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UNOFFICIAL LEADEROARD AFTER STAGE 19 ROUND TABLE Paul Bird set the fastest time through the difficult and treacherously slippy Round Table stage with Andreas Mikkelsen 2nd fastest despite a bit of drama and Eugene Donnelly was 3rd fastest through the stage. Once again Guy Wilks was the fastest of the Tesco 99 British championship contenders, but by just a split second from Gwyndaf Evans, these two now fairly intent on holding their positions. Eugene Donnelly described that Round Table stage as “like ice in places, the first part of the stage dry and then it was wet over the shiny tar on the second half. We switched everything off, anti lag and so on, and drove through like a road car. In the Corolla we would have tippy toed down that bit of road but still kept the power on. I’d be very shocked if there is not an accident in there. You would have needed a full wet tyre and the suspension softened, but then it would have been no good for the previous stage”. Andreas Mikkelsen told us. “Yes the last one was very slippery, we hit something on the right and then there was a big vibration, something in the wheel, and we had to take it very easy. We had a slick tyre with some cuts. Also the engine temperature went very high. I switched off the anti lag and it was like a road car.” Paul Bird said. “About time I had a fastest, I knew what to expect, we were on the right tyres but they weren’t great for the stage before but I still had a decent time”. David Higgins was passed by his brother Mark in the stage. Mark who is of course running under Super Rally rules, said his car was fine and everything was going well. David on the other hand free-wheeled his Corolla into the control with a dead engine and said “I don’t know if it will start up again. The temperature was up to 170 and I was nursing the car on quarter throttle, but I think it has cried enough”. Gwyndaf Evans said. “I wasn’t pushing hard the car is fine with no problems. But then I’ve been within 2 stages before and it has all gone wrong”. James Cullen kept it all together through those stages and maintains his place in the top 10. PJ McDermott commented. “Jeepers it was unbelievably slippy, dry and then wet on the shiny tar but I’m delighted to get back into the top 10”. Wyn Humphreys lost about 10s when he slid on at one of the baled junctions but has still closed to within 4s of Robert Swann in their own personal battle. Darren Gass put on the brakes at one point and his Citroen C2 just refused to slow down and slid on into a bank. Oscar Svedlund, who has had the gearbox changed in his Subaru had an exciting time over the Round Table, running on dry slick on the wet shiny tar, quite an experience for the Swede. Conrad Rautenbach is now well down the classification but still running with the top cars and he also touched a bank on the Round Table, but little damage and lost little time. The Brandywell stage is now running to its full length, the unexploded bomb which caused the security closure last night on the Bienny-y-Phott road between the TT course and Brandywell Cottage has now been dealt with and the road is fully open. Belgian crew Phil Nys and Mary-Roos Nys sustained a damaged wheel avoiding a stranded car in an earlier stage today, but they reached service and are continuing. Toni Kelly has her engine problem now sorted – it transpired to be a faulty earth wire to the throttle body. Toni is now being slowed by a steering problem on the new Honda. Rob Watson leads the Trophy Rally in his Nova after stage 14 from George Collister in his Lancer with David Corris 3rd in his Escort WRC. Richard Tuthill continues to lead the Historic Rally. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net |
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