RALLY NEWS NO.3                               Service/Ardara/Saturday 12.15
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 Dooey Point
1st (3) Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 17.48
2nd (1) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 18.32
3rd (5) Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty (Impreza WRC) 18.44
4th (4) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 18.58
5th (6) PJ McDermott/Paddy Robinson (Impreza WRC) 19.02
6th (16) Manus Kelly/Donal Barrett (Escort) 19.19
7th (7) Shaun Gallagher/Charlie McGinty (Citroen C2) 19.32
     (18) Danny & Rory McBride (Lancer N) 19.32
9th (14) Stuart Darcy/Enda Sherry (Impreza) 19.39
10th (28) Frank Wray/Joe McNulty (Lancer N) 19.49
 
Stage 2, Dooey Point, was by consensus of the top drivers one of the toughest stages they have ever done, and although most of the leading cars got through unscathed, further back there were reports of suspension damage and accidents.  Kevin Lynch set a stunning time and said at stage finish. “It went well but we are going to make a few further adjustments to the suspension here at service”.  Patrick Elliott overshot a square right corner and went into a sort of a garden place just before the stage finish. As he was selecting reverse he could see Lynch’s Impreza away in the distance so he waited until he had passed before he reversed back on to the road which all cost time.  Elliott dropped 37s to Lynch on that one stage. 
 
Kevin Barrett had a good clean run to hold on to his 4th place while Seamus Leonard reckoned he was lucky to survive a very big moment in his Subaru to hold on to 3rd. Seamus recounted. “The car just stepped out and we went right over a big rock. We don’t know how we got away with it. That stage is something else.  As for Kevin Lynch’s time – he must have been in a helicopter!”  (Kevin’s actual time for the almost 14km of one of the toughest roads in Ireland was 8m10s.) PJ McDermott in 5th place reckons his Impreza suspension is totally wrong and far too stiff.  PJ changed the whole set up before the rally and now he’s going to change it all back again.  We mentioned on the last Rally News that Shaun Gallagher felt that his Citroen was too low and was damaging itself over the jumps.  Part of Shaun’s problem has now been revealed as tyre pressures far too low thanks to a faulty pressure gauge.
 
Danny McBride continues to lead group N in his Lancer.  Alan Ring is now 20s back, Dunlop Championship group N leader Ring said. “I am just having moment after moment on these stages”.  Sean Flanagan/Brian Duggan are provisionally 4th group N and they told us that they hit at least 3 rims in the stage, luckily with no punctures. Gary McPhillips had a good time on that 2nd stage having fixed his gear change with a pair of vice grips. Manus Kelly is having a stunning run to lead the 2 wheel drive category overall.  Rodney Wilton damaged his Escort suspension at the first chicane in stage 2 and although he got the car here to service he reckons he may be out of the rally. Martin McGee punctured a tyre and also damaged the suspension in stage 2 and did well to keep his time loss at under a minute. Camillus Bradley punctured a tyre on his Escort at a 6 right don’t cut into 6 left over crest in stage 2. Damien Gallagher said he is being very careful over these stages, just trying to watch the bumps and jumps and his total is 21.03. 
Paul Gallagher/Karl Reid are getting used to a new sequential box in their Corolla and they are battling to stay on the pace, total 20.21.  Fergal Costello had no intercom for the first stage and he is just outside the leaderboard in his GpN Lancer on 19.59.  Adrian Hetherington has reportedly rolled his Escort in stage 1. We reported Eugene Ferry off the road in stage 1, he reportedly got going eventually having lost about 10 minutes but we haven’t seen any sign of his Escort at service after stage 2. John Gallagher is reportedly off the road in stage 1 in his Lancer.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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