RALLY NEWS NO.3 Service/Westport/Sunday11.30

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 Drummin
1st (1) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 19.44
2nd (9) PJ McDermott/Rory Kennedy (Impreza WRC) 19.57
3rd (7) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 20.04
4th (3) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 20.26
5th (2) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 20.38
6th (22) Mark Alcorn/Kevin McCafferty (Corolla) 21.03
7th (5) Noel Redmond/Derek Brannigan (Impreza WRC) 21.05
8th (6) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 21.07
9th (16) Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh (Focus WRC) 21.14
10th (15) Willie Fannin/Paddy Robinson (Impreza WRC) 21.28

It was former 3 times National Champion Niall Maguire along with Donegal man J McDermott who were setting the pace through stage 2 in their respective Subarus. No.1 seed Aaron MacHale felt something not quite right with his Focus steering following his collision with the straw bales on stage 1 and Aaron backed off ever so slightly through stage 2. Tim McNulty had a better time than he did on stage 1 but was still a couple of seconds down. Tim reported his Subaru as hard as nails in the suspension department and also that he had picked a slightly the wrong tyres as well.

Patrick Elliott had settled down following his first stage overshoots and he was just a few seconds off the fastest pace through the stage. Noel Redmond also reported a good run and the tyres on the car were working well. Glenn Allen is still being cautious, trying to get into the way of proper tarmac stages again on this his first outing on this type of rally since his accident last year. Despite setting an equal fastest time Niall Maguire reckoned that 2nd stage was very bumpy, very difficult. Rory Kennedy, sitting with PJ McDermott, said that they were having no dramatics, everything was well under control.

We reported earlier that Kevin Kelleher had crashed in stage 1. This leaves Willie Fannin first group N car on the road and he felt his Subaru was just a wee bit bouncy through stage 2, but otherwise OK. Stephen Moore lost a small bit of time when his co driver Tony’s door insisting upon opening itself through the stage. Sean Gallagher is just outside the leaderboard having had another spin. Mark Alcorn was fastest of the 2 wheel drive runners so far and that was despite his Corolla running low on fuel through stage 2. Rodney Wilton had a lucky escape on stage 1 when his Escort suffered a puncture, but then he was caught up in the blockage after the Kelleher accident anyway. Wilton had a time of 9.51 through SS2. Camillus Bradley had 9.55. Brian Brogan 10.01 and Eugene Ferry 10.10.

Still no sign of Seamus Leonard here at service “in” control. Seamus’ Subaru had suffered a drive shaft breakage on stage 1 and he was trying to get it fixed on the road section before stage 2. Kevin Barrett’s Subaru also had a mechanical problem and no sign of him either.

Sean Flanagan & Brian Duggan retired their GpN Impreza on stage 2 with suspected electrical problems, Sean & Brian having set a good time through stage 1, certainly good enough to be in top 10. Eoin Doyle lost a few seconds in 2 when his Impreza was in a ditch but happily he is still going.

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