Rally - Unlucky for some

Fastest man on Sunday

Having started the second day of the Pirelli Rally in 9th place, David Bogie and Kevin Rae finished 4th after setting fastest time on all four of the day's stages in Kielder. David was quite philosophical at the finish: "It was just a question of seeing what I could do today, no problems to report, just a good clean run."

Not so fortunate were Garry Pearson and Paula Swinscoe. They started the day in 4th place and didn't finish: "We overshot a chicane," said Garry, "it was silly really, I just reversed back and the rear wheels went over a ditch and the car bellied out. No damage whatsoever, but stuck fast and no spectators around to help us out. Frustrating."

Alex Laffey and Stuart Loudon were tenth and John Wink/John Forrest came out best in their personal battle with John Morrison/Peter Carstairs. Apart from a wobbly rear wheel, the wheel nuts weren't engaging properly with the internal face of the wheel, Wink had a good run into 14th place 23 seconds ahead of Morrison who was still getting used to his new car second time out with it: "It's the first time I've had a car with a sequential 'box," said John, "and the engine has more torque than the GrpN car." Frustration got the better of him at one point when he overshot a hairpin and then tried to find reverse gear but after a few futile attempts remembered that it wasn't an 'H' pattern gearbox any more!"

Can I have a time please?

Donnie MacDonald's rally ended prematurely in a ditch: "We came over a flat crest in fifth," said Donnie but we were in the middle of the road and it went right. We got on the marbles and it just slid straight on into the ditch. We must have travelled 100 yards but it wouldn't come out and eventually it just dug itself in." It was the same for young Fergus Barlow. Second time on a proper gravel rally he hooked a left hander at a hairpin and the car got sucked in: "We nearly got away with it," said Fergus, "at one point it almost came out and I straightened the wheel a bit then it got sucked in again. Absolutely no damage, but I learned a lot today."

It was the same story for Donald Carslaw: "We just came over a crest, the corner was on us and we slid off on the marbles. No damage." He won't half get an ear-wigging when he goes home though, it was daughter Carline's Subaru he was driving. Niall Cowan was going well in the MG till the last stage when the gearbox failed.

Fredrik Ahlin took the win from Osian Pryce and Martin McCormack, while Keith Cronin's run ended - in a ditch!