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Manx National Rally - 11-12 May 07Posted: May 16, 2007 7:33 AM - 11444 Hits
2007 RBS Internaitonal Manx Rally
Posted: May 16, 2007 7:33 AM
SUSPENSION DAMAGE HALTS McCLOSKEY Connor McCloskey and co driver Robbie Durant retired from an excellent thirteenth place overall on last weekend’s RBSI Manx Rally after clipping a kerb and damaging the suspension. The pair had begun the two day event with a cracking time on the first short blast through Port Erin, just 0.3 seconds off the pace of the leading Evo Challenge runner Seb Ling. They slipped a couple of places to tenth after the next stage as the event ran into the evening, this time just a second adrift of Reynolds but still third Evo. They ended Friday evening in thirteenth place overall after a fright in the failing light when Connor turned in a little early over a deceptive crest. “We had a 2 left, crest and one right,” he explained, “I turned into the right but it was just a farm entrance which completely threw me. We probably didn’t lose a great deal of time then but it made me over cautious for the remainder of the stage.” The first of the ten Saturday stages saw everybody from eleventh place back, allocated the same time after the stage was cancelled. This gave the top four Evos a slight time advantage as they all made it cleanly through the stage. Connor admitted that he had chosen the wrong tyre for the morning’s stages and struggled to maintain his early pace, but he retained his overall placing going into stage ten. The crew approached the stage with a little apprehension as it had been here where Connor retired two years before. “We took it quite easy and I remember passing the section that caught me out in 2005.” He said, “But I’m obviously not destined to finish Marine Drive, as I clipped a rock a few corners further on and broke the strut.” he concluded, “I’m surprised I’m not more disappointed, but we were on the pace when we were on the right tyres and it is great experience for Rally Isle of Man in July.” The team’s next scheduled British Rally Championship event is the Jim Clark Rally in Kelso on May 25th, followed the weekend after by the next Evo Challenge round, the Severn Valley Stages in Mid Wales. Connor and the team would like to thank Egger (wood based panels), Euro Components, KBB Doors, Pirelli and Shell Racing Fuels for their continued support in 2007 MSA ASPHALT RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP Defending MSA Asphalt Rally Champions DAVID KYNASTON & ANDY RUSSELL took their Audi A3 Quattro to 5th overall and maximum points on the second round of this year’s series, the RBS International Manx Rally. Following a retirement on Epynt in March, the Devonian crew have put their bid to take back-to-back titles on track in the strongest possible way. Each competitor’s best four scores, from the six events, will count towards their final tally and, as dropped scores start to take effect towards the end of the season, maximums will obviously have a major part to play in the eventual outcome. Multiple Asphalt Rally Champions, and winners on the Isle of Man in 1998, JOHN & CAROLINE PRICE were the next scorers at the weekend. Their MG Metro 6R4 survived a visit to a ditch during the first leg of the event, which took place in atrocious weather conditions, to claw its way back up the leaderboard and eventually finish just outside the Top Ten. However, in spite of an ‘off’ which severely damaged the front of their Hyundai Accent WRC, STEVE SIMPSON/MARK BOOTH still lead the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, ahead of GRAHAM HOLLIS whose Ford Escort MkII finished 2nd in the very popular B11 class. MARK JASPER is still getting used to his recently-acquired Ford Escort WRC and consistent finishes on both Epynt and the Manx see him currently in 3rd place in the table. Similarly, TOMMI GRAHAM (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9) is 4th while his co-driver, MIKE BAILEY, is actually 2nd behind Mark Booth. With memories of his roll on last year’s event still uppermost in his mind, NICK JAMES (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO8) had a challenging another challenging trip to the Isle of Man, the difference being that, this time, he came away with a maximum in Class N4. Nick is now 5th in the overall table, one point in front of David Kynaston. DAVE PRICE has returned to the Championship this year and, with BTRDA Asphalt Rally Series co-driver NEIL GOULD reading the notes, he brought his rear-wheel drive Ford Escort Mk6 back to the finish at the famous TT Grandstand in Douglas in 20th place overall. Having missed Epynt, former Championship Group N winner CHRIS MARSHALL is back in his rebuilt Mitsubishi Lancer EVO5 with SIMON HUNTER installed, once more, in the left-hand seat. Their 2006 visit to the Isle of Man was fraught with problems but, this time, a finish almost thirty places higher was just reward for their perseverance. ROGER PRIESTNALL/JAMIE FORREST won their class both on the event and in the Championship in their Proton Satria, ahead of the Honda civic of RICHARD MARKS. Meanwhile PAUL HAREWOOD/BOB JONES also ended the day with a class win but, in preparation for the trip from Somerset to the ferry in Heysham the following day, Paul had taken his Vauxhall Astra Sport for a run on Bank Holiday Monday, only for the oil pump to disintegrate and the engine seize. It was ‘chicken and egg’ as to which one was the cause but the upshot was that the car was going nowhere under its own power! Several frantic phone calls later, Paul’s Renault Clio Williams (complete with ‘For Sale’ notice in the window) was loaded on to the trailer in the Astra’s place. To cut a long story short, Paul’s determination paid off and the class win ensued, along with the award of the ‘John Price Rallying Star Drive’ salver for his efforts. After what is always, come rain or shine, an extremely tough event, RICHARD BUTLER/MATT DUBBER were less than five seconds adrift of Harewood/Jones in their Honda Civic and the two crews are locked in combat for Class N3! 