RALLY NEWS NO.6             Duns - Service - Saturday  7.30pm

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 16
1ST (12) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 1.25.21.3
2nd (17) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.26.08.6
3rd (16) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 1.26.19.7
4th (15) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Impreza WRC) 1.26.29.9
5th (25) Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter (Impreza WRC) 1.26.32.0
6th (14) Austin McHale/Brian Murphy (Impreza WRC) 1.27.40.8
7th (22) Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Impreza WRC) 1.27.40.9
8th (23) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 1.28.31.5
9th (4) Kris Meeke/Chris Patterson (Opel Corsa) 1.31.23.3
10th (26) James Thompson/Plug Pulleyn (Evo) 1.31.34.0

There were no major dramas on the last loop of stages with Andrew Nesbitt continuing to be the man to beat. Just as an example, through stage 16, Fogo, Andrew turned in a time of 6.22.4. Peadar Hurson was on 6.29.4, Eugene Donnelly 6.33.2.  Andrew commented "We're still taking it steady, but a quick pace. Not as hard work as this morning. It is still slippy, we'll have to be very careful, there's a bit of a noise in the gearbox and we have to watch that".  Eugene Donnelly commented "We're going fine, we picked slick tyres for that loop, not great in places, but in other spots there was a dry line appearing and we were trying to stay on that. The car is running out of puff, can't match the cars in front, I'm enjoying it".  Jonny Milner, well recovered from this morning's puncture said "It's good now, I'm in the position I want to be for the Pirelli British Championship, still pushing but keeping on the safe side".  Peadar Hurson said "We're not going too bad but the conditions are very tricky". 

Further stories include - Eamonn Boland lucky to survive a small fire in his Subaru at the end of the Swinton stage. An oil  pipe came adrift and it was thanks to a marshal at the end of the stage, with a big extinguisher, that they were able to get the fire out. They blocked the pipe off and continued unabated. Barry Johnson commented "My heart's not in it now after earlier problems".  Tim McNulty said "We're not going too bad although I had an overshoot in stage 16, a bit disappointed it wasn't a better time".  Austin McHale was caught on the hop at the start of stage 15, Austin is supposed to run 3 minutes behind the last Super 1600 car, but was told to start the stage less than a minute behind Barry Clark on this test. He reckoned it cost them 10 or 16 seconds.

In the Super 1600 category Kris Meeke has a comfortable advantage over Leon Pesticcio with Ryan Champion 3rd. Meeke was disappointed to have driven stage 14 competitively but then the stage was cancelled. Ryan Champion was in the same boat and his Puma suffered a puncture in there, which meant he had to drive the next stage on a spare wheel that didn't match the other 3 tyres. At least Ryan's engine is running well now, and he is able to nibble a few seconds back now and again from Leon Pesticcio in the Punto.  Leon is going very well, despite this being his first time in the Fiat.  

In Group N Roy White is just in front of Seamus Leonard - Roy 11th Seamus 12th. But now they are both looking over their shoulders at the hard charging Andrew Stewart, who has closed right up, with Dickie Curran still not a mile away either.

More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON           www.rallynews.net