There was a different route over the Knockalla stage this year, almost 20km long. The beautiful sequence of bends near the start with the ocean and the beach below remains the same and Garry Jennings in his Subaru was brilliant up that section. In fact he was brilliant for the whole stage and stopped the clocks on 9m56s whereas Donagh Kelly set a time of 10.01 and Declan Boyle 10.06. After the stage rally leader Garry said. `Yes, there was a bit of hard work done in there`. Co-driver Rory Kennedy just rolled his eyes skywards. Rory has been over Knockalla at some speed and with some drivers, but that was quick as it gets this morning. Donagh Kelly was just a wee bit unsettled and had a niggly doubt in his mind following his overshoot on the opening stage. And of course Knockalla is no place for hesitation. Still, he set a good time although Donagh remarked `That was not a good way to start the day`.
Current Tarmac Champion Declan Boyle stalled his Fiesta at the stage start. There seems to be a certain knack to getting the Fiesta off the line and Declan is still getting used to it. Derek McGarrity felt a little looseness at the rear of his Subaru towards stage finish and backed off very slightly. Seamus Leonard admitted that his heart was knocked out of him a bit following the earlier puncture. Daragh O`Riordan is still struggling with tyre choice and is in a position where he is racing himself at the minute. Joe McGonigle had a good run over Knockalla and nicked a couple of seconds back from Stephen Wright.
Aidan Wray was fastest GpN to extend his lead in the category from Pat Kirk. Dara Leonard is 3rd in GpN and reckons there is a flat spot in his Lancer engine. Martin Doherty is 4th GpN but he dropped a few seconds over Knockalla when his Lancer developed clutch trouble.
Manus Kelly set a scorching time over Knockalla to extend his lead over Brian Brogan in the National Rally. Third placed Adrian Hetherington was also very fast and his co driver Gary Nolan remarked. `There is a little left, not a lot!` Frank Kelly is upping his pace and has come into 5th but is really only level pegging with McNaughton who is 4th. Damien Tourish is 7th and leads Cl.13. Richard Moffett is 2nd in that class and 9th o/a despite a soft brake pedal on his Starlet RWD. More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON & MICHAEL & ZOE PATTERSON www.rallynews.net *Follow RallyNews on Twitter and Facebook @Pacenotes or @Real_RallyNews
