Pirelli International Rally 2017 – Historics
Stage Reports – Driver Comments
Reporters: Chris and Robin Ellison
Location: Kielder Dam – 10.13
After Stage: 1
| 1 | Nick Elliott | nice stage – very slippy – small moment on last corner- |
| 2 | Jason TauberPritchard | not too bad – steady – floating across the surface – small moment same as elliott on last corner |
| 3 | Rudi Lancaster | went ok – very dry– |
| 4 | Steve Bannister | lost 30 sec to elliott – too fast for him– |
| 5 | Matthew Robinson | rubbish stage – gear box – no third- |
| 6 | Stanley Orr | fast and slippy chicane slippy but all good elsewhere— |
| 7 | Steve Bennett | cautious – 1st time in car in months – new co driver – trying to get a rhythm |
| 8 | Simon Webster | slow start as he got used to the grip it got better— |
| 9 | Tim Freeman | rapid – suit escort stage – chicane very tight- |
| 10 | Ben Friend | not too bad – far too quick – entertaining stages – excited to keep going |
| 12 | David Bennett | slippy – very sideways – wrong tyres on the back – small moment at end of stage |
| 14 | Mat Smith | very difficult – built up banks mean you cannot commit – hard to get rhythm but got through ok- |
| 15 | Barry Jordan | very loose – quick – no problems- perfect stage |
| 16 | Barry Stevenson-Wheeler | wheeler – very quick – got to be brave – small moment over crest – back end in ditch – kept foot down and got out |
| 17 | James Potter | not happy with time – very slippy but good fun– |
| 18 | Phil Jobson | very slippy – half spin on chicane – very quick but no room for mistakes- |
| 19 | Phil Squires | mint (Yorkshire Accept) – very quick – best run in that stage in years – tittering on the edge of ditches a couple times |
| 21 | Rex Ireland | not too bad steady away— |
| 22 | Tom Hewick | superb stage – incredible flowing – proper Mk 2 stage – |
| 23 | David Hutchinson | very quick steady away for first time in Kielder – eye opener– |
| 24 | Ian Jemison | no report— |
| 25 | Bob Bean | no comment— |
| 26 | Eliot Rettalick | good brave on crest – woke him up– |
| 27 | Terry Cree | slippy – very very quick – happy with progress steady away- |
| 28 | Simon Pickering | off in stage 1— |
| 29 | Andrew Robinson | incredibly fast – soil mounds on the corners catching them out– |
| 30 | Andrew Stokes | not too bad – slow to begin with – mentally not there- |
| 31 | Tim Metcalfe | 1st time in stage in 15 years – very cautious– |
| 32 | David Dobson | loose – as fast as you dare – steady away – cautious |
| 33 | John Hepworth | very go stage – rhythm is improving– |
| 34 | Kim Gray | awesome – 50 second out of car 33 – soil mounds were treacherous – cannot put car where want to |
| 35 | Stephen Forster | gertting there – still learning – glad to get to the end- |
| 36 | Josh Carr | fast “I like it here I am coming back”— |
| 37 | Aziz Tejpar | very good a few hairy moments – scary coming past car 28 in ditch– |
| 38 | Stuart Cariss | ragged – rolling across stones – very unsettled- |
| 39 | Keith Davison | corners which look ok are less gippy – not totally confident – very slippy- |
| 40 | David Hayton | very good – 1st time out in a year – enjoyed the first stage- |
| 41 | Andy Gray | clutch pedal failed – everything was perfect– |
| 42 | Phillip Harris | very good – bit slippy – everything ok – wish I had a fifth gear |
| 44 | Mark Boulton | not too bad – stage perfect for historics – very enjoyable- |
| 45 | John Mennell | mint – perfect – very enjoyable- |
| 46 | Paul Rawson | excellent – very fast – perfect for the escort- |