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RALLY NEWS NO.11 Sweet Lamb service..Sun.1.30 UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 11 (last stage) 1st (2) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (V/hall) 2.48.43.0 2nd (3) Neil Wearden/Trevor Agnew (Vauxhall)2.50.42.9 3rd (11) Marko Ipatti/Kari Kajula (Lancer) 2.51.52.5 4th (18) Mike Brown/Aled Davies (Lancer) 2.52.15.0 5th (56) Stuart & Steve Egglestone (Lancer) 2.52.49.1 6th (16) Gavin Cox/Tim Hobbs (Lancer) 2.54.40.1 7th (21) Nik Elsmore/Jayson Brown (Lancer) 2.56.44.1 8th (27) Johann Kressner/Gunnar Barth (Lancer)2.58.23.3 9th (17) Dave Wood/Les Waterfall (Impreza) 2.58.27.2 10th (8) Mats Andersson/Claire Mole (Satria) 2.58.52.7
In the bright sunshine of this beautiful March day huge crowds of spectators here at Sweet Lamb bowl gave Mark Higgins & Bryan Thomas in their Vauxhall Astra an encouraging wave through to the finish. It was a question of keeping it in the family for the Higgins. Mark's brother David, last year's winner here, along with mum and dad Christine & Tony, were first to the side of the car when the Vauxhall pulled to a halt, to congratulate Mark on his first International win since the Ulster Rally in '97. 28 year old Mark, a bachelor, but with girl friend Caroline, keeping a watchful eye, told us "It was a great rally for me, everything went to plan. There are rallies like that, where you get the result. We got ahead after Laukkanen retired and tried to control the rally. I pushed over the last couple of stages, had some fun. The car was perfect. a great start to the Mobil 1 championship for us". His team mate Neil Wearden had a penultimate stage puncture - the tyre went down on the first hairpin in Hafren and Neil ran the whole way on the flat. But anyway, he kept Ipatti at bay. Finnish driver Ipatti said "After the puncture 3 stages from the finish we went for the safe run". Marko wins group N. Mike Brown put in a couple of stirring times towards the end, as did Stuart Egglestone, and if these three keep this pace on the Pirelli Rally, there should be fireworks. Julian Reynolds in the Celica arrived into the Sweet Lamb bowl like 2 men and a wee boy - but it all went wrong - when a wheel decided to take its own path. Other stories include..Richard Davies' lancer getting a puncture costing 3 mins. and dropping off the leaderboard. Christer Steen retired with a broken gearbox mounting. Sarah Murray crashed her Micra off the road in Myherin. Ian Barrett lost time with broken gear linkage. Andrew Pinker finished with the alternator not charging. Johan Kressner/Gunnar Barth had another puncture, this time stage 10. Nik Elsmore really speeded up towards the end. Mats Andersson wins the Super 1600 category. Charlie Jukes had a brilliant 2nd in class result despite losing 2 mins in Hafren when the radiator cap came off and the engine overheated. Natalie Barrett finished best Lady despite her Lancer's rear diff leaking its oil and reducing the car to 2 wheel drive. Guy Anderson is just outside the leaderboard, another good result. Overall a superb Vauxhall Rally once again - well done to Jim Jones and all the team..BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON..with thanks to all who helped.
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