|
|
RALLY NEWS NO.4
Service/Gateshead/Saturday 00.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 5 - HIGHFIELD
1st (24) Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Ford Puma) 35.10.4
2nd (1) Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas (Clio) 36.40.1
3rd (2) Gwyndaf Evans/Howard Davies (MG) 37.33.4
4th (11) Tapio Laukkanen/Miikka Antilla (Impreza WRC) 38.12.4
5th (8) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 38.32.0
6th (12) Julian Reynolds/Ieuan Thomas (Impreza) 38.37.0
7th (21) Martin Stenshorne/Clive Jenkins (Ford Puma) 39.28.6
8th (4) Simon Hughes/Calvin Cooledge (Clio) 39.30.4
9th (23) Kris Meeke/Chris Patterson (Corsa) 39.37.8
10th (25) Mirco Baldacci/Giovanni Bernacchini (Punto) 40.07.0
It has been a tough night through the fog and rain up at Kielder for the
competitors, with many having problems coping with the almost zero visibility.
On top of that, as current Pirelli British Rally Champion, Jonny Milner
remarked "4 wheel drive is no real advantage in the fog, it's a big
leveller". Overnight leader Guy Wilks commented "It all came
together, we were passing 3 cars in some stages, but I was giving it a lot of
commitment". Originally it was thought Mark Higgins was the
overnight leader, and he said "We kept it tidy, Bryan did a fantastic job
on the notes". Gwyndaf Evans said "I wasn't comfortable at
all, it wasn't flowing. Maybe the older you get the eyesight isn't so
good".
We had Jari-Matti Latvala the unofficial leader after stage 4, but he put his
Subaru off on an almost square left hand corner after a crest, following a
long straight, and couldn't find reverse gear. The Finnish driver losing 6 or
7 minutes getting out of the ditch. Garry Jennings put his Peugeot in
the same ditch, but he couldn't get out again.
Julian Reynolds battled against a slight misfire, and his Subaru jumping out
of 6th gear to hold a good position in the top 10. Steve Petch was off
the road several times during the course of the evening stages, and has
finished well down the order, on a total of 44.29. Paul Bird the former
Super Moto Cross Champion, was right up amongst the leading drivers after the
first couple of stages, but then his Hyundai Accent WRC lost turbo boost and
he dropped back down the order.
Martin Stenshorne had a good run, said that at times he was finding the fog
not too bad. The Italian driver Mirco Baldacci said "It is the
first time ever I am in these conditions, it is so difficult".
Austin MacHale is outside the leaderboard on a total of 45.21.2, Austin having
dropped 3mins earlier on, and then on stages 4 and 5 was passed by Laukkanen
and was able to tag on to the Finnish driver's lights.
Unofficially the running order after 10th overall is - Dougie Hall in 11th.
Leon Pesticcio 12th. Neil Buckley 13th and leading the Production category.
John Lloyd 14th. Barry Johnson 15th.
In the Peugeot 206 Super cup category after stage 3 Chris Moore was leading on
19.41. Jack Ingleby 13s back then the Spanish crew of Joan Roca & Dani
Guirra were next up, then Shaun Gallagher, Rodney Wilton, Dessie Keenan,
Philip Morrow. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON
|
|
