Sam Touzel set the fastest overall time on the opening stage of today’s Proflex Manx Rally and continues to lead the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship category at the end of Leg 1 in his Smart Scaffolding/Express Auto Parts Fiesta Rally2.
Co-driven by Max Freeman, the Jersey driver was 1.7 seconds quicker than his nearest BTRDA series rival after SS1 and just managed to hold onto the Protyre Asphalt lead after the opening five stages / 22.71 stage miles – by 2 seconds!
The pace at the top was appropriately red hot on the warmest day of the year, as Neil Roskell was close behind.
The 2022 Manx Rally winner snapped a rear anti-roll bar on his Michelin-shod ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta Rally2 on the shakedown stage, and that was replaced before SS1 to allow Neil and co-driver Rob Fagg to launch another rally-pace winning charge over the Isle of Man roads.
Five-time Manx Rally winners Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke completed Leg 1 in third in their Pirelli-shod North Road Garage/Guttercrest Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – which was an impressive start in their new car, despite a small issue under the bonnet.
David Wright/Jane Nicol have made a great start in their GPM/DamperTek/Grove Hill Garage Fiesta R5 and are holding fourth Protyre Asphalt position as they returned to the TT Grandstand service area.
The Pooil Vaaish stages were run back-to-back, meaning that the top crews starting SS3 were slotted in at 30 second intervals behind lower seeded cars starting SS2. There is always a danger that one of the rally leaders might get delayed, and unfortunately that’s exactly what happened to Mark Kelly. Having set the fastest time through SS2 with a 3:12.5, Mark and co-driver Will Atkins were delayed behind the historic-spec BMW M3 E30 Will Onions/Dave Williams on SS3, meaning that they could only set a 10th fastest time of 13:16.2 on the repeat run. They eventually finished Leg 1 fifth in the Protyre Asphalt standings in their Kelmore Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
Not everyone survived the opening leg unscathed. Nathan Bolton/Phil Kenny smacked the front of their Monza Installs Fiesta Rally2 on SS2 and stopped with their front right wheel at a 90° angle, while Adam Midghall/Thomas Pidden (Mitsubishi Evo 9) and Arwel Parry/Iestyn Williams (Subaru Impreza) also suffered early baths.
Ian Clare/Chris Chapman ground to a halt for a couple of minutes on SS2 before their J&S handling/DT Training/Fluid Power Supplies/Melia Accounting Wolseley Hornet was coaxed back into life.
Meanwhile Rob Smith/Alun Cook were stopped on the same section of road for such a long time that their BMW M3 E30 was in danger of getting a parking ticket before they managed to get going again.
After a short break, Leg 2 begins at 18:35 – with a further five stages and 36.05 stage miles tonight, before an overnight halt in Douglas.
Proflex Manx Rally – Protyre Asphalt top 10 after Leg 1 (SS5):
1. Sam Touzel/Max Freeman (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….18mins 53.3secs
2. Neil Roskell/Rob Fagg (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….18mins 55.3secs
3. Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)….19mins 02.4secs
4. David Wright/Jane Nicol (Ford Fiesta R5)….19mins 05.6secs
5. Mark Kelly/Will Atkins (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5)….19mins 09.7secs
6. Gareth Mimnagh/Barry McCarney (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….19mins 11.2secs
7. Cal McCarthy/Eric Calnan (Citroën C3 Rally2)….19mins 19.2secs
8. Hugh Brunton/Richard Crozier (Škoda Fabia Rally2)….19mins 34.8secs
9. Stephen Simpson/Mark Glennerster (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….19mins 41.9secs
10. Steve Wood/Kenny Hull (Citroën C3 Rally2)….19mins 45.8secs
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