2006 Clubman’s Cup champions, ROB & PAULA ALDERMAN brought their Ford Escort MkII home to take 2nd place points in Class B11, edging out GEOFF GLOVER/CHARLIE TURNER (Vauxhall Astra RWD) by less than a minute. There are several Manx crews registered for the Asphalt Championship this year but, on this occasion, only one finished. ROB CALLIN/CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS (Mitsubishi Lancer) managed to avoid all the pitfalls that claimed over a third of the original entry to take their first points of the season. Unfortunately, a number of Championship-registered crews unwittingly helped to swell the number of non-finishers but who, nevertheless, deserve a mention : * Lyndon Barton (Subaru Impreza WRC) Power steering/fire * Damian Cole (Hyundai Accent WRC) Engine * David Bogie (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9) Lost wheel * Paul Curphey (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9) Turbo * Robert Tout (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9) Stopped SS1 4 * Pete Hughes (Ford Escort MkII) Brake caliper * Chris Rice (Subaru Impreza) Hit bank * Dave Corris (Ford Escort WRC) Rolled * Martin Newson (MG ZR) Gearbox – for 2nd year running! * Adrian Drury (Peugeot 106) Alternator We now have a very short time to prepare for the next round of the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, the Jim Clark National Rally, which takes place on 25th/26th May. Meanwhile, the BTRDA Asphalt Rally Series contenders will be in action on the Millbrook National Stages Rally on Spring Bank Holiday Monday 28th May. Greer takes the Manx Fifteen Ford Fiesta ST’s started the third round of the 2007 UK Fiesta SportingTrophy, the RBS International Manx FST Rally, based at the historic TT Grandstand on the Isle of Man. After 115 miles of competition over fourteen stages on the classic Manx roads the winner was 18,year,old, Jonathan Greer from Carryduff, Northern Ireland, with his co, driver Jonny Hart from Belfast. The ‘Mini,Manx’ is the first of two events for the 2007 series run on tarmac and this is the longest rally of the year over some of the toughest tarmac stages in Europe. With the rally based over two days, the event began at 21:30 on Friday evening with a short blast around the streets of Port Erin, in the south of the island. James Everard from Hull, with co,driver Dave Jobling, was fastest off the blocks taking the first stage by 1.7 seconds from Oxford based driver, Max Utting. With rain falling on the stages and low cloud hanging over the island, the conditions where extremely challenging for all crews. The first crew to face problems was FST second round winners, 26,year,old, Fraser Jones from Ayr and his co,driver Lee Burgess. Jones, seeded first of the FST drivers, crashed out of the event on the first stage after misjudging a right hand corner that was shrouded in mist. On the second stage it was 18,year,old Welshman Elfyn Evans, with 2006 FST champion co,driver Richard Edwards, who won the 6.8 mile stage, however it was Liam Regan from Northern Ireland and co,driver Mark Ammonds that took the overall lead of the event after two stages. Stage 3, Milerisk, at 21,miles was the longest of the event and with a soaking wet surface and heavy fog it made conditions a supreme challenge for the crews. Fastest on the stage was 20,year,old Tom Walster from Nottingham with co,driver Tim Sturla. Walster’s time was 5.3 seconds faster than Greer, the pair finishing the stage 45 seconds faster than third placed Evans. This superb performance vaulted Walster into the lead of the event and Greer into second, a battle that was to continue throughout the event. In trouble on stage 3 was Eduardo Valdes and co,driver Diego Rumba. They ran out of luck on the final corner of the third stage, sliding wide, rolling and loosing over one minute to the leaders completing the final 200 metres of the stage. Despite considerable damage they recorded a time and finished the stage, their biggest problem being a lack of pacenotes which flew out of the window during the accident. Also not so lucky on this stage was early leader Everard, after a perfect start he crashed in the dreadful conditions. The damage to the car was sufficient to halt him on the stage and put him out of the event, a disappointing end to a fantastic start. The final stage of the first leg for the FST crews, the 4.7 mile Begoade stage, saw Greer set a fantastic time to re,take the overall lead from Walster and finish the night with a slender 1.5,second advantage. The time on this stage would have been good enough to put Greer inside the top ten on the National event, a superb achievement in diabolical conditions. With free service allowed overnight, crews took the opportunity to check over their cars – grateful of this time were the crew of Eduardo Valdes who had 2006 FST Champion driver Chris Moore in their service crew for the event. Moore and his team worked until 04:00 to make sure the car was repaired for re,start on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, a last minute electrical fault rendered them unable to re,start leg 2, a disappointing end to their rally. With stage 6 cancelled because of an incident on the National Rally, the first stage of the day was the 8.8,mile Mount Rule test. Fastest on the stage was Walster by 1.6 seconds over Greer, the two continuing the battle they had started the night before. At the end of the stage, Walster had regained the overall lead but by a margin of just 0.1 seconds! Stage 8, Orrisdale 1, was also cancelled as a result of a number of accidents that had taken place during the National Rally and all the FST crews where re,routed to the start of stage 9. The ninth stage of the event, the classic Tholt,Y,Will stage, saw Evans take his second fastest time of the event on a stage where FST leader, Tom Walster reported meeting a peacock and a flock of sheep over the mountain roads, obstacles not normally associated with the Manx Rally! After a short 20,minute service at the TT Grandstand base crews departed for a loop of stages to the south of the island, starting with the 4.4 mile Marine Drive test just outside of the islands capital, Douglas. This stage again fell to Evans who started to secure his third position overall after a rally,long battle with 18,year,old, Alistair Fisher from Enniskillen with the experienced Stephen McAuley reading his pacenotes. In trouble on stage 10 was 19,year,old Barry Greer, the older brother of Jonathan, who with co,driver Barry Lemon suffered a puncture on the stage. After electing not to carry a spare wheel they where unable to change the tyre and had to retire from the rally. At 13.8 miles stage 11, Parville, was the longest of the second leg and fell to Greer who took an excellent 10.1 second advantage over the stage to re,take the overall lead from Walster. Emphasising the close nature of the battle at the head of the field, Walster took the 11.1,mile Bettridge stage to re,take the overall lead again, entering final service with a scant 1.9,second lead. Stage 13 saw Walster fastest to extend his lead to 4.9 seconds. Trouble was in store for Welshman Rory Hall, he and co,driver Jemma Bellingham had a heavy landing after a jump and broke a driveshaft, although they were able to drive to the end of the stage, they elected to retire to prevent any further damage to the car. The penultimate stage of the event, a repeat of the