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RALLY NEWS
NO.3 Service/Craigswalls/Friday 8.30pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 - WHITEADDER DAM
1st (1) Tapio Laukkanen/Kaj Lindstrom (VW Golf) 10.51.5
2nd (3) Neil Wearden/Trevor Agnew (V/hall Astra)10.52.8
3rd (2) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (V/hall Astra)10.57.3
4th (4) Jarmo Kytolehto/Arto Kapanen (Coupe) 11.03.8
5th (17) Neil Simpson/Mike Gibson (Lancer N) 11.11.3
6th (5) Justin Dale/Andrew Bargery (Peugeot) 11.14.2
7th (10) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Celica N) 11.15.2
8th (24) Guy Anderson/Dave Taylor (Lancer N) 11.20.3
9th (20) Mike Brown/Aled Davies (Lancer N) 11.22.2
10th (25) Keith Robathan/Duncan McIntosh (Lancer N)11.23.1
Bone dry roads for stage 3, Whiteadder Dam, have seen the top
F2 cars much faster than the group N cars, and the Super 1600s.
Just the blink of an eye separated the first couple of cars.
Mark Higgins in the Vauxhall was two tenths of a second faster
than Laukkanen in the VW, with Neil Wearden just over a second
behind the Finnish driver. Mark reckons he picked the wrong tyres
to start off with, swopped them front to back, and had a really
good run through that third stage. Neil Wearden felt his tyres
go off very slightly towards the end of stage 3.
In theSuper 1600 category Justin Dale was fastest through stage
3, just over a second ahead of his Peugeot team mate David Higgins.
Martin Rowe was a further 5s back in the Ford Puma, Martin taking
time to settle in after a long lay off. Niall McShea was
just behind Rowe, Niall reckoning his Saxo has a very slight
engine problem, as well as the power steering not working properly.
Mats Andersson was nearly 6s back on McShea, Mats feeling that
he is losing out in the power stakes on the long straights.
On our last Rally News we mentioned that David Wright had a good
time on the opening stage, but we thought his Corsa Kit Car's
head gasket was going. He has in fact retired.
Some times just outside the top 10 include - Jock Armstrong on
11.24.5: Marko Ipatti 11.28.6, the Finn trying to settle in to
tarmac rallying again. Martin Rowe 11.24.9 & Mats Andersson
11.30.3. David Higgins will have to fight hard to make
up for his early spin, he is on 11.27.9. Niall McShea 11.32.8.
Gavin Cox had a spin at the farmyard in stage 3, Gavin left giggling,
his total time now 11.41.1. Dave Wood reckons his Subaru is down
on turbo boost, total 11.33.0. Nik Elsmore 11.46.3, having
been knocked completely out of stride when catching up with Andrew
Pinker on an early stage. Marcus Dodd non started the rally,
his newly rebuilt Subaru engine not right. In the Peugeot 106
Super Cup after the first 2 stages, Rob Russell had half a second
advantage from Paul Wedgbury with Ryan Champion 3rd, Seamus Donnelly
4th. Champion's 106 lost it's rear bumper on stage 1 and the
tail gate was flapping madly, co-driver Cliff Simmons donating
his racing boot laces to tie down the offending tail gate!
In the Ford Puma Championship - Simon Maugher leads from Ben
Brian after 2 stages, Briant's Ford kissed a bank on SS1..more
news later.BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON |
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