1^st (2) David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Lancer N) 7.45.5

2^nd (12) Ryan Champion/Craig Thorley (Lancer N) 7.45.9

3^rd (1) Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Impreza N) 7.46.5

4^th (7) Gwyndaf Evans/Huw Lewis (Lancer N) 7.49.7

5^th (6) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Lancer N) 7.56.7

6^th (15) Phillip Morrow/Daniel Barritt (Lancer N) 8.00.2

7^th (14) Stuart Jones/Craig Parry (Lancer N) 8.02.0

8^th (9) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Suzuki Ignis) 8.04.6

9^th (16) Conrad Rautenbach/Dave Senior (Impreza N) 8.05.1

10^th (5) Roman Kresta/Petr Gross (Fiesta Super) 8.05.2     

The opening stage of this Pirelli Rally and indeed the British Rally Championship has brought some really exciting close competition, and as can be seen above just seconds separating the top cars.  There has been disappointment as well with Irish man Rory Galligan stuck in the stage, his Group N Lancer reportedly with some front wheel damage. Alister McRae lost well over a minute in his Impreza when he punctured a wheel. 

First on the road Mark Higgins said. “It is a new car for me, a bit of a difference from a world rally car, I can’t hear it for a start and of course neither can the spectators, but these new group N cars are good.  I’ve done about 40km in testing and I have a wee misfire at 3000 revs, but to be honest it was no huge problem. I was running first on the road for most of the stage, no OO car as Brian Kinghorn has bust the front suspension on his car when he hit a rock!” 

David Higgins said. “I’ve had no real testing at all in this car, it’s a bit different from last year.  I found the stages a bit loose, in 4^th and 5^th gear, on the medium and fast corners the car is moving about a bit”.  Tapio Laukkanen is 3^rd on the road and he’s driving the same car that won group N with here last year and he said. “We lost time, the seat belt came undone, just the same as last year!”  Jonny Milner is another trying to make the transition from a world rally machine to group N, and he said. “There’s a bit more time to think between gear changes, but not a lot more, these new group N cars are a good little package. I think I can get a few seconds under braking and just get the confidence up”. 

Gwyndaf Evans had a really good run but he found “a hesitation coming out of corners, the engine comes back OK but its there”.   Alister McRae is driving a new Impreza N12 and he got off to a disappointing start when he lost over a minute with a puncture and he said. “I was braking hard into a square junction and overshot a bit, punctured and then the tyre came off the rim fairly quickly”.  Former World Production Champion Martin Rowe was slightly disappointed in his time, Martin explaining that almost from the first corner the back of the car was trying to catch up with the front, that it is set too high and hopefully he will be able to get it sorted out at service.  Ryan Champion had a great run, reckons there’s a bit more to come, that the car that the car has a tendency to oversteer and he’s spending a lot of time looking out the side window Ryan’s co driver Craig Thorley of Motorsport Travel is celebrating his 46^th birthday today, no better way to do it!! 

Further stories amongst the leading drivers include – Stephen Petch losing some time with a front left puncture.  Stuart Jones has some sort of sticking throttle on his Lancer. Phillip Morrow has gearbox trouble in his example, 5^th gear is making the most horrendous noise and although the gear is there and Phillip could select it, with several miles of the stage to go he decided not to use it because of the dreadful noise.  He reckons he will be very lucky to get the car to service. 

In the Super 1600 Roman Kresta was very cool at stage finish and reported no problems.  Guy Wilks felt that his car wasn’t set up properly at all although he was still fastest in the category. Barry Clark recorded 8.15.4 in his Fiesta and James Wozencroft 8.31.1.  More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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