RALLY NEWS NO.8                  Pickering Showground/Sunday 11am
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 10 Pike Hill
1st (12) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 1.15.20.8
2nd (14) Steve Petch/John Richardson (Accent WRC) 1.16.34.3
3rd (16) Julian Reynolds/Ieuan Thomas (Impreza) 1.16.41.6
4th (3) Gwyndaf Evans/Chris Patterson (MG ZR) 1.19.47.5
5th (2) Guy Wilks/Roger Herron (Ford Puma) 1.20.47.7
6th (4) Rory Galligan/Gordon Noble (Peugeot 206) 1.20.50.5
7th (20) Nigel Heath/Steve Lancaster (Impreza WRC) 1.21.00.6
8th (5) Kris Meeke/Glenn Patterson (Ford Puma) 1. 21.08.7
9th (24) Phil Morgan/Martin Douglas (Impreza N) 1.21.21.5
10th (29) Adrian Wilson/Keith Bardon (Impreza N) 1.22.33.5   

Gwyndaf Evans brought his MG quickly to a halt at service in control here at Pickering, and immediately dived under the bonnet and started disconnecting bits and pieces in readiness for a massive job by the MG engineers,  whenever the car would go through the time control and up to service camp.  All perfectly legimate of course, as long as Gwyndaf and co-driver Chris did the work themselves.  In fact, Gwyndaf's preparations were supervised by a scrutineer.  It transpired that the MG not only had clutch centre bearing trouble, but also a broken alternator. Gwyndaf commented "I was trying to take care of the clutch through the stages, and also make absolutely sure I didn't stall the engine at any junction as the battery was rapidly going flat".  Gwyndaf was fastest Super 1600 through stage 9, and then in stage 10 it was Rory Galligan's turn in the Peugeot to head to the 1600 time sheets.  Rory is having a big race with Guy Wilks in the Puma, but Guy, despite being on his home stages, got it slightly wrong on a right 4 into left 5 and the Puma slithered on the ball bearing surface into the ditch.  Guy wasn't a bit pleased, and the spectators were more intent on taking photographs than helping Guy and co driver Roger to lift the Puma back on to the road. Kris Meeke had a good run through that stage 10 as well, and that was despite a slight upset in concentration when the engine would not fire up at stage start.

Rory Galligan has changed the gearing slightly on his Peugeot, and once he became accustomed to that, lower top speed but faster out of the corners, he has settled to the job in hand of reeling in the Wilks' Puma.

Jonny Milner continues to set the pace at the front of the field. Fastest SS9, 2nd SS10.  Jonny arrived into service slightly later than the other cars, but with full permission of the organisers, having been asked to feature in a photo call with the local police and the Pirelli girls, to celebrate his victory in the British Championship.  Steve Petch was having some brake troubles yesterday with his Hyundai, a new brake disc has made all the difference, and Steve actually set fastest time through stage 10 to move ahead of Julian Reynolds in the classification.  In Group N Phil Morgan survived a slight off in SS10 to continue to lead gpN, but it's Leon Pesticcio in the Promax Lancer who is really setting the gpN times. More later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON   www.rallynews.net