RALLY NEWS NO.5 Service/Westport/Sunday 1.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 Drummin
1st (1) Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 39.10
2nd (7) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 39.20
3rd (2) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 39.54
4th (3) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 40.04
5th (16) Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh (Focus WRC) 41.08
6th (6) Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Corolla WRC) 41.16
7th (5) Noel Redmond/Derek Brannigan (Impreza WRC) 41.30
8th (22) Mark Alcorn/Kevin McCafferty (Corolla) 41.53
9th (18) Camillus Bradley/Danny O'Neill (Escort) 42.00
10th (17) Rodney Wilton/Conor McMahon (Escort) 42.06
11th (30) Danny McBride/Ambrose Given (Lancer N) 42.21

Niall Maguire and his co driver Paul McLaughlin powered their Subaru through stage 4 to a fastest time, 2s quicker than Tim McNulty, who in turn was 3s up on Aaron MacHale. We reported on the last RallyNews that PJ McDermott had skidded his Subaru off the road in stage 3. Still no sign of the Donegal man here at service and we believe his Subaru is stuck in a ditch after a square left. Another retirement would appear to be Willie Fannin & Paddy Robinson, their GpN Impreza stopped in stage 3 following an accident. Happily no injuries no injuries reported.

First on the road, Aaron MacHale, reported a massive hailstorm when he was traversing stage 4, his Focus spun the wheels in 4th and 5th gear. Tim McNulty commented about his new Impreza S12B. “We still have a bit of work to do to get the set up right, we’re about halfway there!” Patrick Elliott couldn’t get on the pace initially today but is starting to speed up now. Patrick was just 4s down on MacHale through that Drummin stage. Noel Redmond just shrugged his shoulders here at service and said. “Just can’t get on the rally pace at all”. Glenn Allen on the other hand is starting to get his act together, although his times are still a bit off the fastest, it is looking a bit more respectable for the NI Champion. Stephen Moore in his Focus is in very much the same mode, getting better by the stage. Sean Gallagher seems to be going backwards, his total now 42.33. His day a catalogue of spins and stalls.

Mark Alcorn was setting the roads alight earlier on today, his Corolla up into 6th place o/a. He lost ground through stage 4 when his Toyota encountered fuel pressure problems. Co-incidentally Rodney Wilton caught up with the struggling Corolla and lost a few seconds in the process. Rodney will almost certainly still be the fastest cl.14 car through stage 4 and will receive a special award tonight from the Border Championship sponsors, McAree Engineering. Camillus Bradley had a great run through the last couple of stages to move into 2nd in the 2 wheel drive category but his beautiful red Escort now needs a back axle change at service and not a lot of time to do it.

Eoin Doyle put his Impreza off briefly in stage 2 and told us then that his confidence was slightly dented through stages 3 and 4. Eugene Ferry had an overshoot in stage 4 but his Escort still holds a place in the top 20. Damien Gallagher is another of the Escort men in back axle trouble. Joe McHugh has some anti lag troubles with his Escort Cosworth but still set a very handy time through stage 4. Maurice Moffett had some mechanical problems with his rear wheel drive Peugeot and pulled out of the rally. Eamonn Daly is having clutch problems with his GpN Lancer. Manus Kelly put his Escort off briefly in stage 2, dropped about 40s. Mac McKenna reported getting no grip at all with his rear wheel drive Peugeot and his times are suffering. Daniel Conaghan continues to have a good run and despite catching up with a Lancer in stage 4 he leads class 11. More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTESON www.rallynews.net