RALLY NEWS NO.2 End of stage 1/Sunday 10am

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 DESMOND’S GRAVE
1st (3) Michael Barrable/.Dermot O'Gorman (Focus WRC) 10.02
2nd (4) Donie O’Sullivan/Barry Goodman (Impreza WRC) 10.05
3rd (1) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 10.17
4th (5) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 10.18
5th (9) Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty (Impreza WRC) 10.21
6th (8) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC0 10.29
7th (6) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 10.35
8th (7) Noel Redmond/Diarmuid Falvey (Impreza WRC) 10.36
9th (11) Jack Sleator/Andrew Purcell (Impreza WRC) 10.40
10th (10) Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 10.42
11th (12) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Lancer N) 10.44
12th (21) John Kearney/Denis O'Connell (Escort) 10.51

Cold temperatures and damp roads greeted the drivers for the opening stage, Desmond’s Grave, of this Kerry Rally. Road temperatures were around about 6 degrees which made tyres choice difficult, but many of the drivers opted for “slick” tyres.

As can be seen above fastest was Michael Barrable. Michael’s Focus has been completely rebuilt and he was delighted with the car through that opening stage, his belying a 6 month layoff from rallying. Donie O’Sullivan opted for an intermediate type tyre and although it worked OK on that opening stage Donie could be in trouble through stage 2, Mt. Eagle, as the tyres had definitely lost their edge at the end of that 17.85km opener. Donie did say at stage finish. “I was taking no chances and everything is working well between myself and Barry on the notes”.

Third placed Patrick Elliott had his worried face on at stage finish. Patrick frantically trying to get his engineer on the phone as he felt there was something wrong with the engine of his Subaru. Niall Maguire reported no problems at stage finish. While Seamus Leonard told of smoke coming to the cab of his Subaru.

Kevin Barrett in 6th place had a clean run although he said that he is still getting back into it, his run in Mayo foreshortened because of a broken manifold on his Subaru. Glenn Allen said he didn’t enjoy the stage at all, felt it was very fast for his Corolla and also very slippy.

Alan Ring also mentioned that he found the road very slippy while his chief Group N rival, Willie Fannin, reckoned the suspension on his Impreza was too stiff. Thomas Fitzmaurice had a good run through the opening stage and said that the remapping work done on his Lancer seems to be really paying dividends. Also in group N we had Eamonn Daly in his Lancer, he had a time of 11.01. Anthony O’Halloran reported being off the road twice in his GpN Lancer. Anthony has replaced the front diff on the car and it seems to have affected the handling, but still his time wasn’t too bad, 11.18. Mike Quinn in the Mk2 Escort had some brake problems, but he was only 2s down on John Kearney.Sean Flanagan/Brian Duggan put their GpN Lancer off the road on that first stage, a 6L catching them out and the car is stuck in a ditch.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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