ianwilly

Sounds like you have bee overcharged to me?? I paid less than £100 last time i did it!

Wish i could do that with the sheep that keep breaking onto my land....:mad:

Nightmare!!!.... From what i understand, if its been driven its a hell of a job, but if not its as simple as getting the tank drained.

Though this was funny so i thought i would share! **Rrriiiiinnnnggg, rrriiiinnnngg, **'Hello?'** **'Hi honey.** **This is Daddy.** **Is Mommy near the phone?'** **'No, Daddy.** **She's upstairs in the bedroom with Uncle Paul.'** **After a brief pause,** **Daddy says,** **'But honey, you haven't got an Uncle Paul.'** **'Oh yes I do, and he's upstairs in the room with Mommy,** **Right now.'** Brief Pause. **'Uh, okay then, this is what I want you to do.** **Put the phone down on the table, run upstairs** **And knock on the bedroom door and shout to Mommy** **That Daddy's car just pulled into the driveway.'** **'Okay, Daddy, Just a minute.'** **A few minutes later** **The little girl comes back to the phone.** **'I did it, Daddy.'** **'And what happened, honey?' ** 'Well, Mommy got all scared, jumped out of bed with no clothes on and ran around screaming.** **Then she tripped over the rug, hit her head on the dresser** **And now she isn't moving at all!'** **'Oh my God!!! What about your Uncle Paul?'** **'He jumped out of the bed with no clothes on, too.** **He was all scared and he jumped out of the back window** **And into the swimming pool.** **But I guess he didn't know that you took out the water** **Last week to clean it.** **He hit the bottom of the pool and I think he's dead.'** *****Long Pause***** *****Longer Pause***** *****Even Longer Pause***** **Then Daddy says,** **'Swimming pool? ...........** **Is this 486-5731?'* **No, I think you have the wrong number.......*

When i got back to the UK it did work on the M62 as well!! Dont know how to turn it off but TMC displays in the bottom right corner of the map screen if its on.

While on a jaunt in germany this past week my MFD2 suddenly displayed traffic jams ahead (and there were) and when they cleared as they dissapeared, this happened several times. Now i live in North wales and traffic jams dont normally happen so i have never seen this before. Now does the MFD2 have a facility to pick this info up from radio or gps or something or was it just a coincidence?? If it does, i never knew it was able to do this!!

Has anybody got or tried these yet, hearing some US reports of their excellent all round ability but they have no bends there so need to find out more?? Supposed to be better in wet and longer life, they certainly look the part but cant seem to find many people selling them.

