RALLY NEWS NO.2                   Felindre-service-Friday  11am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3  Trawscoed
1st (2) Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen (Peugeot) 32.10.0
2nd (6) Markko Martin/Michael Park (Ford) 32.39.5
3rd (11) Petter Solberg/Philip Mills (Subaru) 32.40.3
4th (4) Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya (Ford) 32.46.0
5th (3) Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen (Peugeot) 33.01.1
6th (10) Tommi Makinen/Kaj Lindstrom (Subaru) 33.22.8
7th (21) Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Xsara) 33.30.4
8th (24) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Ford) 33.39.0
9th (19) Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo (Accent) 33.43.6
10th (5) Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (Ford) 33.46.3

Marcus Gronholm's lead after just 2 forest stages is up to almost half a minute over Markko Martin, with Petter Solberg's Subaru less than half a second behind Martin's Ford Focus.  Colin McRae recovered well from his stage 2 excursion and was 4th fastest on stage 3.  Richard Burns is now 12th overall following his stage 3 accident.  We did report that Richard's Peugeot turbo pipe was dislodged, but in fact it was the exhaust pipe that was flattened that caused the car to be down on power for the remainder of that 3rd stage. Gronholms' co-driver Timo commented after stage 3 "No major problems, we find the surface in the forest not constant in places that look normal, but are quite slippy and the car is floating".  Markko Martin reported everything good in stage 2 but some massive moments in stage 3, particularly where Eriksson went off a few years ago.  Colin McRae's accident happened at a 6th gear approach to a junction, it was slippy under braking and the car went straight on, spectators taking ages to lift the car out of a ditch. Burns' excursion was on a downhill 3rd gear right hander and Richard was slightly late on the brakes. His co driver Robert Reid with cracked ribs, and said "It wasn't very pleasant".

Harri Rovanpera had some problems when he stalled the engine at a hairpin and the clutch would not work properly.  Gilles Panizzi reported "It is not easy, with a lot of mud and we have a little problem with the balance of the car, we will change something in service park and maybe it will be better".  Sebastian Loeb said "Mistake 500 metres from finish of stage 2, cost 20s".  Francois Delecour was doubtful in his own mind about being fit enough to compete today, and said "Stages not easy but OK. Personally not as bad as I expected".    Janni Paasonen in the works Lancer said "Now I have one more experience, I know how difficult and slippy these stages are".  Juuso Pykalisto said "Our windscreen was cracked at the Super Special, this morning sun makes it very difficult on the cracks. We cannot change screen on this older car until tonight, takes long time, newer car is quicker to change". 
News from outside the leaderboard includes - Valentino Rossi has crashed his 206 - we do not know if he is going to get going. Justin Dale has rolled his Lancer, lost some time with the roll, but a lot more time in stage 3, going slowly. David Higgins in the Barretts Subaru 24th and going OK. Nik Elsmore fastest gpN car so far. Sola leads Junior WRC in his Citroen from Dallavilla. McShea 3rd, Gwyndaf Evans in the MG 4th.  More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON                     www.rallynews.net