RALLY NEWS NO.7 Saturday/Newry Service/1pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 Cornoonagh Hill 2
1st (4) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 1.28.34.1
2nd (1) Gareth MacHale/Craig Parry (Focus WRC) 1.29.20.8
3rd (3) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 1.29.34.6
4th (6) Derek McGarrity/Diarmuid Falvey (Impreza WRC) 1.29.34.6
5th (5) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 1.31.49.4
6th (12) John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Lancer N) 1.35.33.4
7th (16) Brendan Cumiskey/Conor Foley (Lancer N) 1.38.57.4
8th (11) Kevin & Martin Kelleher (Lancer N) 1.42.19.9
9th (40) David & Suzanne Wright (Lancer N) 1.42.41.6
10th (8) Denis Biggerstaff/Alastair Wylie (Impreza WRC) 1.43.08.3
11th (24) Tommy Doyle/Tony McDaid (Clio) 1.44.31.7

Derek McGarrity’s bid for a 4th Circuit of Ireland victory took a knock when his Subaru shredded its power steering belt on stage 8. Derek wasn’t leading this circuit when he started the stage, he was in 4th place, but still very much in touch with the cars in front, but when the power steering broke he dropped over 50s and the gap now looks a little insurmountable. It was Gareth MacHale who was again fastest that 8th stage, Gareth 2s up on Tim McNulty and 9s up on Boland. The fight for the lead is really amongst these 3, with Gareth and Tim really pushing, Eamonn Boland doing a sterling job to maintain his lead. Eamonn commented here at service. “We’re having a good clean run, but you know we’re not half way yet”.

Derek McGarrity said. “We were having a great cut but then the belt broke and we had a bit of an overshoot”. Co driver Diarmuid Falvey muttered in the background…”There was a bit of moaning going on then!” Tim McNulty said he was much happier with his car on the 2nd loop of stages today, the set up was good. He also remarked that he didn’t know where Gareth got that speed from. For his part Gareth said. “We went on to a harder compound tyre, its still sliding a bit. We took that bit of road with the crests flat out, it was something else. There’s still a long way to go, I’m pushing but not mad”. Aaron MacHale said. “We had a good run there, I’m up to within half a dozen seconds of the boys, quite happy with that. What we really need to do is invest in new plant!”

In Group N John McGlaughlin is concentrating on just finding a pace while Brendan Cumiskey spun on stage 8 as well as thumping the back of his Lancer on 7. David Wright has now woken up and is setting good times. Denis Biggerstaff in his world rally car has just changed a drive shaft and seems a lot happier. Toni Kelly has changed the set up on her Civic Type R and young Tommy Doyle is gathering confidence by the stage in his new model Clio.

NATIONAL RALLY
Unofficial leaderboard after stage 8 (national 2nd stage)
1st Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Impreza WRC) 16.12.8
2nd Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Lancer N) 16.34.5
3rd Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 16.34.9
4th Sean McArdle/Ger McMonagle (Corolla WRC) 16.37.7
5th Connor McCloskey/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 16.37.7
6th Cahal & Eoighan Rogers (Lancer N) 16.59.4
Sean Devine was again fastest of the National runners although professes to be taking no big chances. Neil McCance is also trying to drive it by the book, down the middle of the road and he’s very happy with his pace. Glenn Allen found it a bit scrappy at the start of that stage and a few awkward jumps at the end, but OK. Connor McCloskey said he was still settling in but happy to be not a million miles away. George Robinson had a few intercom problems but even taking that into account was disappointed with his time and his 8th o/a. Sean McArdle didn’t go quite as well as the first stage. Neil McCance’s comment was “driving our own race”. John Walker, normally a front runner in GpN in the NI c/ship is down in 19th and still settling. Cahal Rogers still has that misfire in his Lancer but happy enough to be on the pace. Alan Carmichael is down in 12th, his Lancer cut out after a jump. Fintan McGrady is 10th o/a and his Escort and leading his class from Rodney White.

More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (with thanks to Michael Patterson) www.rallynews.net
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