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RALLY
NEWS NO.5 Sweet Lamb - Sunday 11.30am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 MYHERIN
1st (14) Tapio Laukkanen/Ilka Riipinen (Impreza N)
1.04.37.1
2nd (10) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 1.04.44.7
3rd (12) Johann Kressner/Leif Wigert (Subaru) 1.04.46.2
4th (11) David Higgins/Daniel Barritt (Impreza N) 1.05.05.2
5th (9) Marcus Dodd/John Bennie (Impreza WRC) 1.05.10.8
6th (29) Charlie Jukes/David Williams (Subaru) 1.05.23.5
7th (20) Glyn Jones/Craig Parry (Subaru) 1.06.51.5
8th (23) Nik Elsmore/Huw Lewis (Lancer N) 1.06.44.8
9th (18) Julian Reynolds/Stuart Merry (Subaru) 1.06.54.2
10th (19) Alistair Ginley/Craig Thorley (Lancer N)
1.07.04.6
SUPER 1600 - Justin Dale has a convincing lead now over his
Peugeot 206 team mate Rory Galligan - 1m18s - with Guy
Wilks (Ford) 3rd. Gwyndaf Evans would appear to have
retired the MG in the middle of Myherin. Other drivers told
us that he was stopped and peering under the bonnet when
they passed.
The long tough Welsh stages are providing lots of drama
with the Group N car of Tapio Laukkanen obviously revelling
in the twisty but high speed roads. Earllier leader Charlie
Jukes has dropped back because of a puncture. Johan
Kressner was expected to make a break for the lead,but he
seems to be losing a few seconds and told us the car was
sliding about on the loose stuff. Jonny Milner was fastest
through stage 5, but didn't have a fantastic stage 4. A few
very minor moments, and a wrong tyre choice hampering the
Yorkshireman. David Higgins might have been expected to
repeat the sort of form that brought him victory here in
'99, but David told us "At the start of Myherin there
was a big cloud of smoke from the engine. I drove the stage
as well as any I've ever driven but I was 16s down on Tapio,
and I just wonder about the new engine". Jukes'
puncture happened in Myherin and he drove for many miles on
the flat wheel, as did Taguchi in the Mitsubishi. The
Japanese driver lost well over a minute, and dropped out of
the leaderboard on a total of 1.07.17.
In the Peugeot Super 206 Cup after stage 4 - Chris Moore
has moved into the lead ahead of Marko Ramanen. Paul
Alexander is 3rd and Garry Jennings has slipped to 4th, the
Ulsterman no answer as to why he dropped over 20s to Moore
on stage 3 and 10s in stage 4. Young Gareth Jones retired
his Peugeot when he got a puncture and then slipped off the
road.
In the Gwynedd Rally after 1 stage today Mark Wheeler in
the Puma led from Ian Chadwick in the Polo with Darren
Snape 3rd (Puma), Andersson 4th and Woffinden, the leading
Ford KA, in 5th. Ryan Champion, top 1400 Puma on the
Pirelli, is pretty far back having lost 2nd gear and went
off the road trying to make up time. In the VW Polo
Challenge Roger Andersson has now got ahead of Ian Chadwick
while Clive Wheeler has lost a mountain of time with gear
selection problems. Neil Primrose is going well in the Kas
and said "This is magic, this rallying, better than
sex, it lasts longer!" More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ
PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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