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MANX
TALES NO.6
Grandstand/Friday 2.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 10 BALDHOON
1st (2) Mark Higgins/Craig Thorley (Octavia WRC) 1.01.39.0
2nd (1) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Impreza WRC) 1.01.40.9
3rd (3) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 1.02.15.2
4th (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.03.08.9
5th (8) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.03.27.5
6th (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.03.48.5
7th (7) Paul Bird/Andrew Bargery (Focus WRC) 1.04.20.0
8th (12) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.05.05.6
9th (9) Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin (Focus WRC) 1.05.07.4
10th (21) Rob Watson/Norman Quayle (Lancer N) 1.05.47.3
11th (11) Barry Johnson/Stewart Merry (Impreza WRC) 1.06.04.5
12th (30) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Ignis) 1.06.10.3
Jonny Milner took the lead on stage 9, Jurby East, where he was 5s faster than
Mark Higgins. Mark having stalled his Octavia on the start line. In
stage 10, Baldhoon, Higgins turned in a simply stunning time that left the
other top drivers open-mouthed. Mark moving back into the lead. Milner
wasn't hanging about on that stage 10 either, but he was 5s slower than
Higgins. Kenny McKinstry thought he had a decent enough run, but he was
15s down over just 4.52 miles. Mark had his own share of drama leaving
last service to start stage 8. When his mechanics went to bolt on the
wheels, complete with new tyres, the rims wouldn't fit the car. He had
to go out and do 3 stages on the old tyres. Happily the nature of
today's roads seems to be comparatively easy on the rubber, so it transpired
to be no great hardship. Higgins reported to be absolutely on the rev
limiter in top gear down the last few miles of Baldhoon. When Jonny Milner was
asked how his Subaru transmission was holding up now, he just crossed his
fingers and winked!
Kenny McKinstry feels that he is losing out a bit on the very narrow roads
where he is more than aware of sitting in the left hand seat. He feels as well
that on the first part of Baldhoon there were a couple of stones pulled out,
that just caused him to back off ever so slightly. Derek McGarrity is
holding grimly on to 4th, driving very hard. Austin MacHale has been 5th for
the last 4 stages, Austin also going well, but dropped a few seconds in stage
9 when his Focus WRC seemed to flick through the gears and lost drive
momentarily, causing an over rev. Strangely the car didn't repeat the
performance in stage 10. Austin commented. "It's a mad quick stage that
Jurby East anyway, a spacer stage, we lost time as well when the marshals were
flagging us down for Dougi Hall". Hall did well to only lose a
couple of minutes when he clipped his Focus against a kerb and punctured a
wheel. The Wheel was reduced to the barest of spokes and he was forced to stop
and change it in the stage. He had a fair decent time then in stage 10,
maybe the anger was out!
Outside the leaderboard there have been all sorts of things happening as well.
Tony Davies retired his Subaru in stage 8 with engine failure. Tim McNulty
went on the same test with turbo problems. Simon Hughes' Clio dropped over 12
minutes with a succession of punctures. Shaun Fox's Corsa suffered a
broken drive shaft and dropped over a minute. Aaron MacHale retired his Lancer
with a broken shaft.
Young Rob Watson continues to lead GpN in his Lancer. Interestingly, he
has been forced to "remap" the car because he can't afford the
special fuel, and has to run on super unleaded. He also overshot a junction in
stage 8 but otherwise continuing to have a ball, and can't believe how easy
the car is dto drive compared to his Corsa. Seb Ling holds 2nd in gpN
despite 2 punctures earlier on and having to run the next stage with the tyre
on the wrong directional rotation. Seb is also finding his Lancer
suffering some brake fade in this hot weather. Dessie Keenan continues to have
a good run and is lying 3rd gpN , best of the Pirelli Tarmac Championship
contenders. Super 1600 leader Guy Wilks is hoping that some new
suspension springs that are being flown in will help to make his Ignis a bit
more stable. Dougi Hall is now 13th. Seb Ling 14th. Ollie O'Donovan still down
on power 15th in his Subaru. Stephen Quine is 16th and leading his class in
his Escort Kit Car despite a minute road penalty this morning when they had to
change a wheel bearing. Nigel Cannell is 17th. Dessie Keenan 18th. Steve Perez
19th despite all his dramas which included 2 punctures and a big accident.
Shaun Fox rounds off the top 20 in his Corsa.
In the Fiat Stilo Cup Tom Metcalfe led Chris Davies by .1 of a second. Paul
Tod went up a bank, broke a TCA, punctured and lost 5 minutes. Jeremy Taylor
& Jonathan Patterson (Micra) lost the Class A5 lead when they botched a
hairpin on stage 7, have got in front of Reg Berrie's Ka again after SS8. More
later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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