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MANX TALES NO.8
Grandstand/Friday 8.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 15 BALDHOON 2
1st (1) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Impreza WRC) 1.37.57.3
2nd (3) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 1.39.48.7
3rd (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.40.31.3
4th (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.40.53.1
5th (8) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.41.05.9
6th (12) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.43.23.3
7th (2) Mark Higgins/Craig Thorley (Octavia WRC) 1.43.48.2
8th (9) Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin (Focus WRC) 1.44.42.7
9th (21) Rob Watson/Norman Quayle (Lancer N) 1.45.12.9
10th (30) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Ignis) 1.45.25.0
11th (11) Barry Johnson/Stewart Merry (Impreza WRC) 1.46.47.2
12th (16) Ollie O'Donovan/David Moynihan (Impreza WRC) 1.47.17.6
Pirelli British Champion Jonny Milner carries an almost 2m lead into the 3rd
day of this Manx International Rally, but with over 70 stage miles still to go
the race is far from over. Milner was fastest through all the stages on this
last Friday loop, his closest pursuer in overall terms, Kenny McKinstry,
hampered by a hole in his Subaru exhaust manifold. Earlier leader Mark Higgins in
all sorts of problems with his Octavia. Another major retirement on that loop
was Paul Bird whose Focus WRC was reportedly parked at Andreas after stage
13, the front bumper missing and the alternator not working. Milner commented as
he waited to go into service "The car felt good over the last few stages, the
suspension seems fine, we didn't change the dampers just clicked them up a
bit. Although I was a bit cautious on the narrow bit of Baldhoon we are still
going hard. I don't want to slow down, but tomorrow we may a little. This is
probably the toughest rally in the championship, a bit of endurance, its easy to
get sucked in, the stages are so enjoyable. It's a shame for Mark, but at
the end of the day he wasn't going to take points away from me".
Mark Higgins commented. "Not a great afternoon for me really, the broken prop
shaft did a lot of damage to the wiring. It was like Blackpool illuminations
in there over the last couple of stages there were that many lights coming on.
There is fluctuating oil pressure, no differential pressure, all the slip
has gone to the front. Then the exhaust manifold broke off. A mate of mine is
just after phoning and joked "its as well you're not an airline pilot"! As
regards tomorrow, there is no point in continuing unless everything is sorted, but
then I haven't finished a rally this year so I would like to try. Ironically
the boys changed the dampers earlier and the car is a lot better as regards
handling".
Kenny McKinstry said of the latter stages. "There were times when I had to
ask Noel to repeat the note, I wasn't really concentrating, listening all the
time for any change in engine note. I had a bung in the manifold, one of the
chambers has burst, and there was a big risk of fire if it came adrift. We have
a 40 minute service now, the only chance to change it and Derek McGarrity has
been good enough to give me his spare".
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There is still a massive race on between McKinstry, McGarrity, Donnelly and
MacHale. Donnelly has been quickest of the four really over the last few
stages, Eugene feeling a bit more familiarity having driven them this morning, and
also watched an in-car tape from McGarrity's car last year. Eugene said the
Corolla felt really good, he is trying a new type of tyre and it is working
well. Derek McGarrity was having some small intercom problems on the last couple
of stages but not a huge handicap. Austin MacHale was having a real good study
under the bonnet of his Focus WRC as he waited to go into service. Very
slight whisps of smoke from around the area of the turbo charger perhaps spelling a
problem on the horizon. Barry Johnson dropped out of the top 10 again when
his Subaru incurred a puncture on stage 13. Matt Wilson seems to have had a
good run over the last couple of stages, although did drop some time in stage 13
when he overshot and couldn't select reverse in his Focus WRC. Steve Perez
has been turning in some times after his earlier problems, and the Vodka Kick
Focus has come from virtually nowhere to 13th.
In Group N Rob Watson continues to dazzle. Seb Ling is still 2nd GpN despite
a bad time through stage 14. Dessie Keenan is 3rd. Watson commented. "This is
really awesome, car feels really good, so easy to drive, I'm very happy with
it. But I feel I'll have to knock it off a bit remind myself it is a Group N
car". The Suzuki team has had some new springs flown in for Guy Wilks' Ignis.
Guy saying now "We're going in the right direction, it has totally changed the
car, I've more confidence and it's a matter now of optimising the performance
before the Ulster". Stephen Quine is now into 15th place in the Escort F2.
Shaun Fox is 18th, just 1s behind Nigel Cannell. In the Fiat Stilo Cup
Bonniwell dropped 3m in stage 13 with a puncture and has dropped to 4th. Woffinden
leads despite a puncture. Davis was 2nd although his example was stuck in 4th
gear for quite a while.
Prodrive Subaru Cup leader Dorian Rees has retired his Impreza with gearbox
linkage trouble. Pat Kearney has put his 206 off the road and out of the rally
in stage 13.
More news in the morning. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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