RALLY NEWS NO.3                   Hawkhirst Remote Service/Kielder/Friday 10.30pm

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 BEWSHAUGH

1^st (4) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 25.47.1

2^nd (5) Paul Bird/Ian Windress (Focus WRC) 25.59.2

3^rd (1) David Higgins/Daniel Barritt (Lancer N) 26.13.7

4^th (9) Sebastian Ling/Ian Allsop (Accent WRC) 26.13.8

5^th (2) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Focus WRC) 26.40.4

6^th (14) Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle (Corolla WRC) 26.44.0

7^th (8) Tapio Laukkanen/Harri Kaapro (Impreza N) 26.45.6

8^th (7) Steve Perez/Neil Dashfield (Focus WRC) 26.50.9

9^th (3) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 26.53.3

10^th (10) Jon Ingram/Andrew Bargery (Focus WRC) 26.56.8

Mark Higgins led this Pirelli Rally for the first 3 stages but in stage 4, Kershope, he got a slow puncture at the front of his Focus WRC and struggled through the stage with the rapidly deflating tyre until eventually he was running virtually on the rim.  Mark lost 1m20s to Austin MacHale.  He said afterwards “I think it was on a 90 right, about 400 metres into the stage, I decided to keep going but was very cautious. I had a clean run through stage 3 but not fantastic through stage 5. I decided not to be trying for quickest on every stage, to start thinking about points in the championship.”  Austin MacHale, winner of the first round in Wales, reckoned he could have gone faster through the forest stages, but he picked too wide a tyre and the car was sliding about a fair bit. Otherwise he went well.  Paul Bird in 2^nd place had an overshoot in stage 5 and is also in dispute over a stage time, but all in all the Bird Man is happy with his lot.

David Higgins said he is going “not too bad”.  But he was caught out in stage 3 on a long left hander over a bridge tightening into a square left.  David admits to a bit of brain fade and he was going up the gears instead of coming down, when he suddenly realised he was in trouble.  He threw the Lancer sideways, it careered into what turned out to be a lovely soft bank, went up on 2 wheels and landed back all in one piece.  “Apart from that bit of drama its been good” reported last year’s winner, David.  Not so happy though for his Lancer team mate Rory Galligan, group N winner in Wales. Rory’s Lancer is in some sort of gear box or clutch trouble at the start of stage 3, Ash Park, and it doesn’t look as if he is going to make it through here to service. Tapio Laukkanen is having a quiet run by his standards, saying “I’m so cautious, I drive carefully, apart from that it is fine”. 

Jonny Milner’s co driver Nicky Beech said. “It feels alright, but the times are not great, maybe we’re just getting back into it”.  Sebastian Ling’s co driver Ian Allsop said “Every corner is an adventure!”  Jon Ingram is not just on his usual pace,, not flowing tonight. Young Gareth MacHale said he had a slow stage 3 but then went well, but then on a 5 right in stage 5 a large boulder threw the car up in the air.  As he waited to come into service he was having a good look underneath the front of the Corolla, and happily could see no problem. John Lloyd told us he had put his Subaru into a stage 5 ditch. “We didn’t lose much time, but lost part of my car!”  Lorna Smith had some sort of technical problem at the spectator stage, lost a few seconds then when she ran wide at a corner through stage 4, otherwise all OK.   

We have an unconfirmed story that Gwyndaf Evans’ Fiesta did not leave service after stage 2, reason as yet unknown. Leon Pesticcio is reportedly also in trouble, his Fiat Stilo having transmission trouble at the spectator stage.  Just 31 cars started the rally so we could now be down to 28.

Finally for now it was great to see Matthew Wilson and co driver Scott Martin out and about at the Super Special, albeit both on crutches, but in good form.

BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON    www.rallynews.net