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MANX TALES NO.2 Grandstand/Thursday 7.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 2 CORNAA
1st (1) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Impreza WRC) 9.03.9
2nd (2) Mark Higgins/Craig Thorley (Octavia WRC) 9.05.2
3rd (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 9.05.3
4th (6) Melvyn Evans/Aled Davies (Impreza WRC) 9.09.4
5th (3) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 9.11.4
6th (8) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 8.14.9
7th (12) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 9.20.6
8th (7) Paul Bird/Andrew Bargery (Focus WRC) 9.20.9
9th (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 9.28.7
10th (15) Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (Impreza WRC) 9.32.9
The opening spectator stage at Ramsey on this Manx International Rally was
pretty impressive, beautiful surroundings, the lead World Rally Cars certainly
shattering the peace and tranquility. Dougi Hall was fastest in his Focus WRC,
but in truth a blast down the promenade is not indicative of the true tough
Manx stages. Sure enough, on stage 2 Pirelli British Champion Jonny Milner
surged to the front in his Subaru, with Derek McGarrity 2nd fastest. Milner
commented. "We had a half spin on the spectator stage, a little bit more cautious
than normal through stage 2, but it went well."
Mark Higgins jumped out of his Octavia and told us. "Completely lost the foot
brake, it started with pad knock off, we were nearly off the road, not good."
Kenny McKinstry said. "Not too bad, we were watching the stones, cautious
enough."
Derek McGarrity climbed out of his Subaru here at regroup in, wandered around
the car, put a little pressure gauge on the back wheel, which registered
zero. "Thought so, flat, the car was wondering for the last couple of miles of the
stage. I know where I punctured it, it was at the narrow left right cross
roads coming up the hill!"
A disappointment for the Eugene Donnelly fans was his time through the
opening couple of stages. His time for stage 2 was 8.15.1 as against Milner's
7.49.4. Eugene said. "Its me, not settled, no commitment. We raised the ride
height of the car a bit, but it seems fine." Melvyn Evans had a good stage 2 time,
Melvyn almost laughing when he got to service and told us. "We've got gears,
a huge panic before the start, changed the gearbox at the very last moment".
Following his fastest time on the Ramsey stage Paul Bird found stage 2 very
slippery.
Young Matthew Wilson said. "I realised on the recce that that 2nd stage was
one of the hardest of the rally, some very tricky sections, I clipped a rock
near the beginning, but it was OK." Austin MacHale reported his Focus WRC's
rear brakes locking on, otherwise OK. Dougi Hall said. "Still settling, brakes
all to the back." Eamonn Boland got the hand braking technique all wrong on
the spectator stage and dropped quite a few seconds, had a good run through the
2nd stage. Damian Cole feels that his Celica rear suspension is too hard and
crashing out. Ollie O'Donovan's Subaru is suffering a lack of turbo boost.
From the early times so far Seb Ling is leading Group N in 14th overall.
Irish driver James Foley 2nd in the category and 19th overall. Japanese driver
Fumio Nutahara, also in a Lancer, 25th overall and 3rd GpN.
In Super 1600 Guy Wilks was 15th o/a after stage 2. Shaun Fox is also in
class A6 but not Super 1600 as such and he is 20th overall. Stephen Quine is
21st, Nigel Cannell 22nd. Some more times coming in…Mark I'Anson is 2nd gpN,
James Foley 3rd. Dessie Keenan 4th. Lorna Smith 5th. Aaron Machale 6th.
More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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