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RALLY NEWS NO.1
Sunday..Caerwent 09.30
UNOFFICIAL Super 1600 LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2
1st (5) Justin Dale/Andrew Bargery (Peugeot) 13.55.2
2nd (17) Paul Wedgbury/Neil Dashfield (Saxo) 14.05.3
3rd (1) Mats Andersson/Claire Mole (Satria) 14.09.1
4th (15) Martin Sansom/Phil Wells (Peugeot) 14.20.1
5th (8) Patrick Maugaud/Guylene Brun (Ford Puma) 14.28.2
6th (7) Martin Rowe/Chris Wood (Ford Puma) 14.31.3
Leading Peugeot Super 106 Cup Contenders - Michael Brew 14.06.2: Adrian
McElvaney 14.30.3: Ryan Champion 14.31.5:
Ford Puma 1400 Championship: Guy Wilks leads while Ian Forgan leads the
Ka series...all times unofficial!
Wet conditions have made the going very difficult for the drivers on
this R & M Williams Welsh Rally at Caerwent. Formula Rally
championship leader Martin Rowe struggled through the first 2 stages,
and told us at the control intoservice "I was really cautious,
anything more than a 60 degree bend I can't see through the side
windows, they are so misted up. It's a day to geet through and
just try to get a few points". Martin's Ford Puma team mate,
Patrick Magaud, felt that perhaps a more open pattern Pirelli tyre might
help them. Indeed nearly every driver told of dicey moments with
wheels locking under braking.
Justin Dale said "A few times when we put on the brakes the wheels
just locked up, and the engine was cutting out. Very difficult
conditions". Mats Andersson reported hitting a kerb with a
front wheel during an overshoot at a junction, the Swedish driver saying
"Very happy we have no puncture". Martin Sansom had a
really good time through the first stage, but lost a couple of
seconds on the second, when he spun the Peugeot and the engine stalled. Martin
was also having some trouble with the windows misting up. Max
McKillen put his Saxo off the road for a few seconds ons tage 1 but had
a good run through stage 2. Martin Meadows, when he arrived at
service in control, joked "It's back to base camp time for a
re-think!"
Behind the Super 1600 contenders, there is a major battle amongst the
Peugeot Super 106 competitors, as well as the Ford Puma Championship
drivers. RyanChampion said "We got on so so. We had a couple
of small overshoots and clipped a kerb, nothing major". That
is more than can be said for young Kris Meeke - the Dungannon driver
arrived in here with quite a lot of damage to
his 106, co driver Gordon Noble saying "It was on a long straight
section, Kris left his braking just a fraction late and suddenly we were
in a wildslide that ended in the ditch, puncturing a tyre, lucky to only
lose a couple of minutes".
Manxman Michael Brew set a couple of stunning times on those initial
stages, Michael saying "We pushed hard, I like tight slippy
conditions, and thought I may as well have a go". Chris Moore
lost over a minute when his Peugeot's bonnet blew up at the start of
stage 1. Neil Edwards reckoned he was having a little gear linkage
problem with his Ford Puma, but otherwise OK.
More news to folow...BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON |
