Rally - Adam leads

So far the weather gods have been smiling on Ingliston for the Blackwood Plant Hire DCC Stages Rally, although the track was damp and greasy this morning on the first of the day’s 8 stages.

That no doubt helped Gary Adam who opened the scoring with wets on the front of his Escort Mk2, visibly quicker than those around him.

Bruce Edwards was kicking himself: “I started the day on old tyres when I should have put new ones on,” said the Darrian pilot, “but there’s no point now, the weathers dry and they’ve started working!”

Halfway round the second stage, Gary realised conditions were improving and the tyres were starting to go off. “I’m losing grip at the front,” he said to co-driving Dad Gordon who responded:”Well, slow doon a bit,” and of course he didn’t!

After a slowish start Alistair Inglis has got the Lotus Exige into third place ahead of the Subaru of John  Marshall who had a half spin on the third test which dropped him back. He’s currently tied with the Impreza of Nigel Feeney who is being hampered by a software problem which means that second gear is difficult to engage. Mechanically perfect, but the ECU seems to be sending the wrong message to the selector.

Hamish Kinloch is holding sixth place in his Honda engined Escort Mk2 ahead of the two stars of the rally so far, Sean Robson and Neil Thompson both in 1600cc machinery, and both in the top ten.

Sean is going exceptionally well in the wee Citroen C2 while Neil is just as quick in the Corsa although the boys are changing a broken bearing in the front n/s TCA during the lunch halt. Nigel Atkinson is ninth in his Lancer with Ian Paterson’s Subaru rounding off the top ten.

Barry Renwick is out with an electrical fault. The Proton didn’t want to fire up first thing this morning and then when it did, it ran fine until it started cutting out, The boys reckon it’s electrical rather than fuel though. Andrew Gallacher is out too, the foam inside the fuel tank is disintegrating and clogging up the filters and fuel lines, a most unusual problem, and Jamie Smith’s wondrous V6 engined Fiesta chewed the teeth off the fan and alternator belt this morning, so he’s going no further.

Top Ten:

1, Gary Adam, 34m 47s

2, Bruce Edwards, 34m 58s

3, Alistair Inglis, 35m 08s

4= John Marshall, 35m 13s

4= Nigel Feeney, 35m 13s

6, Hamish Kinloch, 36m 05s

7, Sean Robson, 36m 06s

8, Neil Thompson, 36m 13s

9, Nigel Atkinson, 36m 15s

10, Ian Paterson, 36m 23s