by Geoff MayesMitsubishi 'works' driver Guy Wilks led home his team-mate, Gwyndaf Evans in a Mitsubishi one-two on the Rally Isle of Man on Saturday, the third round in the 2007 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, while pre-event favourite Mark Higgins slid off the road on day two.
Wilks won 17 of the 21 competitive stages
en-route to victory, including all four of the Thursday night stages. It wasn't by any means a dominant win though as his team-mate kept him honest throughout the remarkably dry event.
As always with the Rally Isle of Man there were those who were caught out by the tricky conditions, including 2005 and 2006 winner Mark Higgins. The Manxman slid off into a ditch in a remote area and there were not enough spectators around to help him back onto the road, forcing him to retire from the leg.
Telford based teenager Nick Kenny and Finland resident Vessa Mikkola both went off on Thursday night. Kenny was able to limp out of the stage but young Mikkola was out of the rally after less than 7 competitive miles. By the end of the opening four stages it was Wilks from Evans, with Higgins only 14 seconds down.
Friday saw Wilks win every stage of the morning loop, while Evans and Higgins traded times. Stage 10, the second running of Little London, was slightly damp and for the first time all rally Wilks wasn't quickest.
That honour went to David Higgins in the Toyota Super 2000. This was also the stage that claimed his brothers' scalp, allowing David to move into third overall amongst the British registered drivers.
He was again quickest over the next two stages but was already almost two minutes down on the Mitsubishis.
A blown head gasket forced the Toyota to retire on Saturday morning. This should have allowed the recently crowned African Rally champion Conrad Rautenbach into third position, but he had slid into a ditch in the first stage of the day and it took nearly 19 minutes to extract the Citroen C2 S1600.
Suddenly there was a fight for third as both Rob Swann and Wyn Humphries were embroiled in a fierce fight. The pair entered the last stage of the rally separated by a mere 0.2 seconds apart. 11 miles later Humphries took the final podium position by a mere 0.6 seconds.
Darren Gass took S1600 honours from Rautenbach, while a sterling fight between Andreas Sjolander and Matt Beebe was settled in the Swedes favour when the latter backed off to conserve his engine and to consolidate his lead at the top of the R2 championship table.
Lorna Smith took top honours in the Suzuki versus Citroen battle after her team-mate, James Wozencroft and Citroen front runner George Thomas retired. Wozencroft disappeared with transmission problems whilst Thoma rolled into retirement.
Wyn Humphries now takes the overall British Rally Championship lead - two points ahead of Guy Wilks, whilst Mark Higgins drops back to third overall, a further two points back.
Next up is the Ulster Rally at the end of August, which was won last year by Gwyndaf Evans. Can the Welshman do it again?
Stay tuned to
Crash.net to find out…
