RALLY NEWS NO.1   End of stage 1 - Thursday 5.45pm

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 Foxdale
1st (10) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 4.46.3
2nd (17) James Thompson/Plug Pulleyn (Lancer) 4.54.4
3rd (12) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 4.55.6
4th (15) Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (Ford Focus WRC) 4.56.1
5th (3) Kris Meeke/Chris Patterson (Corsa) 4.58.4
6th (11) Derek McGarrity/Demot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 4.59.5
7th (2) Gwyndaf Evans/Claire Mole (MG) 5.00.4
      (24) Paul Bird/Larry Carter (Accent WRC) 5.00.4
9th (22) Dickie Curran/Billy McCullins (Lancer N) 5.01.3
10th (23) Dougie Hall/Steve Egglestone (Lancer) 5.03.4

The opening stage of the 2003 Manx International Rally, Foxdale, was a rather damp affair, in fact getting wetter by the minute as the lead cars made their way over the top of the hill.  As can be seen above, Jonny Milner was fastest overall, the reigning Pirelli British Rally Champion saying "I thought I was going a bit too slowly."  Kris Meeke was the best of the Super 1600 drivers and although his words were different it was almost the same sentiment. Young Kris saying "I thought we were going easy, we're trying to stick to a pace"  

Happily none of the lead drivers reported any major problems. Garry Jennings, first on the road, in the works Peugeot reported "Glad to be here at the end of the stage, it's a bit foggy in places, unpredictable".  Ryan Champion in the works Ford Puma said "The front suspension is crashing out, sump guard hitting the ground".  Interestingly Barry Clark in the 2nd Ford Puma reported the same type of problem.

Kenny McKinstry finished the stage with lots of soil and grass jammed between the Pirelli tyre and rim on the rear right, testimony to McKinstry's Subaru being tail happy into a ditch at one point. Jari-Matti Latvala was very quiet and looked fairly tense at stage finish, probably glad to get that first stage out of the way, conditions being very similar to when he crashed on the Jim Clark event.  Derek McGarrity was slightly disappointed in his time, Derek saying that the car almost felt like the hand brake was sticking on at the start of the stage. Paul Bird in the Hyundai WRC was asking for his tyres to be checked at stage finish, thought he perhaps had a puncture, but all looked OK. 

Dickie Curran was fastest of the gpN cars with Roy White 2nd fastest and Seamus Leonard 3rd. Dickie reported no problems.  Roy White has since retired his Lancer - 3 junctions into stage 2 the front differential broke, a repeat of what happened on the Donegal Rally last month.  Roy had a new diff fitted for the Jim Clark, so it has done very little work, which is all a bit disappointing.  Certainly this non-finish will do the FESP team no favours as regards winning group N on the Tarmac Championship. Paddy White in the Goldman Securities Impreza WRC reported all well at stage finish although the gearbox was a bit stiff, the mechanics having been working at it during the night.  (It was damaged on a recent accident in France). 

Some times in from stage 2 show Latvala fastest but Milner still leading, by just 2s. Gwyndaf Evans has got ahead of the Super 1600 race from Kris Meeke, Gwyndaf 4s faster than Meeke in stage 2. Some more times from stage 1 - MacHale is in 11th on 5.03.7. Laukkanen in 13th on 5.06.4, the Finnish driver telling us that he is bedding himself in gradually on his first run in the ex Maurice Gass Impreza S7. Eamonn Boland, trying right hand drive this time in the Circuit of Ireland Impreza S8 was on 5.07.3. More news after stage 3.
BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON  (www.rallynews.net)