MANX TALES NO.5
TT Grandstand - Douglas - Sat. 11.45
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 8 Kella
1st (2) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 54.23.8
2nd (1) Melvyn Evans/Marc Jones (Impreza WRC) 55.26.0
3rd (8) David Mann/Alun Cook (Impreza) 55.39.6
4th (40) Gareth Jones/Ryland James (Impreza) 55.53.1
5th (14) Tony Davies/Wynn Thomas (6R4) 56.19.0
6th (5) John Price/Caroline Price (6R4) 57.00.0
7th (10) Phil Collins/Howard Davies (Escort) 57.05.0
8th (7) Steve Petch/John Richardson (Accent WRC) 57.05.4
9th (16) Steve Hendy/Aled Davies (Esc.Cos) 57.14.0
10th (28) Robert Watson/Phil Pugh (Nova) 57.18.5
11th (19) Bob Fowden/Jerry Hynes (Lancer N) 57.44.1
12th (24) Ollie O'Donovan/David Moynihan (Impreza) 57.53.1
Kenny McKinstry made a gentle enough start over the opening stage today, but
through stages 7 and 8, West Baldwin and Kella, he pulverised the opposition.
7s faster than David Mann and 15s up on Melvyn Evans through stage 7.
Through stage 8 he was 8s faster than Melvyn Evans, 14 up on David Mann..
This Roush Manx Rally is really between these 3 now. Gareth Jones did set
fastest time through stage 6, but through stages 7 and 8 he lost his way a
little, anti lag and intercom difficulties not helping. Kenny McKinstry's
car seemed to be smoking a fair bit when he came into Grandstand service, Kenny
saying "The car is going well, but I think we're running just a little soft
a compound tyre. I'll maybe move to a harder grade but I'm worried in case there
may be some rain. "
Rain however looks to be less and less likely as the sun gets ever warmer.
Second placed Melvyn Evans also reported under steer and perhaps too soft
a compound tyre, while 3rd placed David Mann is gaining confidence in his new
tyres with every mile. Marcus Dodd was 5th overnight, but he has retired his
Subaru WRC with gearbox troubles. Phil Collins is really struggling with his Mk2
Escort, in his own words "The back end is very playful, very sideways. I've
had the suspension up and down, don't know what to do next, we'll try different
rear tyres". Phil is also not helped by the fact that Howard Davis is
losing his voice and the pace notes are becoming rather faint.
Young Rob Watson continues to set the roads alight in his diminutive Nova and
said "I can't go any quicker, every corner is maximum commitment, if
anybody gets ahead of me they're welcome". John Price recounted
"On that last stage I came across a flock of geese on the road, about 10 of
them, we had to slow down or else it was going to be an early Christmas
dinner!" Steve Hendy was in the ditch for quite a few seconds when a right
hander came up rather quickly at the end of a 7th gear straight. Bob Fowden
continues to lead gpN despite his Lancer's anti lag system not working properly,
and the car losing punch out of the corners.
The reason for Steve Perez' retirement was an accident at the same corner where
Michele Mouton crashed many years ago. Down the field competitor Anthony
O'Halloran is a resounding last in the rally, but still going. As his co driver
Sean Moriarty describes "In stage 4 the Manta jammed in 2nd gear but
Anthony held it flat anyway, but then it blew an oil pipe off. We got to
the end of the stage and the mechanics cut a branch off a tree and jammed it up
the pipe. Then we ran last car on the road and had great difficulty getting
through the last stage, as the start timekeeper thought we were OTL. John
Skinner the Clerk of the Course helped us to stay in the rally, and we got the
car back to the B&B, where the husband of the woman who owns it, took us to
his garage. We worked all night to rebuild the box and we're still going,
3rd in class in the Get Connected". That must be one for
consideration in the Roush "Against All Odds Award"…more later.
BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON
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