Orrisdale stage, saw Greer go fastest to reduce Walster’s lead to a scant 3.6 seconds with only one stage remaining. The final stage of the event was a repeat of the Tholt,Y,Will stage and drama was in store for leader Walster. With only 4.6 miles of the 115,mile event to complete Walster suffered a split fuel pipe which caused instant retirement from the event, a cruel blow. This left Greer with a comfortable lead to claim his first FST UK victory and take the lead of the championship after three rounds. Elsewhere on the leader board, other battles raged. Fisher extended his pace on the final loop of stages to move in front of Evans and claim second place. Evans claimed the final podium position and was delighted with this result on his first ever,tarmac event. In fourth, Regan clinched a daylong battle with Richard Archer and co,driver Christopher Brooks, taking the position by just 2.4 seconds after a late charge from Archer. On the final stage Tom Curtis from Pembrokeshire, with new co,driver Seb Marshall, lost sixth position as they had to complete the final stage stuck in fifth gear, they where lucky to reach the finish and their result now puts them third in the championship. The battle for the final prize cheque also went down to the wire as London based, Stephen Parry,Jones with co,driver Jamie Edwards pushed hard on the final stage to claim eighth from Clive Hilton and co,driver Dave Ingamells by the smallest of margins, 0.2 seconds. The battle throughout the day emphasising how close the competition is in this ultra competitive one,make series. With four stage wins a piece, the victor of the Castrol Hard Charger award on this event was Walster by virtue of the fact that he scored his first fastest stage time on stage 3 while Greer scored his first fastest time on stage 4. The winner of the Competition Car Insurance supported Best Improvement on seeding award went to Richard Archer. Jonathan Greer said: “I am delighted with the win, it was tough all through the event especially with the conditions last night but I have really enjoyed it” Magical Manx Mitsubishi victory for McCance A flawless drive in this weekend's RBS International Manx Rally saw Neil McCance record his first ever victory in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, he and co-driver Ian Windress finishing 25 seconds ahead of second-placed Sebastian Ling and Aled Rees. It was another nail-biting battle in the series for Group N Lancer Evolutions, with Ling leading the Mitsubishi runners for most of the event. But a brief off-road excursion and a determination to score championship points saw the Welshman steady his stance towards the end of the rally, allowing McCance the opportunity to score a maiden win in his fourth season as an Evo Challenge competitor. The event began on Friday evening with five stages held on the closed Isle of Man roads, things made particularly treacherous for the 15 Mitsubishi crews and the event's other 115 competitors by the on-set of rain a couple of hours before the start. Ling acclimatised to the conditions immediately, taking the Evo Challenge lead after the first stage and, following SS2, was an impressive second overall, ahead of many of the more powerful WRC cars. He was followed closely by Julian Reynolds, Connor McCloskey, then McCance and championship leader Phillip Morrow, who had opted for a cautious start. Fog over the hills combined with heavy rain and nightfall meant that the longest stage of the rally, the 21-mile SS3, was a nightmare for many - especially two of the Junior Mitsubishi drivers: David Bogie, who hit a wall and damaged his Evo too much to continue and Errol Clark, who went straight-on at a corner and got stuck in a ditch. As it turned out the stage was also a nightmare for rally organisers, who eventually had to scratch it from the results after problems with time recording in the bad weather. After a further two stages the Evo Challenge leader-board at the overnight halt showed Ling 28 seconds ahead of Morrow, these two pulling away from the rest having embraced the elements. Reynolds, McCloskey and McCance were each over a minute off the Evo Challenge lead, with all Mitsubishi crews reporting dramatic moments in the poor visibility. This included Gordon Cunningham who removed a wheel on a rock just a few miles from the finish of the first leg, giving him little choice but to retire on the spot. With the weather brightening-up for Saturday's ten stages and the roads drying out, is was inevitable that the pace would increase, with crews keen to make up for any time lost the previous evening. One such driver, having been held up by other competitor's accidents, was Nik Elsmore. However, his charge was short-lived when his car slid into a bank at speed, flipped over and skidded down the road on its side halfway through SS6, the debris and spilt oil causing the stage to be stopped while his crumpled Evo was removed. Then, just to make it interesting, both Ling and Morrow went off on stage eight, each losing about a minute in the process. Luckily their cars were not badly damaged, although Ling emerged with a broken rear screen after a spectator had jumped on the back of his car in an attempt to help get it out of a ditch. For Morrow, the damage was restricted to a broken turbo pipe. Their subsequent delays closed-up the front of the Mitsubishi field and, at the first service halt of the day after a loop of four stages, the score sheets showed Ling still ahead, just nine-seconds in front of Morrow, who was now only six-seconds ahead of Reynolds. McCance was a further 26-seconds behind, but delighted to have taken his first ever Evo Challenge fastest stage times on SS6 and SS8. The next loop, this time featuring three stages, was to see more dramas unfold for Mitsubishi competitors. McCloskey was the first to suffer, clipping a kerb on stage ten, the resulting damage disabling his car too much to continue. Daniel Barry spoilt a good run by doing a similar thing on the same stretch of road, but managed to carry-on, albeit with a broken wheel and bent suspension. The dramas continued when the leading positions also changed, Morrow clipping a rock and smashing the front nearside wheel. In order to ensure no other components were damaged beyond repair, the young Ulsterman intuitively stopped at the side of the road and removed the strut, brake disc and caliper. He then slid the car to the end of the stage on three wheels, where his service crew repaired the damage - enough to get the car back to the service halt after SS12, which he drove without brakes! Stage 11 was more unkind to Reynolds, who retired when he lost all drive from the transmission and subsequently coasted to a halt. At about the same time Ling started to become aware of a couple of problems that had been caused by his earlier excursion, a hole in his car's intercooler and a vibration from a front wheel affecting his progress. All this activity meant that McCance was now in the lead by just three seconds, he and Ling, now nearly three minutes ahead of their nearest rival Wayne Sisson, as they left the service halt for the last three-stage loop. Not wanting to throw away the chances of a good points haul, Ling opted for the safe option, whilst McCance, who couldn't put a foot wrong if he tried, continued at his former pace, collecting another batch of fastest Evo Challenge stage times in the process. Pulling out a final margin of 25 seconds, the popular Irishman crossed the line to record his best ever result, which besides his first Evolution Challenge victory, included a win in Group N and an overall finish of 8th. "I was really pleased this morning when I had found out I had posted my first Evo Challenge fastest time, but to take my first win in the series, especially when it's a rally as tough as this, is just fantastic. We had a few problems during the week leading up to the event and, if Ian (Windress) hadn't stepped in at the last minute, I may have had to withdraw with no co-driver, but everything went perfectly during the rally. Now cancel the ferry - there's a few drinks to be had tonight!" Ling came home in second, albeit a little disappointed not to have won having been the top Evo driver for most of the event, but was pleased to have collected ten points. Sisson finished third and, in doing so, posted his best Evo Challenge result so far - not bad as he does not consider tarmac to be his strongest subject. Having overcome a few problems, Stephen Petch ended his rally in fourth place, picking up the PIAA Junior Award in the process, whilst Daniel Barry was second in the under 25 year-old category and relieved to get to the finish in fifth. Although dropping around 20 minutes to the leaders during the day, Morrow returned to Douglas in sixth place and in doing so retained his Championship lead - now just two points ahead of Ling. Jon Sparks delivered another solid performance by finishing seventh, with Wayne Radford pleased with his eighth place, especially as his efforts also rewarded him with his first win in the Evo Cup - his main rival and early leader in the series for nearer-to-standard Mitsubishis, Miles Johnston, retiring on SS12 with gearbox difficulties. It's now back to Gravel for the Evolution Challenge crews, when they head to mid-Wales for the Severn Valley Stages, round four of the championship, which takes place on 2nd June. The Evolution Challenge offers drivers what is widely regarded as the best prize in British rallying - the chance to become a Mitsubishi works driver in the 2008 British Rally Championship. Also included in this year's Mitsubishi championship are the Pirelli and Performance Friction Brakes Cups. The series is backed by Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart, with support from its associate sponsors: Pirelli, PIAA, Speedline Corse, Sparco, Performance Friction Brakes, Shell Helix and Tesco 99 Octane - suppliers of the controlled fuel for the championship. Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Round Three 1 Neil McCance (Coomber)/Ian Windress (Northallerton) - 1:33:44.7 2 Sebastian Ling (Llandysul)/Aled Rees (Crymych) - 1:34:09.5 3 Wayne Sisson (Carnforth)/Daniel Stone (Chesterfield) - 1:38:08.0 4 Stephen Petch (Richmond)/Michael Wilkinson (Tow Law) - 1:41:30.1 5 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Mark Bowens (Cork) - 1:43:13.1 6 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Daniel Barritt (Burnley) - 1:45:03.1 7 Jonathan Sparks (Glastonbury)/Bradley Magnus (Downham Market) - 1:47:24.3 8 Wayne Radford (Dinnington)/Paul Drew (Stroud) - 1:49:34.9 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Cup 1 Wayne Radford (Dinnington)/Paul Drew (Stroud) - 1:49:34.9 Retirements SS3 David Bogie (Dumfries)/Rob Fagg (Isle of Man) - Accident SS3 Errol Clark (Irvinestown)/Martin McGarrity - Accident SS5 Gordon Cunningham (Galston)/Stuart McManus Accident SS6 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Vicky Allen (Denbigh) - Accident SS10 Connor McCloskey (Kilirea)/Robbie Durant (Bicester) - Accident SS11 Julian Reynolds (Narberth)/Patrick Walsh (Aberystwyth) - Transmission SS12 Miles Johnstone (York)/Ian Bevan (Wrexham) - Transmission MSA Gravel Rally Championship - Duckworth claims maximum points Roger Duckworth clinched victory in round three of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship, comprising the RBS International Manx Rally, but it was Northern Irishman Kenny McKinstry who claimed his fifth victory in the event as he took the outright win. Duckworth and co-driver Mark Broomfield finished up 31.1 seconds behind McKinstry and Noel Orr in their Subaru Impreza following two days and 120 miles of action across the asphalt to take maximum points in the battle for the Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship title. Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery came home third overall in their Hyundai Accent WRC, taking 22 points in the series after hauling themselves back up the leaderboard following a turbo problem early on Saturday. Steve Perez in the VK Vodka Kick Ford Focus WRC retains his lead of the Championship after taking 20 points for finishing as third ANCRO driver and fourth overall. ³It¹s been a good weekend but I¹ve had too many outings on this rally where I¹ve come second to Kenny,² Duckworth said. ³I didn¹t push him hard enough but he wouldn¹t have let us get any closer I don¹t think. ³It¹s good to get maximum points in the Championship but it¹s also been a good day for Marcus and Steve in the series too.