Rally New Zealand: Stage Eight.

SS8 - Manukau Super 2 (2.10kms): The final stage of day one falls to Sainz by 0.5secs from Solberg, but Eriksson's still comfortably in control with a 16.5sec advantage; Auriol fourth on stage one place ahead of second overall Gronholm; Loix lead Mitsubishi in sixth on stage and overall; A. McRae and Burns tie for eighth overall heading into tomorrow's eight stages; Local hero Cody Crocker still in command of Group N.

Overall after SS8:

1. Eriksson 1hour 16mins 19.5secs
2. Gronholm +16.5secs
3. Sainz +20.5secs
4. C. McRae +30.4secs
5. Solberg +39.6secs
6. Loix +44.6secs
7. Delecour +47.4secs
8. A. McRae +47.7ecs
9. Burns +47.7ecs
10. Bourne +52.9secs
11. Auriol +1:210secs
12. Rovanpera +1:31.5secs
13. Arai +2:16.9secs
14. Makinen +2:18.3secs

Gardemeister +6:35.9secs

Overall Group N:

1. Crocker 1hour 19mins 10.3secs
2. Stohl +18.0secs
3. Pozzo +27.5secs

Full Driver Information:

No. Name Nationality Car
#1 Marcus Gronholm Finnish Peugeot 206 WRC
#2 Didier Auriol France Peugeot 206 WRC
#3 Carlos Sainz Spanish Ford Focus RS WRC 01
#4 Colin McRae British Ford Focus RS WRC 01
#5 Richard Burns British Subaru Impreza WRC 2001
#6 Petter Solberg Norwegian Subaru Impreza WRC 2001
#7 Tommi Makinen Finnish Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
#8 Freddy Loix Belgian Mitsubishi Carisma GT
#9 Kenneth Eriksson Swedish Hyundai Accent WRC2
#10 Alister McRae British Hyundai Accent WRC2
#16 Harri Rovanpera Finland Peugeot 206 WRC
#17 Francois Delecour French Ford Focus RS WRC 01
#18 Toshi Arai Japanese Subaru Impreza WRC 2001
#19 Toni Gardemeister Finnish Mitsubishi Carisma GT
#20 Possum Bourne New Zealander Subaru Impreza WRC
#21 Neil Wearden British Peugeot 206 WRC
#22 Manfred Stohl Austrian Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 GrN
#23 Gabriel Pozzo Argentinean Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 GrN
#24 Gustavo Trelles Uruguayan Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 GrN
#25 Marcus Ligato Argentinean Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 GrN
#27 Cody Crocker Australian Subaru Impreza WRX