6th (7) Robert Barrable/Damien Connolly (Fabia S2000) 10.53.7
Approximately 10m before the first car arrived at the start of SS2 heavy drizzle swept across the countryside outside Dungannon leaving the roads through the 12.96km test extremely slippery. Most of the top drivers had picked a dry weather tyre and found the stage very difficult. Mikkelsen and Hanninen both remarked on their tyre choice and about how slippy the stage was. Craig Breen was in the same boat and said it affected his confidence.
Garry Jennings dropped quite a bit of time and slipped to 11th o/a having been 5th after SS1. Garry said. "The car is all over the place". Alan Ring felt his tyre choice wasn’t too bad and it should work well for him on SS3, which is 25.16km long. Danny Barry felt there was something not quite right on his Lancer’s rear suspension and he was in 15th place. Sam Moffett made a good start and commented. "I felt we had to be fast out of the blocks on this rally". His young brother Josh also made a good start and was just over a second quicker. Mark Donnelly in his Lancer also set a very quick time. Fastest 2wd was Marty McCormack’s Citroen and he is up to 10th o/a.
UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL L/BOARD AFTER SS2 Drummond
1st (103) Darren Gass/Enda Sherry (Impreza WRC) 10.44.2
5th (109) Frank Kelly/Stephen Quinn (Escort) 11.25.6
6th (118) Fintan McGrady/Mark Hanna (Escort) 11.28.2
When the top National competitors came through the talk again was about tyres and the slippery conditions. Derek McGarrity said. "My tyres didn’t work". Eugene Donnelly commented. "I picked a soft compound tyre that was good but I was advised to put cuts in the tread and I didn’t which was a mistake". Darren Gass said. "It was like a forest stage in there. Loads of mud pulled out by the IRC boys". Steve Perez had a fairly good time through stage 2 but was down in 11th o/a because of his spin on the opening Titanic stage. Frank Kelly was fastest Escort through the Drummond stage that is hardly surprising as he lives there! Frank’s Escort has a damaged rear quarter panel that happened at the Titanic stage.
Fastest Historic car through stage 2 was Wesley Patterson in his Escort BDA from Ernie Graham also in an Escort. David Stokes has reportedly slid his Escort off the road on a gravelly square left. Crew reported to be OK.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ & MICHAEL PATTERSON www.rallynews.net Follow on Twitter @Pacenotes or @Real_RallyNews