² The treacherous weather of Friday evening that provided difficult and testing conditions across the narrow Manx stages eased on Saturday morning as the roads began to dry out, making tyre choice difficult early on. Overnight leader Paul Bird was dealt a heavy blow as he did not make the restart of leg two. Bird and co-driver Andy Richardson in the Pirelli Stobart VK Subaru Impreza damaged the car in the water splash on stage five on Friday evening, putting their lead in jeopardy, but it was hoped the problem could be resolved by day break but it was not to be, much to Bird¹s despair. His lead, however, had been narrowed on Saturday to just 1.1 seconds after all times for stage three were scrubbed. Jon Ingram, who had been showing fine form throughout, moved into the lead on stage seven in his Highgrove Estates-Subaru Impreza WRC but his glory was short-lived as he and Ian Allsop went off in stage eight and were forced to retire. Neil McCance finished eighth overall and took the Group N honours along with fifth in the Gravel Championship and maximum points in the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge, while Sebastian Ling followed in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 after earlier suffering with an intercooler problem. As a result Perez maintains his Championship lead over Sebastian Ling, with Phillip Morrow in third and Duckworth and Dodd lying in joint fourth as they go into the next round in three weeks time whereby round four will take place with the Severn Valley Stages on Saturday 2nd June. Manx Disappointment For Bird Penrith rally driver Paul Bird¹s bid to clinch the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship suffered a major blow after he was forced out of the RBS International Manx Rally this morning. Along with Kirkby Stephen co-driver Andy Richardson, the pair led round three of the ANCRO organised series by 7.2 secs after five treacherous stages around the Isle of Man lanes last night as they exerted their supremacy in their Pirelli backed Stobart VK Subaru in the damp conditions. However, after traversing the watersplash on SS5, the car suffered a technical problem and after despite limping back to service and the best efforts of the TEGSport team overnight, it was game over and the 2005 champion was out. ³To say I¹m gutted is a massive understatement² said Bird. ³We were absolutely flying and feeling very comfortable and I thought this may just be my year. But going through the watersplash, we must have got some water in and it¹s caused damage which the boys can¹t repair so that¹s it.² Bird¹s Championship aspirations are also in the balance as he misses the next round (Severn Valley Stages) also so it means he must score maximum points on the rounds thereafter to bolster his bid. PEREZ INCREASES CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD VK Vodka Kick rally driver Steve Perez strengthened his hold on the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship by increasing his lead after a weekend of drama on the RBS International Manx Rally which formed round three of the ANCRO organised series. Along with Berwickshire co-driver Claire Mole the Chesterfield businessman clinched fourth position overall but third place ANCRO points to increase his lead to 17 points at the top of the standings. Driving the VK Vodka Kick Ford Focus WRC the pair overcame treacherous conditions on Friday evening around the Manx lanes before clawing back some time on Saturday¹s remaining ten stages to end the 120 mile event just off the podium. Steve Perez: ³This weekend¹s been character building. I was disappointed not to be quite on the pace of the top boys but I¹ve been trying to get going. Friday night was tough in the conditions but today has gone much better although the brakes have been a bit off. ³I¹ve got a good lead in the championship but I¹m more of a gravel man rather than a tarmac man. But it¹s good to already have the win and the second place and now the third place points. The next event for me will be the Severn Valley where I¹ll be back on the gravel.² Manx podium pleases Marcus Multiple British National Rally Champion Marcus Dodd produced a sparkling performance to take 3rd overall on this weekend’s RBS International Manx Rally. Overall winner of the event Kenny McKinstry was not registered for MSA National Gravel Rally Championship points, so Dodd took 2nd place points behind Roger Duckworth after a sterling comeback drive. Marcus was piloting his familiar Flitewise.com, Sunseeker Powerboats, Pirelli Tyres and Sunoco Fuels backed Hyundai Accent WRC4. The HPM Motorsport run machine would have the tough task of facing 15 fast, bumpy and challenging special stages on the closed public roads of the Isle of Man. Secret weapon for the weekend was Manx born co-driver Andrew Bargery. With an intimate knowledge of the island roads, Marcus was keen to make the most of Andrew’s ‘home’ event and the pair were desperately keen to make up for a disappointing end to the recent Border Counties Rally which saw them retire whilst leading. Wet and foggy conditions would be the order of the day for the Friday evening loop of stages. Marcus started well as he threaded the Hyundai World Rally Car through the narrow lanes near to Port Erin and Ballabeg. Marcus would find himself 6th overall after the first leg, just 35 seconds down from the leader. With 10 special stages in wait on the Saturday, the team were well placed to push forwards and mount a serious challenge. Dry and bright conditions greeted the crews at the restart. Marcus was looking forward to getting started but on the very first stage of the day the Hyundai suffered a turbo problem. Marcus would drop outside of the Top 10, losing more than a minute in the process. The HPM team acted quickly and the problem was soon rectified. Marcus attacked as he set a string of impressive stage times on his least favoured surface to begin climbing up the leaderboard. Dodd’s assault on the Top 10 was impressive. Stage by stage, he moved up the order until a podium finish looked a real possibility. Dodd and Bargery maintained the pressure right until the end setting first and second fastest times along the way. Their reward was a terrific 3rd overall and 2nd in points for the championship. Marcus was delighted with the result after a very tough weekend’s rallying: “It really was a battle of attrition out there” said Marcus. “Friday were some of the worst Manx conditions I have seen over the years. The rain and fog was a real tester and it was a battle just to get through the night without any dramas. Having the turbo problem early on Saturday was a great way to get motivated for a fight back up the leaderboard. We pushed hard for the remainder of the day and to get 2nd in the points was a real bonus for us on what I regard as our weakest event in the series. The Pirelli tyres worked brilliantly in the very difficult conditions and our testing at the recent Welsh Rally on Epynt was very worthwhile indeed. Next up is the Severn Valley Rally which is one of my absolute favourites. I love the stages in Mid Wales and we will really be able to get into our stride there. The battle for the championship is well and truly on now so we’ll be pushing very hard for the win on the 2nd of June!”