RALLY NEWS NO.2                        Grandstand/Friday 10pm

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 KERISTAL
1st (6) Melvyn Evans/Alun Davies (Escort WRC) 34.40.7
2nd (7) Mark Perrott/Garry Mansell (Escort WRC) 34.52.7
3rd (2) John Price/Caroline Price (Metro 6R4) 34.57.6
4th (20) Steve Hendy/Mark Milton (Esc.Cos) 35.07.8
5th (23) Phil Collins/Howard Davies (Escort) 35.15.6
6th (3) David Mann/Alun Cook (Impreza) 35.16.9
7th (26) John Dalton/Gwynfor Jones (Darrian) 35.21.3
8th (8) Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Impreza) 35.24.1
9th (10) Jon Mercer/Aled Davies (Metro 6R4) 35.24.3
10th (4) Tony Davies/Brian Hardie (Metro 6R4) 35.42.0
Just outside the leaderboard - Steve Fleck in 11th, Robert Watson in 12th.

Biggest story of this evening's stages centred on Kenny McKinstry's thwarted bid to secure a Manx National hat trick - virtually any chance gone with a stage 3 puncture.  On the stage of the rally McKinstry was much faster than the opposition, and he reported "I was really settling into it, sat well back in the seat and loving it".  In stage 3 it all went wrong.  Kenny swerved around a chicane and lifted a chunk out of one of the wheels - obviously there was something hidden in the grass.  Unfortunately for Kenny it was the 21 mile stage and he was only a handful of miles into it, so there was no alternative but to stop and change the wheel.  In excess of 4 minutes were lost.  There is re-seeding overnight, which may mean Kenny having to run with much slower cars.  Hopefully he may get seeded higher up on safety grounds.  He is certainly very discouraged and is talking about putting the car on the trailer.

Surprise package of the last few stages has been Steve Hendy - who has really turned up the wick.  Melvyn Evans has been right on the pace as well.  John Price has his earlier intercom problem repaired and is certainly in with a shout at this point.  Phil Collins in 5th place has probably been the hero of the evening, setting superb times in his Mk2 Escort and reports:  "The brakes are giving a bit of drama, there is oil on the rear wheels, the car has been bouncing about a fair bit and the driver needs a few pints, and we're enjoying it all!"  Graham Middleton has retired his Corolla with a suspected clutch problem while Shaun Fox's Nova stopped after stage 2 with reported engine troubles. Andrew Haddon's Lancer stopped on stage 1.

Bob Fowden is the fastest time in so far amongst the group N runners from Mark I'anson.  We are still awaiting times for the later gpN runners. Mark Morgan in particular has been going well. Jeremy Easson has had a fraught evening - in his own words "A torrid time".  Jeremy reports something wrong with the hydraulic centre differential and the car wants to charge on at hairpins.  He also said "I stalled at the start of stage 4, haven't done that since I was 15".
Snippets: Steve Fleck - disastrous 3 spins. Steve Petch big transmission trouble but still going. Tony Davies fighting a fever. Evans caught Petch SS2 lost many seconds. David Mann suspension too soft on rebuilt car. More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON                                                   www.rallynews.net