UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL L/BOARD AFTER 15 GLEN
1st (17) Gary McPhillips/Paul Sheridan (Escort) 1.41.45.5
2nd (16) Manus Kelly/Donal Barrett (Escort) 1.41.55.2
3rd (19) Frank Kelly/Stephen Quinn (Escort) 1.42.57.6
4th (34) Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan (Escort) 1.43.05.6
5th (21) Damien Gallagher/Mac Walsh (Escort) 1.43.13.7
6th (42) Daniel Conaghan/Terence Magee (Escort) 1.43.45.0
In massively wet conditions Seamus Leonard was fastest through the High Glen stage. Just seconds separated the top times. Donagh Kelly was 1s slower than Leonard and Garry Jennings was a further 1s back. Both Sam Moffett and Derek McGarrity were within a couple of seconds of Jennings. All the drivers commented on how wet and slippy the stage was. Despite being fastest Leonard commented. `I thought I was slow. I was definitely cautious there was so much standing water`. New rally leader Sam Moffett stalled his Subaru at the stage start. Garry Jennings was trying to be upbeat despite having lost the lead of the rally through a penalty, and he also commented on how difficult the conditions were. Derek McGarrity did very well to stay in the hunt even though his Focus WRC had another stall and further gear change read out troubles.
Donagh Kelly gave himself a fair fright when he had a big slide in his Focus through the middle of Glen village and nearly hit a kerb. When Darragh O`Riordan reached the stage finish his co driver Tony McDaid said. `The car is just a nightmare for Darragh. Last year was also wet here and we did a time of 7.25 in the Subaru. This year in the Fiesta our time is 7.52.` In the continuing battle for Group N Martin Doherty was 2s faster than Stephen Wright. Stephen was running slightly late on the road, his Lancer having sustained a puncture on the way up to the stage. Joe McGonigle had a good time to maintain his 10th place o/a in his Clio. He did find the front wheel drive machine a real handful in the wet.
In the National Rally Gary McPhillips was fastest and 4s up on his closest pursuer Manus Kelly. Kelly`s service crew did a fantastic job this morning taking out the Escort clutch and gearbox and changing the engine fly wheel and getting the car out of service within the 30m allocated. It went the other way for Craig Breen. Fifth overnight, Craig`s rally ended in the very wet service area here at Milford when his Escort engine would not fire up. Actually it conked out on the way to service and then would not go. We are getting times in for Brian Brogan whom we thought had retired yesterday following gearbox troubles, but he is still going and got a decent time through Glen and is lying just outside National l/board.
Reminder: On this last year of the Topaz Donegal Rally sponsorship the official merchandise agents C&M Embroidery are having a big sale today at the finish ramp of all the Topaz Donegal Rally gear.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net (with thanks to Michael & Zoe Patterson) *Follow RallyNews on Twitter @Pacenotes or @Real_RallyNews
