RALLY NEWS NO.3                            Baldoon service/Saturday 1pm

PEUGEOT 206 SUPER CUP LEADEROARD AFTER STAGE 2 Black Loch
1st (104) Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Peugeot) 12.23.4
2nd (101) Shaun Gallagher/Richard Pashley (Peugeot) 12.31.0
3rd (103) Sebastian Ling/James Phillips (Peugeot) 12.32.3
4th (111) Philip Morrow/Simon Morrow (Peugeot) 12.40.2
5th (106) Chris Moore/Mike Panes (Peugeot) 12.40.3
6th (105) Richard Sykes/Mark Andrews (Peugeot) 12.41.8
7th (108) Jack Inglby/Grania Ingleby (Peugeot) 12.45.0
8th (112) Rodney Wilton/Derek Coleman (Peugeot) 12.46.1
9th (113) Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry (Peugeot) 12.48.2
10th (102) Joan Roca/Dani Guerro (Peugeot) 12.56.0

Mike Faulkner was as pleased as punch to be leading the Peugeot 206 Super Cup contenders when he reached service, reporting no problems, that they had attacked the stages, but taking no chances.

Second placed Shaun Gallagher told us "We had a rear left puncture on the 2nd stage, you have to be very careful where you cut the corners, there are big rocks. The car is going like a dream".  When asked to compare the Scottish with the rallies in France, Letterkenny man Shaun continued "They are smoother stages here than in France, there it is all farm tracks, through fields, along tarmac roads and then through farmyards. The cars have a better set up here as well, tighter differential setting, more responsive". Sebastian Ling in 3rd said "We thought we had a puncture in the first stage, but we didn't, I think it was just because the stage was so slippy".

The very quick young Catalunyan driver Joan Roca said "Not a good run, we didn't know the start of the first stage had been changed". Jack Ingleby had a puncture halfway through the 2nd stage and dropped perhaps 15s. Normal front runner Chris Moore said "I'm 2s a mile off the pace, haven't been near 6th gear on either stage, the car has no bite, I think maybe the catalytic converter in the exhaust has collapsed, we're going to change it now". George Phillipedes is back in 13th place, the London based Greek getting used to the Peugeot again after driving a GpN Lancer on last weekend's Acropolis.

Young Stuart Jones has put his Peugeot off on the first stage, reportedly in a fairly major fashion, which hopefully does not dent his plans to go to Donegal International next weekend. Graham McClintock has bashed the side of his car, but still going. Gareth MacHale has been slowed with a broken driveshaft, still going.

LEX LAND ROVERS: Anton Mitchell leads after 2 stages by 10s from Jace Webster. Gary Mitchell a further 26s back.

SUPER 1600 AFTER STAGE 3 - Gwyndaf Evans still leads on 17.38.0. Kris Meeke is 2nd two seconds back. Mirco Baldacci 3rd 8s back. Simon Hughes plus 22. Leon Pesticcio plus 32. Garry Jennings plus 52. Ryan Champion plus 54.

CASTROL VW POLO CHALLENGE: Jari Laakaso leads after 2 stages by 7s from Kenny Brown with Anders Fredricsson a further 2s back. Only retirement so far is Robert Gough with mechanical trouble in stage 2.
More news later.          BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON           (www.rallynews.net)