RALLY NEWS NO.2                       Felindre/Service/Friday 10.30am

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 3 Trawscoed
1st (18) Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Xsara WRC) 31.55.0
2nd (7) Petter Solberg/Phil Mills (Subaru) 31.58.8
3rd (4) Markko Martin/Michael Park (Ford) 32.07.1
4th (8) Tommi Makinen/Kaj Lindstrom (Subaru) 32.39.9
5th (17) Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (Xsara WRC) 32.52.9
6th (5) Francois Duval/Stephane Prevot (Ford) 33.01.8
7th (21) Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi (Peugeot) 33.05.3
8th (3) Harri Rovanpera/RistoPietlainen (Peugeot) 33.05.7
9th (22) Roman Kresta/Jan Tomamek (Peugeot) 33.34.0
10th (2) Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets (206 WRC) 33.45.7

Sebastien Loeb is definitely the man of the moment this morning on this Wales Rally GB - fastest again on stage 3 by just over 2s from Petter Solberg, with Markko Martin remarkably just 3 behind.  We say remarkably because Markko's Focus is still overheating like mad.  The crew stopped after stage 3 and scooped some water out of a stream for the radiator.  The car stopped briefly again on the motorway, but has made it here to service.

We mentioned on the last RallyNews that Carlos Sainz appeared to have a problem on stage 3.  It turned out that the Spanish driver crashed his Xsara, while Gronholm has also retired.  Not a good day for World Rally Champions.  Sainz reported "Not concentrating fully, didn't hear Marc properly, it was a long long left, 5th/6th gear tightening into 3rd gear. I didn't slow and went straight off".  Gronholm eventually retired his 206 also after an accident, Marcus reporting hitting a log (he said that he had it in his notes) with the front left wheel.  This damaged the suspension and steering, made it difficult to get out of the stage and when he got to the road section, reportedly the officials of the rally advised that it was not safe to continue.

The top drivers report the forest tracks to be very slippery, it seems that the gravel is cleaned off the rock in places, and the early morning moisture is making it slippy.  Cars down the order report it to be even worse.  Tommi Makinen said "It is more slippery than I ever remember, crazy". 

Outside the leaderboard Tapio Laukkanen is down in 19th place and having to change gear manually, without the electronics.  Jari-Matti Latvala  is 20th and reports no real problems apart from earlier gear shift difficulty. Young Kris Meeke continues to lead the Junior World Rally category in his Opel Corsa, with Carlsson now 2nd in the Suzuki and Baldacci in the Fiat 3rd.  Martin Rowe has moved into the lead of Group N, with Geoff Jones now 2nd.  Jimmy McRae is 33rd, Pentti Airikkala 48th and VK Vodka Kick supremo Steve Perez 49th as he settles in to his new Focus WRC. Gwyndaf Evans is leading his class, N3, in his MG.  Guy Wilks, 7th in the JWRC after stage 2, with his Puma remarked that the surfaces were "like ice in places, wet cobbles in other spots".

We have a report that Shaun Gallagher, the Peugeot 206 Super Cup winner, had a mechanical problem going into stage 2 and the car has not come out of that Brechfa test.  A shame really as Shaun had some help from Proflex, a step up from the normal Super Cup suspension and he was delighted with the handling of the car.

More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON