A gloomy, overcast Gateshead greeted over 100
rally crews as they set off from Baltic Square on the two day
Pirelli International Rally, the opening round of the 2003 Pirelli
British Rally Championship however the drivers weren’t complaining
too much as the rain will dampen down the inevitable clouds of
dust that have plagued competitors during the recent spell of
dry weather.
The action was fast and furious as the crews tackled
the opening two “Mini stages” on a specially constructed
track round Gateshead’s Baltic Business Park with the Subaru
of reigning Scottish Champion Barry Johnson, from Shildon, leading
by the narrowest of margins, a mere second, ahead of the Similar
car of five times Irish champion Austin McHale with British Champ,
Jonny Milner breathing down his neck, his Toyota only 4/10th.s
of a second in arrears.
There were early problems for young Gary, Jennings,
his Peugeot 206 overheating, dropping him down to an unaccustomed
22nd.place; his fellow Irishman Kris Meeke reported problems selecting
fifth gear in his Opel Corsa, Kate Heath was another driver with
gearbox problems, her SEAT Ibiza jumping out of second gear.
Kelso’s Neil Buckley found the extremely
tight track a problem, slid wide on a corner and stalled his Mitsubishi,
dropping right back to 34th. Place while Neil Burgess’s
rally lasted barely half a mile his Mini grinding to a halt in
the stage.