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MANX RALLY
TALES NO.10 St Johns..Friday 6.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 15
1st (2) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (V/hall Astra)1.58.06.5
2nd (10) Neil Simpson/Mike Gibson (Lancer N) 2.01.46.8
3rd (5) Justin Dale/Andrew Bargery (Peugeot 106)2.03.29.2
4th (21) Nik Elsmore/Jayson Brown (Lancer N) 2.05.49.5
5th (12) Gavin Cox/Tim Hobbs (Lancer N) 2.06.00.3
6th (25) Guy Woodcock/John Skinner (Escort) 2.09.46.1
7th (23) Stuart McQueen/Alistair Green (Lancer N)2.10.49.4
8th (22) Alistair Ginley/Greg Haynes (Impreza N) 2.10.51.7
9th (19) Mike Brown/Aled Davies (Lancer N) 2.12.18.0
10th (24) Roy White/Michael Patterson (Lancer N) 2.12.30.0
Although there is still a long way to go on this Manx International
Rally, many of the cars are now getting tired, and some of the
drivers are easing back to try to conserve their positions.
Some are still going very hard of course, such as Mike Brown,
who despite the battered condition of his Lancer still has the
hammer down in the chase after group N points. Cars in
trouble over the last couple of stages include Robert Watson's
Subaru which was stuck in 2nd gear for many miles, and dropped
lots of time. Right off the leaderboard from 6th place.
The Lancer of Dick Worts is stopped in stage 15, driver and co
driver are working under the bonnet so they may get going.
Roy White lost over a minute in stage 15 when his Lancer lost
all brakes, sounds like a broken caliper and Roy was fortunate
not to put the car off the road when it happened, finishing the
rest of the long test using the handbrake. Out at the front
of the rally, Mark Higgins is still going very hard in the Vauxhall.
He tells us he overcooked the tyres a little in stage 14, and
had to back off ever so slightly through stage 15, his cause
not helped when there was a sudden skiff of rain. The pressure
is off of course, he even had time to slow down and pretend to
give his brother David a lift mid stage, David standing by the
side of the road with his trouser leg rolled up, and his thumb
out!! Justin Dale very nearly stopped on the Round Table
as well - he had a severe distraction when 3 very attractive
ladies of his acquaintance, standing in the bushes, gave him
a flash of certain parts of their upper anatomy! Justin also
reported a slightly loose gearbox which may need some fettling
for the long final day.
Other stories include Nik Elsmore's Lancer in some sort of manifold
or turbo gasket trouble. Alistair Ginley is another having
slight gearbox troubles, especially coming down the box. A strange
thing happened when Alistair's car was sitting in parc ferme
- the on board fire extinguisher went off - all on its own!
Natalie Barrett is still handily placed just outside the top
10. Nigel Cannell was another just outside the leaderboard early
today but his car stopped for many minutes with electrical trouble,
it is now going fine, and he is having a great personal battle
with Shaun Fox. Young Ian Barrett has now moved his Delphi Proton
into the N2 class lead. Andrew Nesbitt now leads the Trophy Rally
by over 3mins from Mark Fisher with Glenn Leece 3rd a further
1m20 back. Liam Davis is 2nd in gpN in the Trophy. Daniel Doherty
rolled the Subaru out on stage 11..more later.BRIAN & LIZ
PATTERSON |
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