “We were steady enough in those 2 stages, nothing silly”. 

Sean Devine was well on the pace although he admitted to a slight mix up with the notes in stage 4.  Kevin Barrett was having some anti lag troubles with his Subaru and former Champion Niall Maguire freely admitted that he was struggling a little in the wet conditions. Jack Sleator reported brake troubles with his Impreza to add to his wiper woes from earlier. 

In Group N early leader Frank Wray skidded his lancer into a field on a slippy 5 right.  Frank eventually got the Lancer out and was adamant that there was oil on the road.  Tom Holton stopped his Celica to make sure that Wray was OK and also Camillus Bradley lost a few seconds.   Michael Curran had a good run through stages 3 and 4 but admits that he is missing a bit of match practice.  Seamus Leonard is just 5s behind Curran.  Kevin Kelleher had a good time through stage 4, equal to Michael Curran, the Clonakilty man saying he is at last wakening up.  Gabriel Martin was well on the pace through 3 and 4 also, but Gabriel has some road penalties hanging over his head which could knock him back. Ian Barrett retired his new Impreza at the crossroads in stage 3, reportedly with some mechanical problem. We are still waiting for times for cars 43 and 45, Eamonn Daly and Danny McBride.  They were right up in gpN after the first 2 stages.  Trevor & Kenny Bustard from Donegal have swapped their old Legacy for a gpN Lancer and they are coming into the top 20 and also lying well up in the category. Alan Ring is still fighting for grip with his Impreza and was lying 28^th o/a after 2 stages just ahead of Brian O’Mahony in his Clio. Brian was leading his class.

In the 2 wheel drive section Camillus Bradley has been fighting hard to regain the time he lost behind someone else’s accident in stage 1, so that at the minute it is Rodney Wilton in his Escort leading the 2 wheel drive category. 

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