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RALLY NEWS NO.6 Llansantffraid-ym-Mechair..Sat.4pm (very sunny - almost 14c !) UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 Gartheiniog 1st (2) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (V/hall Astra)1.15.41.3 2nd (59) Mark Perrott/Garry Mansell (Lancer) 1.16.46.8 3rd (3) Neil Wearden/Trevor Agnew (Vauxhall) 1.17.11.6 4th (11) Marko Ipatti/Kari Kajula (Lancer) 1.17.32.9 5th (18) Mike Brown/Aled Davies (Lancer) 1.18.28.0 6th (4) Jarmo Kytolehto/Arto Kapanen (CoupeF2)1.18.38.7 7th (56) Stuart & Steve Egglestone (Lancer) 1.18.47.5 8th (16) Gavin Cox/Tim Hobbs (Lancer) 1.19.11.2 9th (27) Johann Kressner/Gunnar Barth (Lancer)1.19.49.3 10th (54) Julian Reynolds/R.Skinner(Celica) 1.20.26.3 Mark Higgins set fastest time through stage 5 - that's fastest on every stage today really - his time 13.34.1. The closest to him being Mark Perrott who moves up into 2nd place, while Neil Wearden slips to 3rd his Astra suffering a stage 5 puncture. Higgins said after that Gartheiniog test "It wasn't easy, we had front brake problems". Mark's co-driver Bryan Thomas, only half joking, said "That smell is not the brakes!" Their Astra team mate Neil Wearden suffered his rear left puncture 3 miles into the Gartheiniog test and had to drive for 11 miles on the flat. Per Johansson in the Saab was up to 10th place, he is reportedly stuck in the stage. News of earlier retirements include..Alistair Ginley, the 20 year old from York tipped to have a good rally future, went out with a reported accident in stage 2. Keith Robathan stopped in the same stage when his Lancer engine reportedly went on fire.
Italian visitor Marco Veroni was struggling to stay in the rally after stage 4 at Dolgellau, the mechanics working furiously at his Astra's engine. In the 1600 Super division, Niall McShea has clawed his way back from earlier delays to move ahead of Mats Andersson by 4s after stage 5. McShea took a full 16s from his rival in Gartheiniog. In the Panaround/Mintex 2000 championship section ofthe rally - after stage 4 - Glyn Jones was just 11s ahead of Steve Petch, with Dave Weston 3rd, Anthony Eaton 4th. The LandRovers seems to be reduced by 1, just 5 still running and Mark Simmons has almost 2s in hand over Jim Clark with Mark Saunders 3rd. In Portugal - Richard Burns has moved into a 10s lead ahead of Marcus Gronholm after stage 17. Apparently the dust situation is very difficult and the drivers are now worried about running into darkness following a 42 min. delay when Rui Madeira had an accident and block a stage. The way the weather is going on this Vauxhall Rally of Wales, the dust could be a problem here too!! More news to follow..BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (with thanks to Andrew Haill and Steve Fellows)
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