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WEE MANX TALES NO.2 Grandstand/Douglas/Friday 10pm
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 (end of leg 1)
1st (3) Ken McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 29.29.7
2ND (14) Paul Bird/Andrew Bargery (Focus WRC) 30.10.6
3RD (2) Melvyn Evans/Martin Henry (Impreza WRC) 30.11.0
4TH (17) Mark Perrott/Paul Morris (Escort WRC) 30.19.7
5TH (4) Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (WRC) 30.45.2
6TH (16) Steve Perez/Daniel Barritt (Focus WRC) 30.53.9
7TH (21) Geoff Jones/Rhydian Welson (Impreza N) 31.00.7
8TH (1) David Mann/Alun Cook (Impreza WRC) 31.02.0
9TH (15) Craig Middleton/Robin Hernaman (Accent WRC) 31.04.9
10TH (9) Marcus Dodd/Stephen McAuley (Accent WRC) 31.18.7
Kenny McKinstry put up a very impressive showing on tonight's stages, and
although he wasn't fastest on the opening stage at Port Erin, he really was the
class of the field through the following 4 stages. Kenny's run was not without
its moments. In stage 5 he reckons he lost quite a few seconds, when
straight after the start line the spotlight pod started to jump about and he was
afraid that it was going to come adrift altogether, and feels that cost him quite
a few seconds. Paul Bird in 2nd place says he is driving far from flat out,
and was also slowed by a spin at a stage 3 hairpin. Otherwise going well.
Melvyn Evans in 3rd place said he was struggling a bit with his suspension, feels
it is set too hard, wound it off a bit on the road section into stage 5 but
still not happy, and also can hear a big clunking noise from the back end.
Further stories include - No.1 seed and current ANCRO Champion, David Mann,
struggling with the brakes on his car. He has been trying a new type of rear
brake pad material and it just doesn't seem to be heating up, so the hand brake
is not working properly and he is locking up the front wheels to compensate.
Roger Duckworth is also in a bit of brake trouble, not so much trouble, but
lacking a little bit of confidence in the middle pedal and the hand brake.
Steve Fleck was another to have a spin in stage 3, that was at the Round Table,
otherwise Steve going well and intent on getting the car through the first
evening stages. Tony Davies is slightly off the leaderboard in his Metro 6R4 and
described his run tonight as "rubbish, car feels skaty, skipping over the
jumps, certainly not 100 per cent. I think maybe tonight's jumpy stages don't suit
the Metro so well".
Steve Perez has been having a good run, and interestingly is being helped
here by USA Rally Champion David Higgins. Steve feels that his Vodka Kick Focus
rear suspension is not quite right and the car is kicking over the jumps.
Marcus Dodd is settling in to his new Hyundai, reckons the car feels as good as his
previous Subaru but he has still lots to learn. Young Craig Middleton in a
similar Accent has been going nicely, but reports that the Manx stages are a bit
of a culture shock to him. Mark Perrott has been setting some great times and
is lying well up the leaderboard, former ANCRO Champion saying "Not too bad,
but we lost a bit of time on a road section when we stopped to bleed the
brakes, we're struggling a bit because we are running gravel brakes. There are
places where the car doesn't seem to be good over the bumps but overall I'm
enjoying it". Bob Ceen reported an early puncture and had no matching tyre to go on
the car, also very rusty on the tarmac.
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News of some retirements include - Nigel Hicklin's Subaru stopping in stage 2
with mechanical trouble. Steve Petch's Hyundai was pulled in after stage 2
with head gasket trouble. Steve Hendy stopped at the start of stage 4 with
suspected valve trouble.
Geoff Jones leads Group N in his Subaru very convincingly and that was
despite a puncture in stage 4 coming down off the mines, which maybe cost 10s. His
big opponent for overall gpN honours is Brendan Crealey, but Brendan's Lancer
dropped a little bit of time through stages 4 and 5 when the engine seemed to
lose power, possibly a fuel feed difficulty. Crealey is 11th o/a. Martin
Sansom is 13th and leading Evo Challenge contender just over 5s ahead of Roy
White, and then its Anthony Willmington, Nik Elsmore and Dickie Curran. Times are
still coming in, but Stephen Quine, with CoC's son Richard Skinner on the
notes, is now into 15th in his Escort F2 car. Early times from the Peugeot 206
Super Cup showed Stuart Jones fastest on the first stage but Chris Moore got
ahead on the 2nd with Jones 4s back. Gareth MacHale was 3rd 15s off the Peugeot
lead, and then it was Mike Faulkner and Ieuan Rowlands. More news after stage
6 in the morning. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
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