Final Leaderboard 1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 22min 50.9sec 2. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 23min 06.1sec 3. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroen C4 3hr 24min 23.9sec 4. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza 3hr 25min 48.2sec 5. D Sordo/M Marti E Citroen C4 3hr 26min 05.2sec 6. M Wilson/M Orr GB Ford Focus RS 3hr 30min 23.8sec 7. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 31min 20.4sec 8. M Stohl/I Minor A Citroen Xsara 3hr 31min 45.5sec 9. X Pons/X Amigo E Subaru Impreza 3hr 32min 39.7sec 10 J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 33min 33.3sec 1. BP-Ford 2. Citroen Total 3. Subaru 4. OMV Kronos Citroen 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford 6. Munchis Ford 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky 1. BP-Ford FIA World Rally champions* BP-Ford ended the 2007 campaign in perfect style by claiming first and second on Rally GB in Wales today. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen led from start to finish to score their third victory of the season in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. Team-mates Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen were second in another Focus RS on their 150th and final WRC start before retirement. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "We were both very emotional at the end of the final stage. To end my career in a team like this is a wonderful feeling. I've enjoyed two years at Ford with almost no problems and had a great car to drive. Although I'm disappointed that I couldn't win the championship, it was clear before I started this rally that it would be difficult. This was an incredibly hard weekend. Driving in fog, rain and darkness at the same time was so difficult and as I'm newly-retired, I'm so happy that I don't have to drive in those conditions any more! I did all I could but it wasn't here that I missed out on the title, it was when I crashed on the previous round in Ireland." Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "To finish the season with a victory is the best possible preparation for 2008. For me to stand on the podium with Sébastien Loeb, winner of four world titles, and Marcus Grönholm, one of the sport's greatest-ever drivers, at the end of such a fantastic season is perfect. It was Marcus' final rally but I wasn't tempted to give him the win. I know him well and he would not have wanted it that way. To finish the year with three wins is so much more than I thought at the start of the season. 2. Citroen Total Finishing the 2007 Wales Rally GB in third place sufficed for Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena to secure their fourth straight Drivers' and Co-drivers' titles in the World Rally Championship today in Cardiff. At the wheel of Citroën Total's other Citroën C4 WRC, Dani Sordo/Marc Martí completed the final round of the 2007 championship in fifth place. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Its just fantastic! Finishing third today after such a frustrating rally means we are the World Champions for the third year running. The challenge we faced before the start was not as simple as all that. We have been fighting to make it back to the top of the championship ever since the day we went off in Sardinia but we always believed we would succeed. The combination of the Citroën C4's potential on all the different types of surface that make up the championship and the excellent work put in by everyone at Citroën Sport kept us in the chase and it's really great to have pulled it off today! Of my four titles, this was without doubt the most hotly contested. To have succeeded after such a fierce fight with Marcus Grönholm on stages across the world gives it a very special flavour. I know Marcus would have liked to have ended his retirement year by taking the crown, but I'm only half sorry he didn't! On the other hand, I am glad to have clinched the title on Guy Fréquelin's last rally as the boss of Citroën Sport." Dani Sordo/Marc Marti: "I am so happy for Seb and Daniel. I am happy and proud to have been shared this season alongside the new World Champions. I couldn't have wished for better teachers or team-mates!" 3. Subaru The Subaru World Rally Team ended a consistent weekend with the Impreza of Petter Solberg and Phil Mills finishing in fourth place on the Welsh co-driver's home event. Team-mates Chris Atkinson / Stephane Prevot and Xevi Pons / Xavier Amigo both finished inside the top ten. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "We came here to do the best we could and the team have been working so hard to get back on top again. We thought we could do better here than we have, but we have to push forward for next year now. We have taken back third overall in the manufacturer championship which is so important, and I thank the team for all their effort this year. Now we have a small break before Monte Carlo, but we are doing lots of testing and I am looking forward to coming back strongly for some better results in the new season. It's very important for Subaru that we are getting back on track. I really want to get back on top again too." Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: "Of the three times I've attempted Rally GB this has been the most frustrating. As a driver I can honestly say I've tried my best, but for a number of different reasons that hasn't been enough to get decent stage times. We have experienced a variety of small issues but the main hurdle has been the inconsistent handling of the car. This morning we tried a set-up which worked well on Friday, but for some reason today it didn't work at all. We have a lot of questions to answer in the off-season and a lot of testing planned to enable us to turn things around. We want to be fighting for wins again, for Subaru and the fans as well." Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo: "It was very muddy and more slippery than yesterday, and this afternoon was harder as there were more ruts. We had a small moment when we overshot a tight junction and hit a bank but fortunately the car wasn't badly damaged and we were able to carry on. It has been a difficult weekend which is a shame as it is a rally I like and was hoping to go well on. Yes, we finished in the top ten but I am disappointed we couldn't be higher." 4. OMV Kronos Citroen The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team has completed a very changeful FIA World Rally Championship 2007 with eighth overall place by Manfred Stohl and Ilka Minor. Thus the OMV pair was able to score points at the British WRC-rally for the fifth time in a row. Even though the 35-year-old Austrian had hoped for more in Wales following last year's second place he is still glad that this season is over. In the WRC final standings he finished in ninth place with 13 points. The victory in Wales went to Mikko Hirvonen (Fin/Ford Focus WRC). Finishing in third place, Sebastien Loeb (F/Citroen C4 WRC) took the WRC-crown for the fourth consecutive time. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: "Unfortunately nothing went as we had hoped for right from the beginning. During the second half of the season it was additionally very hard to motivate oneself. This season cost a lot of energy. But I still will try my all to be able to pursue my career next year, as well." 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr have stepped up a gear on their home event by finishing sixth overall on this final round of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB. Britain's only fulltime WRC driver drove faultlessly to finish as the top placed Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team member. Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "This has been a difficult event for me as we didn't start off very well. After the problems on leg 1, there wasn't much we could really do than try and complete all the stages, make some changes to the car and gather important information for the future. The feeling today was a good improvement and this is promising as we head into a new season. I was really just concentrating on making my driving better and it was working towards the final stages. So, for me, not the best of events but we did manage to make some good progress from this difficult situation." Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "The conditions on this rally were extremely difficult but I was concentrating hard and am very pleased to get so many fastest times. It was very exciting going to the first stage this morning in darkness and heavy rain, we just didn't know what to expect. I had a really comfortable pace throughout the whole rally and was pushing around 95 percent all the way. I found a good rhythm and just kept at it. Yes it's a shame about our problems on Friday but I have shown a very consistent performance and that is important for me. I wanted to improve my driving and I am happy with what I have achieved. It's a shame we couldn't have topped off a great year by claiming third in the manufacturers' championship." Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: "We had a really great morning and it was important to get in front of Chris [Atkinson] today. Weather conditions made things difficult this morning but there was actually quite a lot of grip on the stages. We found some good rhythm today and good pace on all four stages. I couldn't have asked for anything more, all three days have been great and on the last stage today I had the luxury of backing off a bit as we had a comfortable gap ahead of Chris. For the whole event I tried to keep it neat and tidy and just drive to my pacenotes. For me it has been a great personal performance as all the top drivers are still in the event and we have claimed this result totally on merit." 6. Munchis Ford No information available at time of going to press. 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky The Czech Rally Team Kopecký crew comprised of Jan Kopecký-Filip Schovánek has given their farewell to this year's world championship by finishing twelfth in the Wales Rally, which was the final race of the World Rally Championship in 2007. Jan Kopecky/Filip Schovanek: "Of course I am happy about the fact that we were able to finish the British rally in conditions, which were extremely difficult. This start gave us much experience for the future. This year's British rally has ended our two year cooperation program with Skoda Auto a.s., which has regarded the starts with the Skoda Fabia WRC in selected races on the world championship circuit. I am very grateful not only to the company in Mladá Boleslav, but also to our other partners, who were helping us throughout this unbelievably difficult program. Huge thanks, which cannot even be expressed in words, belongs to my dad. Without him we would never be able to set off on such a tough journey."

