|
|
|
|
|
|
RALLY NEWS
NO.6 Service/Craigswalls/Saturday 01.00
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7 - FOGO
1st (1) Tapio Laukkanen/Kaj Lindstrom (VW Golf) 39.15.1
2nd (2) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (V/hall Astra) 39.26.6
3rd (4) Jarmo Kytolehto/Arto Kapanen (Coupe) 39.58.6
4th (5) Justin Dale/Andrew Bargery (Peugeot) 40.43.1
5th (6) David Higgins/Shaun O'Gorman (Peugeot) 41.16.2
6th (17) Neil Simpson/Mike Gibson (Lancer N) 41.21.1
7th (16) Niall McShea/Michael Orr (Saxo) 41.51.4
8th (15) Martin Rowe/Chris Wood (Ford Puma) 41.58.8
9th (24) Guy Anderson/Dave Taylor (Lancer N) 42.01.4
10th (3) Neil Wearden/Trevor Agnew (V/hall Astra) 42.09.8
11th (8) Mats Andersson/Claire Mole (Satria GTi) 42.15.1
12th (11) Marko Ipatti/Kari Kajula (Lancer N) 42.21.8
Neil Wearden convincingly led this Jim Clark Memorial Rally after
5 stages, but it all went wrong for the Blackpool man ins tage
6 when his Vauxhall Astra plunged off the road into a field.
That Whitsome test saw many of the leading cars having overshoots
and excursions, but Wearden was the worst affected. He
had to do the remainder of the stage, and stage 7, without proper
lights. Total time loss possibly close to 3 minutes.
New rally leader Tapio Laukkanen set fastest time through stage
7, Fogo, and equal fastest time through stage 6 with Mark Higgins.
Laukkanen commented here at service "The car is now a lot
better, perhaps I am being a little bit too careful, but I know
now what way to go with the suspension". Justin Dale
set a couple of very good times in the dark, the Peugeot driver
over 10s faster than his team mate David Higgins in stage 6,
and almost 6s faster through stage 7. Higgins commented
"I'm having to learn the car all over again in the darkness,
I'm braking even earlier than before".
Niall McShea is driving his heart out in the Saxo, really thrilling
the spectators, but the Ulsterman is getting more and more frustrated
as the power steering situation becomes worse. A stage 7 spin
compounded Niall's problems. Martin Rowe was another off the
road in stage 6, the former British Champion telling us "I
knew it was a kink left and right and I can remember the tree
line up to the corner, but next thing I knew I was in the corn
field, happily no damage".
Neil Simpson reports his Lancer suffering from fuel surge on
the long fast sweeping corners, a broken map light also making
life difficult for co driver Mike Gibson. Simpson also
had an overshoot in stage 6. Nik Elsmore smashed his lights
going through a gate in stage 6 - Nik had it as a crest 50 ninety
left - it should really have been a crest into square left!
Jock Armstrong has suffered another 40s road penalty, this time
over wheel stud problems. Guy Anderson had an overshoot in stage
6.
In the Peugeot Super 106 Cup just a handful of seconds cover
the top crews with Seamus Donnelly now in the lead from Andy
Burnell with Nutt 3rd, Wedgebury 4th and Sansom 5th. No times
for Rory Galligan who had moved up to 2nd. In the Lex Army Land
Rovers after 5 stages, Simmons has built up a good lead from
Saunders with Paramore 3rd and Jim Clark 4th. BRIAN & LIZ
PATTERSON |
|
|
|
|
