RALLY NEWS NO.7              Pickering Showground/Sunday 09.30
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UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 9 Langdale
1st (12) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 1.07.53.1
2nd (16) Julian Reynolds/Ieuan Thomas (Impreza) 1.08.55.0
3rd (14) Steve Petch/John Richardson (Accent WRC) 1.09.06.5
4th (3) Gwyndaf Evans/Chris Patterson (MG ZR) 1.11.53.8
5th (20) Nigel Heath/Steve Lancaster (Impreza WRC) 1.12.34.3
6th (2) Guy Wilks/Roger Herron (Ford Puma) 1.12.40.9
7th (4) Rory Galligan/Gordon Noble (Peugeot 206) 1.13.00.8
8th (24) Phil Morgan/Martin Douglas (Impreza N) 1.13.08.7
9th (5) Kris Meeke/Glenn Patterson (Ford Puma) 1.13.13.6
10th (29) Adrian Wilson/Kevin Bardon (Impreza N) 1.14.20.3

New Pirelli British Rally Champion Jonny Milner started this morning where he left off yesterday, fastest.  Jonny was 15s up on Julian Reynolds at the end of stage 9 and reported the stage slightly deceptive, not a lot of grip on the ball bearing surface.  2nd placed Julian Reynolds echoed Jonny's comments, and he said of his own driving "a bit untidy, bit scruffy". 

Gwyndaf Evans in the MG ZR was fastest of the Super 1600 drivers, just 0.2s up on Guy Wilks.  Evans reports a clutch thrust bearing problem on his MG, and it looks like the engineers are in for another gearbox swap after stage 10, Pike Hill.  Kris Meeke was a few seconds down, having spun his Puma. While Simon Hughes in the Clio just can't get to grips with the tarmac spec engine in his car, which will not produce power under 7000 revs, and then spins the wheels over that.  Rory Galligan's 206 continues to perform faultlessly, but Rory just needs that extra second a mile to show the Pumas the way home.  Other snippets from stage 9 include - Leon Pesticcio, reseeded overnight on safety grounds following yesterday's roll, having problems with his Lancer diff settings, and having to handbrake a lot. Tony Thompson in another gpN Lancer overshot a hairpin and had to reverse.

Recap on yesterday's National Rally - Brian Bell in the Ford Focus WRC was confirmed as winner, from David Brown in his 4 wheel drive Puma. Ryan Champion took his Ford Puma to a class win that clinches the Ford Puma 1400 Championship for the Yorkshireman.  Ian Forgan was 2nd in the Pumas yesterday.  Barry Clark won the Ford Ka series from Nicky Cleland and this keeps the Ka series alive until the final round, the Tempest, with Shaun Woffinden still favourite.  Clive Wheeler won the VW Polo Challenge from Ian Chadwick, Clive tying up the Polo Challenge.   In the Land Rover section of the rally, Major Alan Parramore leads, with one of the original 5 retired, Anton Mitchell's example suffering a broken gearbox. Dessie Nutt won the Historic Rally, and Charles Golding the Post Historic - so these two fight it out for the British Historic title on the Bulldog Rally.  More later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (with thanks to Simon Moss from Peugeot and as ever the excellent Results service)