Sunday 8 January 2012

Rally - Monte Carlo at Knockhill

DMack's WRC Monte Carlo tyre - at Knockhill
First time out in the ex-Cronin/Evans TegSport Impreza, Michael Glendinning leads a rather damp and misty Grant Construction Stages Rally at Knockhill. It is also his first time in a LHD car and using a Hans device and new helmet, instead of his more familiar kit, so it's all new. "I was shittin meself at the start of the first stage," said Michael, "I wasn't comfortable and there's all these new switches and controls to remember." He's also trying out DMack's new Monte Carlo WRC tyres and has promised to give Dick a call after the rally to tell him how well they did.

Regardless of that, he's now got a 29 second lead (19m 04s) over second place Mark McCulloch in the 1600 Proton (19m 33s).

John Rintoul has worked his way back up to third (19m 34s) after his disastrous start to the day on the first stage and has designs on young Mark's second place, but he's not making much impact on Glendinning's times - yet!

Dale Robertson is fourth (19m 46s) having sorted out his earlier problem. "The tyres had different profiles on the first two stages so they were winding the diffs up," said Dale, "but we've now got a better matched set on." Only one second behind Dale is Ian Forgan (19m 47s) with Jim Sharp back in his own Subaru (19m 57s) after the |Galloway Hills outing in a hired car and completes the top six.

Gareth White and Bruce Hay are still in the top ten but the wee cars are losing out to the 4WD brigade now that the mud is cleared off the stage surfaces a wee bit.

Sadly, early rally leader Doug Brydon is on his way home: "A rear drive shaft broke just at the split near the end of the second stage," said Doug, "but we finished the stage, still had the lead and then changed the driveshaft. It was looking good till we reversed it out and then tried to drive forward, and it started making a horrible grinding noise - it's the wrong shaft! So we're out."

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