Spectators
on the Pirelli International Rally, the opening round of the British
Rally Championship, are seeing a real battle in the demanding
Northumberland Kielder Forest stages between past winners and
hopefuls.
Overnight
leader, local Darlington driver Guy Wilks is using every ounce
the power of his 1600cc Ford Puma to keep the powerful World Rally
Car (WRC) Subaru Impreza of 1999 rally winner, Finn Tapio Laukkanen
behind him. Tapio’s four-wheel drive and more power car
is snapping at the exhaust pipe of Guy who will hope he can hang
on to his current 13 seconds lead after 9 stages.
In third place
the 1600cc Renault Clio of 2002 Pirelli rally winner, Manxman
Mark Higgins, is the sandwich filling between Tapio’s WRC
Impreza and the WRC Toyota Corolla of reigning British Rally Champion,
Yorkshires’s Jonny Milner.
Gwydaf Evans
is upholding Welsh honours on the mixed nationality leaderboard
with a battling fifth place in his 1600cc MG ZR.