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RALLY
NEWS NO.1 Saturday morning-Banbury...07.00
Martin Rowe and Justin Dale dicing for the inaugural Formula Rally
driver's title, Garry Jennings, Rory Galligan and Ryan Champion battling
for the ultimate Peugeot Super 106 Cup honours, those are just two of the
expected excitements on this Prodrive backed Banbury Rally. Also to be
decided are the Volkswagen Polo Challenge and the Ford Puma Championship.
'Down to the Wire' is a truism today.
There have been some interesting stories even before the rally has
started. Peugeot works driver Justin Dale was expected to debut the new
Peugeot 206, but to give him every chance at the driver's title it has
been decided by Peugeot's Mick Linford that he will revert to his tried
and trusted Super 1600 GTi. Former British Ladies Rally Champion Barbara
Armstrong has now been drafted in to drive the new car, with its dramatic
green coachwork, to give the machine its first public competition airing.
Ford made a late entry for young world 'superstar in the making' Francois
Duval, winner of the Kent Rally, to drive a similar Boreham prepared Puma
to Martin Rowe and Patrick Magaud, but that plan has fallen through at
the last moment. Ford has already clinched the manufacturer's category
anyway, at the Jim Clark Rally last week. This leaves current points
leader Martin Rowe with a single aim - to take the drivers title. It is
virtually a 'winner take all" scenario between himself and Justin
Dale.
There is a mixed bag of stages today, and really anything can happen.
Rowe and Dale possibly won't have it all their own way anyway. Frenchman
Patrick Magaud found his form last week and started to get into the
fastest times, so he can't be discounted for a top result. Swedish driver
Mats Andersson has had a miserable season, and he will be trying to end
the season on a special high, especially as Proton has just announced
the, hopefully temporary, suspension of UK rally involvement. Perhaps the
real dark horse on the rally, as regards a win, is David Higgins in the
Volkswagen Polo. David made a slow
start to last week's Jim Clark, but then flew through many of the stages.
He is determined to go flat out from the word go this time. There are
other interesting Formula Rally equations - such as who will win the
privateer's award - Simon Mauger or Martin Sansom.
In the Peugeot Super 106 Cup, again it really is down to the wire, with
young Garry Jennings, in his first proper year's rallying, leading the
points and and the man that Rory Galligan and Ryan Champion have to beat.
The 1400cc Ford Puma Championship has still to be decided, with David
Henderson, Guy Wilks and Shaun Woffinden all capable of taking the title.
The Ka series has already been won by Darren Snape, while Clive Wheeler
and David Bateson will battle it out for top Volkswagen Challenge honours.
Several GpN cars have been slotted in to the entry at the last moment,
including Prodrives's David Lapworth/John Spiller - naturally driving a
Subaru. Should be an interesting day's sport! More news later..BRIAN
& LIZ PATTERSON
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