DUCKWORTH CLAIMS MANX VICTORY
Roger Duckworth clinched victory in round three of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship, comprising the RBS International Manx Rally, but it was Northern Irishman Kenny McKinstry who claimed his fifth victory in the event as he took the outright win.

Duckworth and co-driver Mark Broomfield finished up 31.1 seconds behind McKinstry and Noel Orr in their Subaru Impreza following two days and 120 miles of action across the asphalt to take maximum points in the battle for the Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship title.

Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery came home third overall in their Hyundai Accent WRC, taking 22 points in the series after hauling themselves back up the leaderboard following a turbo problem early on Saturday. Steve Perez in the VK Vodka Kick Ford Focus WRC retains his lead of the Championship after taking 20 points for finishing as third ANCRO driver and fourth overall.

“It’s been a good weekend but I’ve had too many outings on this rally where I’ve come second to Kenny,” Duckworth said. “I didn’t push him hard enough but he wouldn’t have let us get any closer I don’t think.

“It’s good to get maximum points in the Championship but it’s also been a good day for Marcus and Steve in the series too.”

The treacherous weather of Friday evening that provided difficult and testing conditions across the narrow Manx stages eased on Saturday morning as the roads began to dry out, making tyre choice difficult early on.

Overnight leader Paul Bird was dealt a heavy blow as he did not make the restart of leg two. Bird and co-driver Andy Richardson in the Pirelli Stobart VK Subaru Impreza damaged the car in the water splash on stage five on Friday evening, putting their lead in jeopardy, but it was hoped the problem could be resolved by day break but it was not to be, much to Bird’s despair. His lead, however, had been narrowed on Saturday to just 1.1 seconds after all times for stage three were scrubbed.

Jon Ingram, who had been showing fine form throughout, moved into the lead on stage seven in his Highgrove Estates-Subaru Impreza WRC but his glory was short-lived as he and Ian Allsop went off in stage eight and were forced to retire.

Neil McCance finished eighth overall and took the Group N honours along with fifth in the Gravel Championship and maximum points in the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge, while Sebastian Ling followed in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 after earlier suffering with an intercooler problem.

As a result Perez maintains his Championship lead over Sebastian Ling, with Phillip Morrow in third and Duckworth and Dodd lying in joint fourth as they go into the next round in three weeks time whereby round four will take place with the Severn Valley Stages on Saturday 2nd June.

Provisional results:
1, Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza) 1:28:15.2
2, Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:28:46.3
3, Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) 1:30:41.4
4, Steve Perez/Claire Mole (Ford Focus WRC) 1:31:29.1
5, David Kynaston/Andy Russell (Audi A3 Quattro) 1:32:52.9
6, Phil Collins/Damian Crawford (Ford Escort Mkll) 1:32:59.3
7, Steve Hendy/Aled Davies (Ford Focus WRC) 1:33:23.9
8, Neil McCance/Ian Windress (Mitsubishi Evo 9) 1:33:44.7
9, Sebastian Ling/Aled Rees (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) 1:34:09.5
10, John Cope/Clive Molyneux (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:35:21.6

2007 MSA Gravel Rally Championship Standings (Provisional):
1, Steve Perez - 67 points
2, Sebastian Ling - 50 points
3, Phillip Morrow - 48 points
4, Roger Duckworth - 47 points
=, Marcus Dodd – 47 points
6, Jock Armstrong – 42 points
=, Neil McCance – 42 points
8, Paul Bird – 40 points
9, Stephen Petch - 36 points
10, Julian Reynolds – 33 points

For further information please contact: Larry Carter (ANCRO Championship Press Officer) at Cartersport