RALLY NEWS NO.6
Ettelbruck..Sunday..noon

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 13 - WILWERWILTZ
1st (4) Ian Greer/Dean Beckett (Corolla WRC) 1.49.29
2nd (1) Rocco Theunissen/E.Mombaerts (Corolla WRC)1.50.06
3rd (3) Hans Stacey/Daniel Sonck (Impreza WRC) 1.50.44
4th (9) Eamonn Boland/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 1.53.18
5th (31) Peter & Piet Bijvelds (Lancer N) 1.54.44
6th (32) Mark Maaskant/Pierre Krieger (Lancer N) 1.56.01
7th (36) Johan Deen/H. Scholtalbers (Lancer N) 1.56.16
8th (7) Francois Duval/Patrick Grignet (Lancer N)1.56.29
9th (14) Edwin Abbring/Ed Van Kessel (Celica) 1.57.42
10th (8) David Croes/Emmanuel Debois (Lancer N) 1.57.51

Dry sunny, but still cold, conditions greeted the remaining 55 crews on this Tour of Luxembourg Rally second day. Overnight leader Ian Greer made a cautious start, dropping 6s to 2nd placed Theunissen on the first of today's 8 stages. Greer made up for lost time through stages 12 and 13 with 2 fastest times. When Ian's Taranto de Pol backed Corolla arrived into service he told us "The road surface was very cold and quite slippy through the first one, I was just a little cautious. However it is OK now." Ian went on to tell us that the problem yesterday with the digital readout for the gears and the rev counter now seems OK, and it was all as simple as a blown fuse to the map light circuit. Theunissen was surprised to be fastest on the first stage today because he had a 50 metre overshoot at a junction. Third placed overall Hans Stacey, on his first run in the gpA Subaru, was equal fastest with Greer through stage 13, and reports no problems, as he settles into the car.
Eamonn Boland is trying to push his pace up a little bit, staying up the gears and trying to get on to a par with the cars in front. Fifth overall Bijvelds continues to lead gpN but is looking over his shoulder at Duval. Young Duvan had a turbo problem towards the end of day 1, dropped several minutes but is making up time rapidly this morning. Interestingly, English driver Ben Briant, an overnight 16th, is making good times today, says it is simply down to getting his finger out.

English driver Rob Barry was lying an overnight 13th but crashed his gpA Lancer on stage 12. No reported injuries but the front left corner of the car is too badly damaged to continue. Alistair Ginley from Yorkshire was going well on day 1, but lost heart a little this morning when he was penalised 2 minutes for being late out of parc ferme, when his Lancer's engine would not start. Also late out of parc ferme was Patrick Elliott, a 2 minute penalty not helping his position. De Winkel continues to lead Formula 2 on his first outing in the ex Laukkanen asphalt Golf. His team mate Hans Weys is driving Laukkanen's gravel spec car and he was lying an overnight 20th. Robert Woodside set 11th fastest time in stage 12 and was coming back up the order slightly, after losing 4 minutes off the road in stage 10. Young Simon Hughes from Wales was able to rig up a temporary fan belt out of cable ties to keep his Peugeot 106 in the rally.Service is not allowed outside the official service area..

more news later..BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON