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| Manx National Rally |
| RALLY NEWS No.1 - Pre start - Friday @ 16:17:41 |
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WEE MANX TALES NO.1 Friday/Grandstand/415
Stormy weather hasn’t deterred all the visiting crews to this Manx Telecom Manx National Rally. Despite some travel delays due to the weather all the top crews are here and the rally has attracted some of the finest drivers in the British Isles thanks to being a round of several major championships. For many of the lead drivers championship points are important but perhaps more than that is the honour and the prestige of winning this Manx National Rally. Over the years it has built up its own magic and significance.
Last year’s winner Melvyn Evans has Limerick man Sean Mullally co-driving again this weekend and Sean took time out from their preparations to tell us. “The rally will be tight and twisty tonight. You could lose a lot of time on those stages or gain a little. Tomorrow’s stages are the big ones. It should be a tough fight. Paul Bird could be the man or Roger Duckworth who is using Kenny McKinstry’s Impreza WRC S11. Marcus Dodd always goes well although he doesn’t claim to be a “tarmac” man. There are several more who could go well such as Steve Perez. It is a hard one to call. In a way the championship won’t come into it, it’s all about winning the Manx National especially as this is John Skinner’s last year. The organisation here is always so good and so friendly”.
As well as being last year’s winner here Melvyn Evans leads the MSA Asphalt Championship following wins on Epynt and the National A category of the Circuit of Ireland. At No.2 is Roger Duckworth who along with co-driver Mark Broomfield has been runner up here for the past 4 years. Mark commented before the rally. “We’re going for broke this time, hiring Kenny McKinstry’s car!” Marcus Dodd at No.3 in his Hyundai Accent is the defending MSA Gravel Rally Champion and has won the last 2 rounds of the Pirelli backed championship so will be looking for maximum points here if possible. Marcus says every year when he comes to the Manx national that he is no lover of tarmac rallies. He still goes well and certainly can’t be discounted this time. Paul Bird at No.4 seems to have got a new lease of life, certainly a new enthusiasm for rally, and he has been setting some brilliant stage times in his Focus WRC. The thing about Paul is, he’ll give it absolutely everything and he is only really interested in winning! David Kynaston at No.5 is the current Asphalt Rally Champion and if his Audi, an unusual machine in modern day rallying, performs with no problems David should be right in the hunt at the finish.
The top half dozen is rounded off by Steve Perez in his Focus WRC. Steve was to have Swede Staffan Parmander co-driving but he hasn’t made the trip so Ulsterman Stephen McAuley has stepped into the breach. There is no No.7. Previous winner David Mann is at No.8. Simon Hughes and Danny Barry are at 9 and 10. Hughes and Barry are front runners in the Evo Challenge and indeed Danny Barry, as well as leading the points in the Evo Challenge, also leads the Pirelli MSA Gravel c/ship points. Stephen Quine is at 11 and Nik Elsmore at 12. Nike is also contesting the Evo Challenge. Further top group N entries include: Wayne Sisson at 15: Mark Worley at 25: Nigel Cannell at 26: Nigel, to be co driven as usual by his wife Michaela has switched from his Opel Corsa to an ex Seamus Leonard Group N Lancer. He hasn’t had a chance to test the car as yet so he’s in at the deep end tonight.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
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