Through stage 16 Bulls Brook2, it was the German driver Sepp Wiegand who was fastest with Robert Barrable 2s down and rally leader Esapekka Lappi a further 4s back. Wiegand said at stage finish that he had really pushed hard but now with just 2 stages to go it is time of start thinking of the points. Robert Barrable finished the stage with smoke pouring out of his Fiesta R5 rear brakes. His mechanics had changed the rear calipers and pads at service because of a rubbing noise that Robert had noticed earlier.
In the National category Declan Boyle recorded a brilliant time through stage 16, 9s faster than Garry Jennings and 14 up on Donagh Kelly. Garry`s advantage is still substantial with 2 stages remaining but one of those stages is almost 30kms long so no doubt he will be keeping a weather eye out on Boyle1s times. Declan had the suspension on his Subaru stiffened up at service and was also running a harder compound tyre that seems to have made a difference. Garry said he had a good steady run through that stage 16. Donagh Kelly admitted to putting a push on but was disappointed to have dropped time to Declan Boyle and said he will now concentrate on getting his Focus to the finish.
Kenny McKinstry is well over a minute down on Derek McGarrity. Kenny is very much on his home patch and really enjoying the rally, but did lose time earlier today when his Subaru suffered a puncture. Declan Gallagher looked very secure and in real good form at the end stage 16, the Donegal man unchallenged in the 2wd section of the National Rally. Alastair Cochrane turned in a fast time on stage 16, 15s up on Declan Gallagher. David Armstrong had a couple of missed gears through that stage, his Escort`s sequential gear mechanism starting to give some problems. Paul Gillen is in 12th o/a and had an overshoot in 16 and lost 10s.
Stanley Orr leads the Historic category in his Mk1 Escort.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net with thanks to Michael & Zoe Patterson *Follow RallyNews on Twitter @Pacenotes or @Real_RallyNews