. Results: 1 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:28:15.2 2 Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:28:46.3 3 Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) 1:30:41.4 4 Steve Perez/Claire Mole (Ford Focus WRC) 1:31:29.1 5 David Kynaston/Andy Russell (Audi A3 Quattro) 1:32:52.9 6 Phil Collins/Damian Crawford (Ford Escort Mkll) 1:32:59.3 7 Steve Hendy/Aled Davies (Ford Focus WRC) 1:33:23.9 8 Neil McCance/Ian Windress (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) GpN 1:33:44.7 9 Sebastian Ling/Aled Rees (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) GpN 1:34:09.5 10 John Cope/Clive Molyneux (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:35:21.6 Leaders After: SS1-5 Paul Bird/Andy Richardson (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS6 Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS7 Jon Ingram/Ian Allsop (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS8-15 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) Stage Winners: SS1 Paul Bird/Andy Richardson (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS2 Paul Bird/Andy Richardson (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS3 Stage Cancelled SS4 Jon Ingram/Ian Allsop (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS5 Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS6 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS7 Jon Ingram/Ian Allsop (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS8 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS9 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS10 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS11 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS12 Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) SS13 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS14 Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS15 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC)
Tynemouth Computer Services Rally Results Rallynews (by Brian & Liz Patterson)
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PRE EVENT NEWS
08/05/07 BATTLE RESUMES IN THE MANX LANES… Two rounds into the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship and as per usual, the drama has once again started in earnest with the latest chapter set to unfold on next weekend’s RBS International Manx Rally. Leading the series after a win on the previous event – the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally – is 2004 ANCRO Champion Steve Perez along with co driver Claire Mole in their Ford Focus WRC 05 and they are chased by another former champ, this time the 2005 winner Paul Bird who with co-driver Andy Richardson have made a good start to the season in their Subaru WRC. Perez took his maiden 'National A' victory last time out in Kielder but crashed out of last year’s Manx at high speed near to The Braaid and he’ll be looking to avoid a repeat of that if he’s to maintain his advantage which in itself will be a tough task given Bird’s pace in the Manx lanes. ‘Birdy’ – who’ll be back on the island later in the month to try to guide his bike racing team to TT victory at this year’s centenary event – has never won this event and is desperate to do so. Bird has finished third twice on the opening pair of events, beaten both times by his friend and rival Perez and once again the ‘Loser Pays All’ deal will be in place meaning one of them will be picking up a hefty champagne bill in the Villa Marina come Saturday night! Winners of the opening round of the series on Rallye Sunseeker in Bournemouth were Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery but they suffered a low speed off into an infamous Kielder ditch last time out meaning their Hyundai Accent WRC didn’t make the Jedburgh finish and again the former double champion will be looking to local co-driver Bargery to guide him to victory. Dodd is a proven front runner on the championship's only all-tarmac event and is another one looking for outright victory to bolster his championship bid. Another one of the ‘Big Four’ comes in the form of yet another ANCRO champion Roger Duckworth who hopes to be reunited with regular co-driver Mark Broomfield in their Subaru WRC. Duckworth always shows good pace on the Manx and after his non-finish on Rallye Sunseeker, he desperately needs maximum points to follow on from his runner up placing on the Border Counties. A good result may mean the pair continue their championship battle as they had only planned on entering the first three rounds. Double winners abound in the support classes what with Phil Morrow taking maximum points on the two rounds to date in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge and Jock Armstrong doing likewise in the Subaru Group N Trophy and expect the battle for HPM 2WD and VK1400 Challenges to be fiercely fought also. As per usual, a strong contingent of non-ANCRO registered competitors are expected to battle it out at the front including four times winner Kenny McKinstry (Subaru WRC) and other ex winners John Price (MG Metro 6R4), Melvyn Evans (Subaru WRC) and Phil Collins (Ford Escort). Others include Kevin Lynch (Ford Focus WRC), Jon Ingram (Ford Focus WRC) and Tony Davies (Subaru WRC) but the man many people will be watching will be former World Champion Colin McRae who contests the event in a Ford Escort Mk2. Comprising a total of fifteen stages, five on Friday night including the classic 21-mile Milerisk and the remaining ten on Saturday, the action gets underway around the streets of Port Erin at 19.00 on Friday with Leg Two commencing at 08.45 on Saturday from the TT Grandstand before the first car is scheduled to finish around 15.30. McCLOSKEY’S “MINI MANX” Connor McCloskey and co driver Robbie Durant meet again on the Isle of Man for the third round of the Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge, the RBSI Manx Rally this weekend The Manx event is the first of three rallies in four weeks for the youngster from Northern Ireland, who currently holds sixth place in the Evo Challenge. “It will be a lot of work for the team,” said Connor, “so we’ll all have to take it an event at a time. I’m really looking forward to the Manx lanes and of course we’re back here for the International event in July too.” This is only the second time Connor has contested an event on the island, having met Robbie for the first time just two days before last year’s International event. The result then was a top twenty finish which he hopes he can better on this shorter national rally. His 2007 has been fraught so far; contesting both the Evo Challenge and British Rally Championship (BRC), his season started with an excellent tenth overall on the opening Evo round. But a burst turbo pipe and subsequent retirement was followed by broken transmission on the first round of the BRC, ending another potential top ten finish as the pair lay seventh at the time. The RBSI Manx comprises 120 stage miles on some of Europe's fastest tarmac roads, with five stages on Friday evening followed by a further ten on Saturday. The rally finishes in style at the famous TT Grandstand at 4.30pm on Saturday with a presentation later that evening. Connor and the team would like to thank Egger (wood based