Luckily we were able to pull a few strings at Nassco and had the parts department opened (good thing I race with the GM) and a new set of plugs were delivered at the first service. Three minutes late leaving service and it back to the stage at Stewarts Hill to test it out. No improvement was made..... Turns out that the #2 plug lead had come off on the stage. Put it back in place at Malvern and we were off. The car worked great and our times were back in-line with the norm. PB, Mayers and Mice out front by the standard 3-5 sec gap. But hey we were back on our pace. The handbrake was still working and now we had the power to really make it useful.

By lunch we had a good hold on fourth position and were happy to stay there. Then Malvern again the normal way. Mayers was out so we were in third. The car was working as was evident by the arrival at Easy Hall corner and the travels into the canefield when the Handbrake was applied. A little too much speed. The next problem then came at Malvern wall where we decided to test the structural integrity of the wall. Once again too much speed and a very dirty surface and we kissed the wall and lost our back bumper. The lash was actually much worse in the car than the damage shows. But it did not slow us too much. Select first and turn left and keep going. Finally we checked the backend and realised that the bumper was hanging and the tailgate looked a little worse for wear but no structural damage. So off we went again... a little more reserved than before but not completely off the pace. In the end we managed to make up some of the time and keep our third place secure.

Thanks to all the Marshals and Timekeepers who made the rally work. And of course a big Thanks to Nassco Parts Manager for coming to work on Sunday. Also, Mobil 1, Michelin, Motormac, and Kendal Sporting for their continued support.

Graham Gittens
Navigator