RALLY NEWS NO.4 Baldoon Service/Saturday 10AM

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 4 SHAW HILL

1st (1) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Impreza WRC) 22.47.9
2nd (2) David Higgins/Craig Thorley (Accent WRC) 23.00.5
3rd (4) Paul Bird/Andrew Bargery (Focus WRC) 23.07.3
4th (8) Steve Perez/Daniel Barritt (Focus WRC) 23.19.7
5th (6) Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin (Focus WRC) 23.20.4
6th (3) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 23.41.9
7th (7) Barry Johnson/Stewart Merry (Impreza WRC) 23.54.4
8th (30) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Ignis) 23.55.3
9th (9) Sebastian Ling/James Phillips (Lancer N) 24.12.5
10th (10) Leon Pesticcio/Tim Sturla (Punto) 24.23.2
11th (18) Jonnie Wigmore/Robbie Durant (Puma) 24.44.6
12th (17) Simon Hughes/Craig Parry (Clio) 24.45.6

The opening stage, Shaw Hill, of this second day of the Scottish International Rally saw an immediate change to the leaderboard with David Higgins losing time with a puncture, and losing the lead to Jonny Milner. Dougi Hall was 4th overall starting the day but he has crashed his Subaru out, and Robert Gough was trying to make up for lost time in the dark last night and he has crashed his Group N Subaru out of the rally. This will not have helped his chances in the Prodrive Subaru Cup. Robert was lying 4th in the Cup starting the rally, with Dorian Rees leading from Rob Gill. Rees is currently down in 24th place as he settles in to his hired Impreza.

Interestingly, new rally leader Jonny Milner also finished that Shaw Hill stage with a left rear puncture, just the same as David Higgins. However, Milner's flat happened much later in the stage so he lost less time than Higgins. Robert Gough's accident apparently happened at a very slight left over a crest, he was just a little too wide, the car got off line and flipped.

Outside the leaderboard some other positions include - Simon Hughes in 12th, with Gareth Jones, also in a Clio in 13th. Damian Cole had a new engine fitted to his Subaru just before the start and he is 14th. Young Stuart Jones is in a relatively old model Lancer, didn't do any recce for the rally, and it is his first time in 4 wheel drive, which makes his 15th overall pretty good. Lorna Smith in the 22 Motorsport Impreza is 16th, her team mate Jennie-Lee Hermansson 19th, but only 8s in arrears, so close is the competition. Sandwiched between is Nigel Heath 17th, Mark I'Anson 18th. Aki Teiskonen is 20th in his Saxo, and still trying to claw back his 40s road penalty. John Lloyd lost time in the dark last night and is 21st. Aaron MacHale, following a major stage 3 moment, is 22nd, Barry Clark 23rd following his first stage spin.

In the Fiat Stilo Cup William Bonniwell was the overnight leader from Chris Davies and we have no further update on that. Shaun Woffinden's retirement was confirmed after putting his Stilo into an Ae ditch. In the Lex Army Land Rover part of the event John Duncan was the overnight leader from Gary Mitchell by 16s. Jace Webster rolled his example, but managed to keep going following some sterling work by the Army service crew. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON (with help from Dick Cormack of Pirelli Tyres) www.rallynews.net