panels), Euro Components, KBB Doors, Pirelli and Shell Racing Fuels for their continued support in 2007 Fiesta SportingTrophy prepares for the Tarmac Challenge Round three of the Fiesta SportingTrophy UK begins next Friday as competitors take on the challenge of the RBS International Manx Rally, based at the historic TT Grandstand on the Isle of Man. Motorsport is in the blood of the Manx people and this will be the first time that the FST UK has taken on the classic island stages. It is also a change of surface for the crews as this event is the first of the two rallies in 2007 that feature a tarmac surface and an opportunity for drivers and co)drivers to make their own pacenotes. The ‘Mini Manx’ presents a unique challenge to the 16 crews that have ventured across the Irish Sea to compete, in that it is the only round of the FST UK series that takes place over two days. The organisers have created a specific event for the FST crews that will follow the National Championship event – missing only one of the rally’s 16 stages. Crews will depart from the picturesque Port Erin start venue behind the main rally and complete four stages totalling 34 miles during the first evening. With crews not expected back to the service area located at the TT Grandstand in the island’s capital, Douglas, until 21:30 – the majority of the first leg will be in darkness – another new experience for the FST drivers. Day two will dawn bright and early, as crews depart from the Grandstand at 08:45 to undertake another 82 miles over ten stages – in total the equivalent of three gravel rounds of the highly competitive series. The first crews are expected back at the Grandstand for the podium celebrations around 16:00 on Saturday afternoon. For championship leader, 20)year)old Tom Walster from Nottingham, it will be his first experience of tarmac rallying since the Mewla Rally in August 2006 where he was eliminated from the competition on the first stage with a broken gearbox oil seal. Partnered again by marathon man Tim Sturla, this will be the first opportunity for this crew to make their own pacenotes, a challenge that Tom, a member of the MSA British Rally Academy will be relishing. The victor on the second round of the super)competitive series, 26)year)old Fraser Jones from Ayr, finds himself in second place in the championship overall, nine points behind championship leader Walster. Jones scored his first FST win on the Pirelli National Rally after his team diagnosed engine problems with the car after the first round which they were able to go on and repair before the Carlisle)based gravel event. Jones is another driver with limited tarmac experience and also failed to finish the Mewla Rally in August 2006 but not before he showed an excellent turn of speed. He will be partnered by the super experienced Lee Burgess and they will be hoping to build upon their working relationship over this long event. With second on the season)opening rally and fifth on the second round, 18)year)old Jonathan Greer from Carryduff, Northern Ireland could be able to spring a surprise on the demanding tarmac stages. Greer currently lies third in the FST UK series, only one point behind Jones, but he is also currently fourth in the FST Ireland series which runs predominantly on tarmac. Greer is partnered on this rally by fellow Irishman Jonny Hart and will hope that their knowledge of the surface will help them secure a good result. Another driver to watch on this event will be 18)year)old Northern Irish driver, Alastair Fisher from Enniskillen. Fisher, who will be co)driven for this first time by the experienced Stephen McAuley, finished fourth on the previous round of the FST UK series, the Pirelli National, but second on the last round of the FST Ireland series, the tarmac UAC Easter Rally – only 7.8s behind event winner Conor Harvey. This excellent tarmac form could be extremely beneficial on the demanding Manx stages. Hoping for better luck on this event will be 18)year)old Elfyn Evans from Dolgellau who retired from the Pirelli Rally as a result of accident damage. Evans will once again be co) driven by Richard Edwards who has competed on the island a number of times so his experience will be invaluable. All registered crews will be competing for a prize fund of £23,400 over the course of the year, with the winner of each round taking home £750, down to £75 for eighth position. At the end of the season, the winner will be presented with a Ford Fiesta ST road car and the top two plus a ‘wildcard’ will be given the opportunity to compete head)to) head with drivers from all over the world at the FST International Shoot)Out for an opportunity to win a year’s work experience with the BP FORD World Rally Team. FST championship leader, Tom Walster, 20 from Nottingham said: “I am really looking forward to the rally. I did it two years ago in a 205 and I gained some good experience of the roads and particularly in the dark. I was testing with Geoff Jones during the week to get the setup right and everything feels good, the car was handling very well. I am going for a good result as leading the championship is a good feeling but I won’t be taking any risks. Manx matters for Marcus! Multiple British National Rally Champion Marcus Dodd leaves the gravel roads behind on May 11/12 as he tackles the RBS International Manx Rally. The super fast tarmac of the Isle of Man will play host to the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship regulars for its yearly sojourn onto a sealed surface. There will be no time to admire the scenery for the Poole based driver. Backed by Flitewise.com, Sunseeker Powerboats, Pirelli Tyres and Sunoco Fuels, Marcus will be keen to grab as many championship points as possible on the two day event based in Douglas. Together with Hove’s Andrew Bargery, Marcus will be looking to press his championship rivals hard on the surface he favours least. The HPM Motorsport run Hyundai Accent WRC4 is back to rude health after retiring from the recent Border Counties Rally when leading. Marcus was to suffer a gentle roll into one of the infamous Kielder forest ditches. Despite virtually no damage to the car, it was impossible to regain the road leaving Marcus frustrated at not scoring points after a dominant win on the season opening Rallye Sunseeker. To warm up for the fast and often bumpy tarmac of the Isle of Man, Marcus and Andrew have travelled to Wales on May 5th for the Welsh Rally. Based in Brecon, the event uses the extremely fast tarmac of the Epynt Military Ranges. For Marcus it will be good practice to reacquaint himself with the different driving style required for asphalt. