WEE MANX TALES NO.6          Grandstand/Saturday  1.30

 

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 12 St Marks

1^st (2) Mark Higgins/Andy Richardson (Focus WRC) 1.17.29.9

2^nd (8) Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Impreza WRC) 1.20.28.5

3^rd (5) Paul Bird/Ian Windress (Focus WRC) 1.20.51.2

4^th (11) Barry Johnson/Stuart Merry (Impreza WRC) 1.20.52.9

5^th (15) Brendan Crealey/Steve Harris (Focus WRC) 1.22.03.9

6^th (9) Tony Davies/Jakes Kelly (Impreza WRC) 1.22.46.3

7^th (10) Steve Fleck/Mark Aspinall (Impreza WRC) 1.23.03.7

8^th (25) Ryan Champion/Craig Thorley (Lancer N) 1.23.22.0

9^th (7) Steve Perez/Neil Dashfield (Focus WRC) 1.23.37.6

10^th (6) Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Accent WRC) 1.23.42.9

11^th (26) Dave Wright/Shelley Rogerson (Impreza) 1.24.05.9

12^th (24) Phillip Morrow/Simon Morrow (Lancer N) 1.24.11.3

 

Mark Higgins is setting such a hectic pace at the front of this Roush Manx Rally that he even managed to beat the bogey time through stage 11, Parville, Mark a minute quicker than he was last night in the fog.  There has been a mighty tussle over the last few stages between Roger Duckworth, Paul Bird and Barry Johnson for 2^nd place, and here at service, with 4 stages remaining, Duckworth has pulled out a bit of an advantage. Higgins commented as he waited to come into service. “The car is very nervous, twitchy, we’re going alright, but need to be careful as well.”   Paul Bird said. “I half wrong slotted at a double junction, had to reverse and it seemed to take forever”.  Barry Johnson also lost some time when his Subaru got out of shape on a left 3 over a crest jump.  The car clipped one bank, knocked off the rear bumper, shot over to the other side of the road and hit the other bank, before bouncing back on to the road. Barry reported that all the wheels were full of mud and the whole car started to vibrate.  So much so that he couldn’t see at flat out speed.  Paul Bird crashed over the top of Johnson’s bumper and that was the end of that.  Roger Duckworth mowed over the top of Johnson’s bumper and that was the end of that, overall Roger setting some superb times through stages 10 and 11.  

 

Steve Perez has also been going hard over the last few stages but freely admits that he can’t get on to the pace of the people at the top.  When his Vodka Kick Focus WRC came into service there was a large chunk missing out of a front left wheel, Steve saying “I cut when the notes said don’t cut at the triangle chicane. I can’t believe the tyre didn’t go down. We’re going better, but still not on the top pace”.  Brendan Crealey has improved throughout the day to get up to 5^th place, Brendan saying. “We stalled at the start of the Marine Drive stage otherwise we had a good run on that loop. We picked a real soft slick tyre, and although it was good on the long stage I think we overheated it and it wasn’t quite so good after that”.  Tony Davies rounds off the top 6, the Milton Keynes man saying that he has kept the suspension slightly on the soft side just in case the rain would come back.  Steve Fleck in 7^th reports no big problems with his Subaru. 

 

Ryan Champion in 8^th is trying to pace himself, not stretch the car, and keep about a 1 minute advantage over 2^nd placed gpN man Phillip Morrow. Marcus Dodd rounds off the top 10 but he may not resume for the last loop of stages. His Hyundai is again giving some problems with the alternator belt, and the engine overheated through stage 12, Marcus cruising the last 3 miles of the test to try to save the unit. He also touched the back of the car in the Parville stage, and that caused a vibration. 

 

David Wright has a big restrictor in his Impreza, basically a gpN car but now running modified. He is getting used to the car and his times are really improving to bring him up to 11^th. Phillip Morrow is 2^nd Group N and reports no troubles, Neil McCance 3^rd and Nik Elsmore 4^th. Earlier in the rally Phillip was good enough to give his spare suspension to fellow competitor Colin Greer in the Innovation Motorsports backed Lancer after Colin broke a strut on the Port Erin stage. John Price is coming back into the picture, the dry roads suiting John and his Metro 6R4 better than last night’s rain and fog.  Robert Watson Nova is now getting outgunned on the dry roads and he has slipped to 13^th, just 1 place ahead of Price.

 

Looking back 1 stage to Parvile, Nigel Cannell continued to lead class A6, Jonnie Wigmore was 2^nd in the class and leading Peugeot 206 Super Cup contenders. Mike Faulkner was 3^rd in the class, 2^nd Pugeot, and young Owen Murphy was 4^th in class 3^rd Peugeot. Cork man Murphy slipped from 2^nd to 3^rd when he made a wrong tyre choice on this morning’s loop of stages, and also had an overshoot at a junction which cost about 20s.  Glenn Leece in his Escort led cl.B12, Glenn went brilliantly in the fog last night and is currently 24^th overall.  Further stories include – Emma McKinstry dropped at least 3 mins when her Lancer stopped with an ignition problem. Steve Hendy retired when his Escort WRC bounced off a gatepost and then went backwards through a barbed wire fence into a field and he couldn’t the car out again.  David Kynaston retired his Audi A3 after stage 8, reason as yet unknown. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net   (our thanks to Ciara Conlon, Ronnie McCausland and Gill Skinner).