WEE MANX TALES NO.2     End of stage 1 - Friday 9 pm

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1
1st (1) Ken McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza) 2.19
2nd (2) Marcus Dodd/John Bennie (Impreza) 2.23
3rd (8) Melvyn Evans/Martin Henry (Escort WRC) 2.24
4th (11) Mark Perrott/Garry Mansell (Lancer N) 2.25
    (17) Andy Blair/Steve Harris (Escort Cos) 2.25
6th (6) Vince Wetton/Joff Haigh (Lancer) 2.26
7th (3) John & Caroline Price (Metro 6R4) 2.27
    (5) Chris Griffiths/Aled Davies (Impreza) 2.27
    (12) Glenn Leece/John Tarrant (Metro 6R4) 2.27
10th (116) Steve Petch/Peter Croft (Escort WRC) 2.28
     (23) Phil Collins/Sue Mee (Escort) 2.28

Last year's winner Kenny McKinstry was out of breath when he reached the end of this first stage of this Steyr-Puch Manx Rally. It was just a short test, but bumpy, tricky and tight, and the Ulsterman was obviously trying hard.  His performance nearly 2s a mile faster on next up Marcus Dodd.  Dodd commented about his new ex Kankkunen Subaru WRC - "Everything's good, but I'm still on a learning curve".
Melvyn Evans did well to score 3rd fastest, Melvyn perhaps wondering did he do the right thing in softening the suspension after the West Cork Rally.  All the top drivers, including McKinstry, remarked on how bumpy the stage was.

In group N, Mark Perrott set a stunning time, Mark still very much a novice on tarmac, said "Everything comes up very fast".  His closest group N rival from the early times was Richie Holfeld, the Dubliner on 2.29, and saying "those crests, phewwwww"!!   David Mann made no comment about his time of 2.30. 

Local driver Glenn Leece was very shaky looking at the end of the stage, saying that his Metro 6R4 seemed to have the throttle jamming open.  Robin Bradbury in his Mk2 Escort clipped a rock and chipped a rim, but happily the tyre did not puncture.  Shaun Fox in the little green Nova did a brilliant time of 2.31.  Graham Middleton's Coupe seemed to be set very high on the suspension, and indeed he remarked at stage finish "She's skippy".  Tony Davies set a time of 2.29 and regretted fitting the wrong tyres, commenting about his Metro 6R4 "She's all over the shop, intermediates and I should have been on slicks". 

Some further times include - Roger Duckworth 2.29: Jon Mercer, being a bit cautious, 2.36: Steve Hendy and Dave Turnbull both on 2.38: Guy Woodcock in the F2 Escort, 2.30: 20 year old Neil Collins 2.37: Mark Worley 2.33:     More later...BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON