RallyNews No10 Manx International Rally

MANX TAILS NO.10 Grandstand-service-Saturday 10.45am

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 19 Baldhoon
1ST (15) Mark Higgins/Craig Thorley (Corolla WRC) 2.06.35.8
2ND (14) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 2.07.42.2
3RD (16) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 2.10.48.3
4TH (11) David Higgins/Daniel Barritt (Impreza N) 2.13.35.2
5TH (17) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 2.15.22.6
6TH (1) Justin Dale/Andrew Bargery (Peugeot) 2.17.11.9
7TH (20) Alistair Ginley/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 2.18.56.0
8TH (21) Trevor Cathers/D.Wilson (Lancer N) 2.19.07.5
9TH (31) Dickie Curran/Gary Lyons (Lancer N) 2.19.55.8
10TH (23) Robert Watson/Sean Crellin (Impreza) 2.20.09.0

Just outside the leaderboard - 11th Steve Petch (Hyundai) 12th Martin Sansom 13th John Cope 14th Seamus Leonard 15th Dessie Keenan

"Crestfallen" is the only way to describe the expression on Jonny Milner's face when he arrived in here to Grandstand service after stage 19. Jonny's Corolla WRC lost 4th gear in stage 18 and then 5th and 6th gears in stage 19. Mark Higgins was fastest on both tests, through the thick fog. Pirelli British Championship leader Jonny Milner went on to explain "We have no spares, no chance of fixing it". Would he continue? "Yes, we'll try our best to keep going". Tarmac Champion Andrew Nesbitt had by now joined Jonny to see what the problem was, and he said "Jonny as far as I'm concerned I'll not be pushing you".

34 cars started this final day of the Manx International. Almost immediately that was 33 as Simon Hughes' Clio ground to a halt two thirds of the way through Dreemskeery, leaving a patch of oil just at the square right junction at the little cottage before stage finish. That patch of oil was to catch out several drivers including David Higgins and Trevor Cathers. Neither did any damage, although Cathers did re-arrange the rear of his Lancer in stage 19 when a 5 left came looming out of the fog at stage finish and caught the Omagh man on the hop. Interestingly, David Higgins in the Barretts Subaru has set fastest gpN time on every stage of the rally until stage 18 when he was just pippped by Dickie Curran. Curran however lost his momentum in the fog of Baldhoon, and was well off the pace. As can be seen above, Alistair Ginley has got ahead of Trevor Cathers, Ginley's co driver Rory Kennedy saying "He's some wee driver in the fog, quite safe, and that's all I want at this stage".

Other stories amongst the top runners included Guy Woodcock spinning in stage 18 and losing quite a few seconds.

In the Manx Trophy Rally Eugene Ferry has been leading from the word go, while Adrian Kermode is top Volkswagen Polo Challenge driver from Ian Chadwick with Swedish driver Roger Andersson 3rd. Darren Snape leads the Ford Puma 1400 series while Shaun Woffinden is the top Ka driver from"W"ggy" "ith Barry Clark 3rd Niky Cleland 4th. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (www.rallynews.net)