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the car goes on Epynt” said Marcus en route to recce the South Wales venue. “Border Counties was a real disappointment for everyone but that’s gone now. The Isle of Man is a very tough place on the car and in particular the brakes so it will be good to go and get a feel for the car at Epynt. The speeds are very high up there and you get a bit of everything thrown in with the variety of roads on offer. We really need to get some good points on the Manx as that will put us in a very good position going into two consecutive events in Wales. The forest roads there are ideally suited to my driving style so I’m confident that we’ll be able to score heavily. The Manx is always an exciting event for everyone involved so hopefully a good clean run will see us ideally placed to pick up a large haul of points.” Dodd’s main advantage over the weekend will be the home grown knowledge of Manx born Andrew Bargery. The former works Peugeot and Mitsubishi WRC co-driver has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the island roads and will certainly be a huge help to Marcus as he battles with series rivals Steve Perez, Paul Bird and Roger Duckworth on the Friday and Saturday. EVO CHALLENGE BATTLE RESUMES ON THE ISLE OF MAN The RBSI Manx Rally on 11th & 12th May hosts round three of this year’s Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge and the first of two events on asphalt. With many of the teams registered for this year’s championship admitting that gravel is their preferred choice of surface, the change to tarmac, coupled with the unpredictable nature of the island’s roads, could well see a change in fortunes for some of this year’s Evo Challenge competitors. The event is also a round of the Hankook MSA Gravel and Legend Fires MSA Asphalt Rally Championships, which combined with a number of non-championship competitors, sees a total start list of 120 cars, the Evolution Challenge accounting for 17 of the entries. The competition amongst the Mitsubishi runners is expected to be as fierce as ever – especially if round two is anything to go by, when just 0.1 second separated the top two cars and only 0.9 second separated the top three! The first trio of Evo Challenge crews are seeded in order of their current championship positions. First away is winner of the two previous rounds Phillip Morrow who says he intends to concentrate on scoring enough points to keep him at the top of the table, rather than challenge for a third outright win. Next up is Seb Ling, who has so far scored a fourth and a second and, having just missed victory on round two by the narrowest of margins, he will be gunning for his first Evo Challenge win in order to reduce his seven-point deficit to Morrow. Third in line is Julian Reynolds, who's consistent performance has seen him bag two third places so far. He is another who will be out to secure his first victory of the season and could well do it, if things go his way. After stopping on the first stage due to an electrical problem, therefore not scoring last time out, Jonny Milner will be aiming to put his championship hopes back on track. Although starting fourth of the Evo Challengers on this occasion, the twice British Champion has more experience of the Manx lanes than any other driver in the series and consequently has been labeled as the man to beat this time round. Having finished a stunning second overall in the recent Granite City Rally, 19 year-old David Bogie will be another driver to watch, even with this being his first competitive outing on tarmac driving his Mitsubishi. However his co-driver Robert Fagg hails from Kirkmichael on the Isle of Man, which could certainly prove to be an advantage. Other under 25-year old drivers competing for the championship’s PIAA Junior Award on this event are Stephen Petch, Connor McCloskey, Errol Clarke and Daniel Barry, along with Phillip Morrow who currently leads this category. Recent form has shown the youngsters have the pace, but with the change of surface experience counts for a great deal, which will favour the likes of Nik Elsmore, Neil McCance, Wayne Sisson and may well see Jonathan Sparks, Thomas Naughton and Gordon Cunningham, who debuts his new car, feature well in the results. The Evolution Cup, a class for nearer-to-standard Group N Lancers sees winner of both rounds so far Miles Johnston aim for his hat-trick, with his competition on this event coming from Wayne Radford. The rally starts at 7.00 pm in Port Erin on the south coast of the island, with the now traditional Friday evening stage through the centre of the town. Running into the dark, a further four stages take place before the overnight halt, with another ten in store on Saturday. The event finishes at the Douglas TT Grandstand at 4.30 pm, when the successful competitors will return having covered a total of 120 miles. The Evolution Challenge offers drivers what is widely regarded as the best prize in British rallying – the chance to become a Mitsubishi works driver in the 2008 British Rally Championship. Also included in this year’s Mitsubishi championship are the Pirelli and Performance Friction Brakes Cups. The series is backed by Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart, with support from its associate sponsors: Pirelli, PIAA, Speedline Corse, Sparco, Performance Friction Brakes, Shell Helix and Tesco 99 Octane - suppliers of the controlled fuel for the championship. Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge entries 19 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Daniel Barritt (Burnley) (J) 20 Sebastian Ling (Llandysul)/Aled Rees (Crymych) 21 Julian Reynolds (Narberth)/Patrick Walsh (Aberystwyth) 22 Jonny Milner (Huggate)/Ian Windress (Northallerton) 26 David Bogie (Dumfries)/Rob Fagg (Kirkmichael) (J) 32 Connor McCloskey (Lirea)/Robbie Durant (Bicester) (J) 33 Stephen Petch (Richmond)/Michael Wilkinson (Tow Law) (J) 35 Neil McCance (Coomber)/Sean Moriarty (Kerry) 38 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Vicky Allen (Denbigh) 41 Jonathan Sparks (Glastonbury)/Bradley Magnus (Downham Market) 43 Wayne Sisson (Carnforth)/Daniel Stone (Chesterfield) 45 Errol Clark (Irvinestown)/Martin McGarrity (Lisnaskea) (J) 46 Miles Johnston (York)/Ian Bevan (Wrexham)* 47 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Mark Bowen (Cork) (J) 48 Wayne Radford (Dinnington)/Paul Drew (Stroud) 56 Thomas Naughton (Bury)/Horace Saville (Bury) 72 Gordon Cunningham (Galston)/Stuart McManus (Kilmarnock) 01/05/0 7 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr @ 1 Kevin Lynch/David Moynihan @ 6 Colin McRae/Campbell Roy @ 11 Full Entry list on:
26/04/07 Kevin Lynch & Kenny McKinstry have placed Entries for the Manx Rally List of unseeded Entries on Rally Website:
Topics:
Manx National
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