RALLY NEWS NO.3 Service/Carrick-on-Suir/Sunday 11 am

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 The Gap
1st (4) Ray Breen/Martin Brady (Focus WRC) 16.15.7
2nd (2) Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 16.22.6
3rd (9) PJ McGrath/Billy Collins (Impreza WRC) 16.56.2
4th (7) Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 16.57.7
5th (1) Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 17.04.8
6th (11) Andrew Purcell/Mark Wiley (Lancer N) 17.07.2
7th (28) Trevor Mulligan/Lisa Roe (Escort) 17.29.1
8th (16) James M Stafford/Frank Dwyer (Darrian) 17.30.8
9th (22) Sean Flanagan/Brian Duggan (Impreza N) 17.34.8
10th (15) Sebastian Ling/Aled Rees (Lancer N) 17.35.5
(12) Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Lancer N) 17.35.5

Ray Breen was fastest through the 2nd stage to move into the lead, while No.1 seed Niall Maguire was slowed with punctures. Eoin Doyle has crashed his Subaru out of the top 10, and group N Dunlop championship leader Eamonn Daly has also dropped out of the top 10, his Lancer having sustained a puncture.

Niall Maguire had a very big moment indeed on that 2nd stage to puncture a front left and a rear right tyre, Niall fortunate maybe not to have gone off the road. Patrick Elliott led after the opening stage, but he got caught out on a slippy bit of road and had a spin and a stall at a junction. Ray Breen was surprised to have moved into the lead and said. “I thought I was driving very messy and found it hard to commit on the gravelly stuff.” Liam McCarthy is just outside the top 10 in his Corolla on a total of 17.38.4. PJ McGrath went well in that stage despite his Subaru facing the wrong way at one square left junction where he had an overshoot.

Kevin Barrett seemed a bit unsettled in stage 1 but got his act together in stage 2 to move up into 4th overall. Andrew Purcell continues to lead group N. Sean Flanagan is now up to 2nd in the category with his Subaru. Alan Ring lost a few seconds when his Lancer slithered on a square left and hit a telegraph pole. Welsh visitor Seb Ling reported a good run but was held up for a few seconds behind Eoin Doyle’s accident.

Still no word on Eamonn Daly. We do hear that his Lancer sustained a front right puncture which could mean that there was possible damage to the oil cooler. Paul Roche has retired his Super 1600 Clio with an engine problem.

In the race for 2 wheel drive honours Trevor Mulligan has turned in 2 solid times to move into the top 10. Neil Williams is going well and on a total of 17.38.5. Liam Wall reckons he is not driving well at all and his total of 18.41.9. Shay Power had a good run, his Escort is on 17.46.2. James Coleman is on a total of 18.04.0. Washington James in the Darrian is just outside the top 10 on 17.48.0.

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

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