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RALLY
NEWS NO.4
Matchams - service - Saturday 12.30
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 7
1st (2) Marcus Dodd/Stephen McAuley (Impreza WRC) 30.55.1
2nd (3) Andy Burton/John Roberts (Peugeot Cos.) 31.02.1
3rd (8) David Mann/Alun Cook (Impreza) 31.04.5
4th (1) Mark Perrott/Garry Mansell (Escort WRC) 31.08.1
5th (22) Charlie Payne/Craig Thorley (Impreza) 31.10.3
6th (5) Raymond Munro/Neil Ewing (Impreza WRC) 31.24.5
7th (9) Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Impreza WRC) 31.54.8
8th (18) Martyn Harrison/Stewart Merry (6R4) 31.59.9
9th (6) Charlie Jukes/Dave Williams (Impreza) 32.03.5
10th (25) Phil Morgan/Martin Douglas (Impreza WRc) 32.05.2
Marcus Dodd continues to lead this Rallye Sunseeker, but is under big
pressure from Andy Burton who has crept up from 11th following stage 3, to a
close 2nd here at the halfway service point. David Mann is hanging in well in
3rd place, while Mark Perrott has survived all sorts of throttle body dramas
to cling on to 4th. Another major retirement is Steve Petch, whose
Hyundai WRC broke its prop shaft on the road section after stage 4.
In Group N Will Nicholls is leading, from Paul Alexander with Richard Davis
3rd - all in Mitsubishi Lancers.
Marcus Dodd commented when he reached service "We've had a wee problem
at some of the hairpins, the car kept stalling. As well in that last stage
Somerley, we got on top of a bale at one point". Scotsman Raymond
Munro reports a series of overshoots and spins, problems with his intercom
headsets not helping. Charlie Jukes tells us he is struggling with the
car, the centre diff does not seem to be working properly, and also feels the
stages are cutting up quite badly. David Mann is another having
problems with his intercom. Andy Burton told us he keeps doing pirouettes and
overshooting chicanes, but the car is going well. Apart from still not
feeling well, Roger Duckworth is complaining that he can't see the chicanes
coming. Mark Perrott removed his Escort WRC's throttle sensor for a
couple of stages which put the car into default mode, but at least he has
made service, still very much in the running.
Nik Elsmore in his gpN Lancer is having problems with the handbrake and also
the rear diff is getting noisy. Mike Brown's similar car is not pulling
well on the straights and he is going to try to get the engine re-mapped at
service.
Steve Hendy in his Escort Cosworh got caught out on a right hander and the
car fell into a ditch damaging the roof and bits of glass. Spectators
lifted the machine out after about a minute and Steve continued unabated.
Richard Davis in another of the gpN Lancers remarked "Making too many
mistakes, not enjoying it, on a damage limitation exercise". In contrast
Mark Worley said "Getting used to the car and the loose, the fun factor
is there". Brendan Crealey lost a lot of time when his Lancer's hand
brake jammed on in stage 4, and the burned the hand brake out getting to the
end of the stage. Charle Payne joked "Steady, no big moments, can't be
going fast enough". But the Yorkshireman is going fast enough, he
is into 5th place now. Ollie O'Donovan told us his Subaru won't turn in, he
is overshooting hairpins and squares and needs McKinstry to change the
differential pressure.
In the Peugeot Winter Cup the 2 favourites for the title, Pesticcio and Sykes
have retired, latest leaderboard we have is after SS4 and Stuart Jones is 2s
ahead of Martin Evans with young Philip Morrow 3rd. More news later. BRIAN
AND LIZ PATTERSON
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