|
|
| |
| Manx National Rally |
| RALLY NEWS No.3 - After SS6 - Friday @ 22:03:24 |
| |
|
WEE MANX TALES NO.3 Grandstand/Friday 10pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 6 BIBALOE
1st (4) Paul Bird/Ian Windress (Focus WRC) 24.20.1
2nd (3) Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Accent WRC) 24.41.4
3rd (1) Melvyn Evans/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 25.00.2
4th (6) Steve Perez/Stephen McAuley (Focus WRC) 25.19.9
5th (2) Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Impreza WRC) 25.25.3
6th (23) George Collister/Janet Craine (Lancer) 25.29.0
7th (11) Steven Quine/Richard Skinner (Lancer N) 25.31.8
8th (10) Danny Barry/Martin Brady (Lancer N) 25.34.0
9th (5) David Kynaston/Andy Russell (Audi A3) 25.45.5
10th (9) Simon Hughes/Craig Parry (Lancer N) 25.51.8
Paul Bird and his co driver Ian Windress turned in a superb performance over the opening 6 stages tonight of this Manx Telecom Rally. Paul’s overnight lead on Marcus Dodd is just over 21s with last year’s winner Melvyn Evans a further 19s in arrears. Damp and slippy conditions made the going tough for the drivers although interestingly there were very few retirements, certainly amongst the top crews. When Paul Bird brought his Focus WRC in here to the Grandstand he said. “I was very comfortable with the pace tonight although the car is better than the driver! We picked a wet weather tyre and it really paid off.” Marcus Dodd told us. “I really just wanted to get through the night stages and tarmac is not my preferred surface anyway, but the old girl is going alright and I didn’t take any risks. Really the sensible option for me is to finish 2nd or 3rd and go for championship points. It is a fine line out there. In places there was water running across the road and if I had been fully committed I could have been off the road. I don’t have to win this one, but it would be nice!”
Roger Duckworth, who was out for the first time in the McKinstry Impreza WRC S11 and said earlier that maybe the set up wasn’t quite to his liking, then told us here at service after stage 6. “I think I was on the wrong tyres for the whole loop and it was our problem, not the car. At least we didn’t have too many screw ups over the last couple of stages and tomorrow is a long day”. David Kynaston, the current MSA Asphalt Champion, said. “We had a very steady run tonight, driving for championship points. Of course if I’d been leading I probably would have said something different!”
Last year’s winner Melvyn Evans said. “I just didn’t get to grips with it tonight. A couple of stages from the end I couldn’t get the light switch to work because I was pushing the wrong switch which has been typical of my run so far.” Melvyn went on to say along with several of the other top drivers that it is a long way to go tomorrow. His co driver Sean Mullally also mentioned how they were first car on the road through stage 2 and probably the only affected by the low sun from the duck pond onwards. At times Sean was holding his stage times book up against the windscreen trying to shield the sun from Melvyn’s eyes. Steve Perez in his Focus WRC moved up a place through the last couple of stages but rued his early puncture and having to run on unsuitable tyres.
Further stories include: David Mann lost time with drive shaft and differential problems. Danny Barry continues to lead the Evo Challenge contenders although he reckoned he backed off over the last few stages. In his own words. “Didn’t attack”. Simon Hughes is 2nd in the Evos and he said he was far too steady, his cause not helped by a spin at the first junction in stage 2. Nik Elsmore admitted he hasn’t been leaning on the tyres. Wayne Sisson is 11th and lost a couple of seconds when he stopped to allow a peacock to get off the road, he wasn’t sure if it was an endangered species. Alan Cookson had a big moment at the same place he had an accident last year and also said. “It’s more fun when its sideways”.
More news in the morning: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
|
