RallyNews No11 Manx International Rally

MANX TAILS NO.11 Jurby-Service-Saturday 12.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 21 Ballagyr
1ST (15) Mark Higgins/Craig Thorley (Corolla WRC) 2.25.59.2
2ND (16) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 2.29.56.1
3RD (14) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 2.30.06.0
4TH (11) David Higgins/Daniel Barritt (Impreza N) 2.33.39.0
5TH (17) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 2.35.24.8
6TH (1) Justin Dale/Andrew Bargery (Peugeot) 2.38.03.3
7TH (20) Alistair Ginley/Rory Kennedy (Lancer N) 2.39.25.0
8TH (21) Trevor Cathers/D.Wilson (Lancer N) 2.39.53.3
9TH (31) Dickie Curran/Gary Lyons (Lancer N) 2.40.35.0
10TH (23) Robert Watson/Sean Crellin (Impreza) 2.41.27.3

Just outside the leaderboard - 11th Steve Petch 12th Martin Sansom 13th Guy Woodcock 14th John Cope 15th Seamus Leonard 16th James Thompson

"Never say never to a Milner" joked Jonny Milner as he struggled his Corolla WRC into this Jurby service and immediately set to with the mechanics to pull the gearbox apart in another effort to sort his problems. Jonny's transmission troubles started yesterday when there was a vibration came into the propshaft. There was no spare so Jonny' technical mentor Duncan McMath remembered that a Celica was the same set up, and a mechanical was despatched to David Greer's Carryduff workshop to pull the shaft out of his Celica. With the Island fog bound, the only way back was with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company during the night, and the new part was fitted satisfactorily. Then the gearbox trouble started - Jonny was 8 minutes late leaving service after stage 19, the box seemed alright, but then started jamming again and the Pirelli British Championship leader lost around 40s in stage 20, and over a minute in stage 21. This lets Nesbitt in front by just a few seconds, but Jonny is not beaten yet!

Other stories over the last couple of stages included - retired dentist Harold Morley who now lives in Barbados, crashing his Lancer up at Maughold, blocking stage 18 - Harold has been taken to hospital with a suspected broken wrist. Co driver Tim Hobbs is back at the grandstand, seemingly safe and sound. Robert Watson had a lucky escape when he smashed a rear wheel in stage 20 handbraking around a bale. The rear right crunched against a rock. Although Robert lost a few seconds in the stage he was able to hammer the wheel straight himself before stage 21 and lost little time there.

David Higgins in the Barretts Subaru continues to lead group N, and like all the drivers, reported the lane at the end of Ballagyr extremely slippy and actually slithered to a halt at one point. He still set fastest gpN time. Trevor Cathers has given up in his race to try and beat Alistair Ginley, Trevor commenting "Maximum Tarmac points will do me". Justin Dale has throttled his Super 1600 leading Peugeot right back, like so many of the drivers, intent on championship points, and he crawled through the ford at the end of Ballagyr where there were so many problems yesterday. In fact all the top drivers crawled through the ford, the photographers being very disappointed! More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON (www.rallynews.net)