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RALLY
NEWS NO.2 Enstone..Saturday 10am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE
1 - ENSTONE
1st (1) Justin Dale/Andrew Bargery (Peugeot) 4.15.4
2nd (5) Mats Andersson/Claire Mole (Proton) 4.17.5
3rd (2) Martin Rowe/Chris Wood (Ford) 4.20.6
4th (7) David Higgins/Mike Gibson (VW Polo) 4.22.9
5th (18) Chris Moore/Phil Cook (Peugeot) 4.24.0
6th (30) Barbara Armstrong/Ieuen Thomas (Peugeot) 4.24.2
7th (16) Rory Galligan/Paul Nagle (Peugeot) 4.24.3
8th (11) Simon Mauger/Andy Street (Proton) 4.24.5
(4) Martin Sansom/Phil Wells (Peugeot) 4.24.5
10th (6) Max McKillen/Nicky Beech (Saxo) 4.25.3
11th (17) Michael Brew/Breeshey Christian (Peugeot) 4.25.6
Despite the dry but cold conditions the lead drivers reports this first
Enstone Airfield test to be very slippery. As can be seen above,
Justin Dale was fastest, and told us "The car went well, but I
really did find it quite slippy in places." Interestingly,
second through the test should have been Martin Rowe, but it was his Ford
team mate Patrick Magaud who appeared next, the Peugeot personnell at the
stage finish voicing a hidden concern that the Frenchman could have been
deployed to "widen" the path through the cones. That was
not reflected in the stage time however, Magaud recording 4.26.6 and Rowe
4.20.6. The Frenchman was puffing slightly at stage finish, testimony to
how hard he was trying and just said one word "Good". Rowe told
us "I had a half spin, sort of almost backwards into a
junction". Martin Sansom reported a clean run, but Mats
Andersson, although he recorded a very good time, said "We have some
problems I think, some smoke". David Higgins, running 7th on
the road in his Volkswagen Polo, said "There's no track left, cones
all over the place, slippy". Young Ian Barrett, subject of so
many mechanical retirements recently, said "The car seems
fine". Ian recorded a time of 4.29.3.
Unlucky for some - No.13 - Paul Alexander's Puma had a driveshaft
completely disintegrate on the very last corner of the stage, and he was
forced to retire. Barbara Armstrong finished in the stage in the
new Peugeot 206 with an ear to ear grin and commented "The new car
is fine, it was alright, although the handbrake did sort of fall to bits
on the way round!"
In the Peugeot Super 106 Cup section, as can be seen above, Rory Galligan
was fastest and commented "I hope everyone was understeering as much
as I was." Ryan Champion was 2nd fastest of the 106's - 4s
down on Rory...Ryan saying "We had a half spin and also I lost the
door mirror in the bushes at the last square right!" Garry
Jennings was on a time of 4.30.4 and said "We were trying a gear too
high early on, definitely lost time".
Late news - young Kris Meeke, running at No.28, has just posted a time of
4m26...while flying fireman Chris Moore has done a sensational 4.24.0.
Michael Brew, still recovering from his fairly major Scottish Rally
accident, has now come into the reckoning with a time of 4.25.6....fairly
remarkable times from the young Peugeot lions...when one considers that
Patrick Magaud in the works Ford has recorded 4.26.6, but then maybe the
track is getting ever more faster as the cones get more scattered..
More news later..BRIAN & LIZ
PATTERSON
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