RALLY NEWS NO.5 Service/Ennis/Sunday 3.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 Ruan
1st (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 49.54
2nd (3) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 50.27
3rd (4) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 51.19
4th (5) Anthony O'Halloran/Charlie McEnery (Lancer N) 52.44
5th (19) Danny McBride/James McNulty (Lancer N) 53.43
6th (6) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Lancer N) 53.56
7th (20) Sean Flanagan/Brian Duggan (Impreza N) 54.22
8th (17) Ian Barrett/Eoin O'Flaherty (Impreza N) 54.52
9th (9) Maurice Moffett/Enda Sherry (Starlet) 55.05
10th (12) Mike Moloney/Marie Casey (Escort) 55.19

Just outside the leaderboard: Paul Purtill/David Lyons (Escort) 55.44: Brian Brogan/Damien McGettigan (Escort) 56.01

The above times are very provisional, especially now that further problems with the times at the end of stage 6 have come to light.

Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin appeared to set a fastest time through stage 5 where Patrick Elliott stalled his Subaru and then on stage 6 through the famous Ruan stage Elliott has been shown as fastest by a long way from Maguire. Elliott’s co driver Paul Goodman related about the stall and losing time, but also about them not having enough cuts in their tyres to dispel the standing water and their Impreza was aquaplaning everywhere on the high speed sections. Niall Maguire was in a bit of a fury when he arrived in here to service, Niall understandably upset being given another duff time and not knowing exactly where he stands in relation to the time gap between himself, the car in front and the car behind. Kevin Barrett in 3rd place reported no real problems but Kevin’s co driver Sean Mullally was at a loss to explain exactly what his correct times were.

Anthony O’Halloran was disappointed to have some gearbox trouble with his Lancer through his home Ruan stage. Sean Flanagan had a good run through the stage and reckoned his tyres are working really well and caught Maurice Moffett in the stage. Maurice said that he had a few 3rd and 4th gear moments and found it so slippy and switched his brain into safe mode. Mike Moloney/Marie Casey lost some time when a brake disc cracked on their Escort. Danny McBride/James McNulty lost a few seconds when they caught an Escort in the stage but still lying 2nd in group N with Alan Ring 3rd. Thomas Fitzmaurice had been 4th in the gpN category but he has retired following a fairly major ac