Rally - Rintoul in charge

With 3 stages gone, John Rintoul still leads the Summer Stages in the Hyundai WRC, but the rally was stopped shortly after the start of SS4. Scott Grant's Lancer went on fire although both he and Derek Forsyth were OK. Other cars stopped to help and the Yellow Flag system was called into play. By the time the stage was cleared it was lunch time.

Alistair Inglis is still in second place but was thankful for the SS4 cancellation: "I put hard tyres on the front and it was too early. At the first hairpin it just locked up and went straight on and stalled. Then I stalled it again before I got it going."

John Paterson is still top 2WD car in third place but he's in pain. He broke two ribs three weeks ago! "It hurts when I laugh, and even worse when I sneeze." I won't tell you here how he broke those ribs, I'll save that for the full report!

Tom Morris is fourth after three stages but won't be going any further. The Metro struck gearbox trouble again half way round SS4 - and Machrihanish is only two weeks away now.

Ross Fernie is still fifth in the Subaru with David Ross in the DAM sixth.

Another in trouble but benefitting from the SS4 cancellation is young Ross Marshall. The down pipes sheared off the Escort's exhaust manifold and the boys are working furiously under the bonnet with the welding gear.

Lees Hastings got pushed over the finish line too in that last test when the Subaru stalled at a hairpin and refused to re-start. It wasn't his fault, an earlier car had dislodged a bale and it was hidden round the corner from Lee who had to take avoiding action.

The weather here at Crail is muggy and warm and the abrasive surface in places is causing havoc with tyre choice. Gary Adam is running the hardest tyres he's got and when he came in to the finish, said "Feel those." The rear tyres were so hot across the tread it was painful to the touch. Anyone got any sausage rolls, you can heat them up here.

Leaderboard after 3 (of 8) stages:
1, John Rintoul, 22m 50s
2, Alistair Inglis, 23m 16s
3, John Paterson, 23m 32s
4, Tom Morris, 23m 36s
5, Ross Fernie, 23m 52s
6, David Ross, 23m 57s
7, Gary Adam, 23m 57s
8, Colin Gemmell, 24m 08ss
9, Ross Marshall, 24m 11s
10, Peter Gibson, 24m 16s