News from stage 3 is that Josh Moffett/John Rowan have crashed their Fiesta R5 and will almost certainly be out of the rally. Indications are that the car rolled and finished up on its side, and that the both Josh and John are unhurt. Following drivers, Alan Ring, Stephen Wright and Owen Murphy stopped briefly to make sure that the crew was OK and also then reported the incident to radio control. These 3 crews will almost certainly get a slightly amended stage time to compensate for their actions. Josh Moffett was leading the points in the Clonakilty Blackpudding Tarmac Championship starting the rally. So the picture at the front of the series could change a lot, especially as Keith Cronin, maximum points scorer on the first 2 rounds, is a long way back from the leaderboard today.
Out at the front of the rally Garry Jennings was again fastest but was hampered by the dashboard display on his Subaru going blank about halfway through the stage. Garry said. ‘There must be something overheating and popping the switch out. It is very difficult to drive with the sequential box and not know what gear you are in’ Second placed Alastair Fisher reported all good. Tarmac Champion Donagh Kelly said. ‘We are not going great. I am finding it gravely and difficult’
In Group N David Guest has his Lancer back on full song, the turbo pipe now fully secured and David is on a charge for the lead of the category from Paul Barrett. The two Kearney brothers, Pat and Gus, are 3rd and 4th in their Sepam backed Lancers. Brian O’Keefe was in the picture with his Impreza but has retired. Callum Devine continues to set a cracking pace in the R2 category and is up to10th o/a in the International Rally. William Creighton had a small spin in stage 2 so he is slightly further back. Fraser Mulholland in his Fiesta R2 is also back a bit. Fraser reported a misfire in his car and when asked if he had a spare ECU, he rolled his eyes skywards and said. ‘No. They are £6000 a time. We will just keep trucking’
In the Historic Rally Frank Cunningham led after the first couple of stages from Phillip Wylie with David Goose from Lincolnshire 3rd – all in Escorts.
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