Through stage 2, Ballinascarthy, Donagh Kelly in his Focus WRC was again fastest. Donagh said here at service. ` We are not going mental but we have to read the road carefully as in places it is different from the recce and now with mud patches`. Garry Jennings in 2nd place said. `We are going flat out. It is very fast, even on the narrow stuff. We will pick a harder compound tyre for this loop`. Alastair Fisher reported no problems at the end of stage 2. The Fermanagh man was just faster than Keith Cronin to edge ahead in the race for best of the R5`s. Keith said. `It is very tricky out there. It is hard to know what is the right tyre`. Roy White has moved from 6th to 5th place, but said he is certainly not sticking his neck out. Sam Moffett in 6th reported no problems through stage 2 and commented. `It is not easy out there. Lots of mud, quite often just around the corner or over crests`.
In the National Rally Donegal man Brian Brogan has moved to the front. Vincent McSweeney was leading the Nationals after SS1 but following a dramatic 2 wheeling episode in stage 1 his Civic had a slight problem with the tracking in the steering department. There were was also power steering and alternator difficulties. Alan Ring is 3rd in the Nationals with his new R5+ and said that there were no heroics, just getting used to the car. Wesley Patterson is down in 9th in the Nationals and reports no real problems apart from a small vibration in the car. Jason Ryan is going well in his Starlet and he is 5th with Andy Mahon 6th.
Frank Kelly dropped a few seconds in stage 2 and is now down in 11th place in Baby Blue. Eugene Meegan has dropped a lot of time following a spin and then the bonnet of his BMW blowing open and smashing the windscreen. He lost about 10m trying to secure the errant panel. Joe Connolly is reportedly being towed into service, his new R5 in mechanical bother. Jer O`Donovan`s Subaru has stopped between stages 1 and 2. John O`Toole/John Kenny are driving CoC Greg McCarthy`s Subaru Impreza and apparently the Subaru has fallen over….
Daragh O`Riordan lost a few seconds at the start of stage 2 when he stalled his Fiesta WRC and he said. `We are not going great`. Welsh visitor Tomas Davies had a miserable time on the Galway Rally as he tried to get to grips with his new Fiesta R5, but is much happier here in West Cork. Owen Murphy is struggling to settle into his new Skoda S2000 and he said. `The only similarity between this and the Lancer is that they both have 4 wheels!` No intercom through stages 1 and 2 did not help his cause either. Aaron MacHale caught Enda O`Brien in stage 1 and then tried to start stage 2 with the handbrake of his Skoda on. Otherwise going well and having the usual race with Brendan Cumiskey. Peter O`Kane was an early retirement as the gear change of his Lancer cried enough. Peter was so disgusted he wanted to know if we have classified ads in the Rally News to put the car up for sale!!
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