1. BP-Ford Newly-crowned FIA World Rally champions* BP-Ford continued to dominate the top of the leaderboard during today's second leg of Rally GB. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen returned to Swansea with a 35.5sec advantage over team-mates Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen after a second day's competition in the rain-soaked forests of south Wales. Both pairings are at the wheel of a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "There was no stress and no pressure today as I can do nothing but wait and see what happens to Loeb. There's no plan to push to catch Mikko. It would be stupid for me to do that and make a mistake. My plan is to stay in second. It would be good to win my final rally but that's not my priority - the title is. It was great to win in the Millennium Stadium, though. There was a fantastic atmosphere and I really appreciated the ovation the fans gave me at the end of the stage." Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "Although we had some rain the visibility was better and I could see where I was going. That's two days down and one to go, and I'm still at the front so I'm not complaining about the conditions too much. I was too cautious on the first stage this morning and Marcus took some time back so I pushed as hard as I could after that. On the middle stage this afternoon I went straight on at a slippery asphalt junction but that made me even more determined. It will be good to wake up in the morning in the lead, but I'm not taking anything for granted. Marcus might want to give me one last lesson before he retires so I will have to stay alert and keep the pace high to keep him behind me," 2. Citroen Total It had already been dark for some time when the Citroën C4 WRCs of first Dani Sordo/Marc Martí, then Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena pulled into the service park in Swansea this evening after the second leg of the 2007 Wales Rally GB. The Spanish pair continue to figure in fifth place overall, while Seb and Daniel still have a footing on the provisional podium. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "The stages themselves were different, too. There were more long, fast corners which call for a more fluid style as you flow from turn to turn. I've always enjoyed this sort of road here in previous years but it was quite frustrating this time round. However, if we end up taking the title, that will soon be forgotten. We have stuck to our game-plan so far and we are currently third with a handy lead over our closest chasers and just one day to go.!" Dani Sordo/Marc Marti: "The stages are difficult but I succeeded in posting some quick times compared to rivals with more experience of these forests. The amount of grip changes all the time and it can be easy to get caught out under braking. We also found ourselves aquaplaning in the mud quite a lot. Once again, I have been able to measure how important experience is on the loose if you want to be both quick and consistent on a stage from start to finish." 3. Subaru Subaru World Rally Team drivers Petter Solberg and Phil Mills finished the second day of Wales Rally GB in fourth place overall after battling more treacherous winter conditions. Ahead of the final day of competition, their team mates Xevi Pons and Chris Atkinson hold sixth and ninth places respectively. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "Today has not been so bad for us, but the conditions have been difficult again. We struggled quite a lot actually. The final spectator stage was great; a lot of Subaru flags and Welsh flags for Phil. We always get a good welcome here. The stages tomorrow are very, very difficult. Very muddy and slippery. We will see; we will try hard to do some good stage times and get a good result. That's the main thing." Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: "Today has not been so easy for us. The car was better in the afternoon after we made some changes but it has not been easy in these conditions. We found more pace this afternoon and I took a few more risks to try and put a gap to Matthew because he's doing some good times. The main thing for us now is to make sure we get to the finish and get some good points." Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo: "We got off to a good start today and I was feeling more comfortable in the car, but an accident on SS8 meant we couldn't push hard and instead had to concentrate on getting the car back to service. With the car back to full strength in the afternoon I felt confident to push harder and the times improved as the day went on, but SS12 was hard when I couldn't clean the screen. Tomorrow the roads are very different, but I hope we can continue this better feeling." 4. OMV Kronos Citroen The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team didn't encounter any noteworthy problems on day two of the "Wales Rally GB". Unfortunately they didn't move up, either. Matthew Wilson (GB/Ford Focus WRC) in the Citroen Xsara WRC seems out of reach and Xavier Pons (E/Subaru Impreza WRC), in ninth place, can be easily kept at bay. The OMV driver is nevertheless discontent even if everything points to a fifth consecutive finish within points-range. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: "It is a bit frustrating since last year we fought for victory. This year we're competing for eighth place. Somehow I expected more. But that probably was wishful thinking. If one takes a look at our results this season then we are right at where were at during the last 15 rallies." 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team have shown once again they will be a future force to be reckoned with after a stunning display on leg 2 of Wales Rally GB, the final round of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila have put day 1 woes behind them and shattered the field today by winning every forest stage and advancing themselves back with a chance of a top-ten finish. Joining in the splendour were team-mates Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr who have put in one of the best legs of their career, with consistently fast pace, to finish the day in seventh overall. Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "It has been going OK today but we are just getting through and seeing what we can do. I have been trying a new driving style today and basically using the day as a bit of a test. Today has been much better than yesterday and at least now I can see out of the windscreen. I will try and concentrate more on my driving as I have a better feeling today and hopefully we can improve on this tomorrow. There was a bit of fog on the last stage and our lights were a bit too high which lost us some time but I have set some good times today which I am happy with. I will try my best tomorrow and finish the event which is very important; to have as much experience in the world rally car as possible." Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "It has been a great feeling today. The car has done everything it is designed to do and the tyres were perfect so I can't ask for much more. It is disappointing about yesterday but these things happen and it is good to get back out today and important to get a good balance with the car for future events. It was definitely an advantage being third on the road here as the grip levels were good and the road conditions more pleasant. I have just been very relaxed today and had no big moments as I have had no reason to push hard so to produce these times is a great feeling. I will try and keep the same feeling tomorrow and see if we can keep it going." Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: "I'm really pleased with how today has gone and it has been a great battle between Chris [Atkinson] and myself all day. We have had no big mistakes all day and it has just had a nice rhythm to it. We lost a little bit of time on the last stage as one of the lights began to flicker but apart from that the car has been perfect. We still need to tidy up on the slower stuff but ok it has gone pretty well and it's lots of fun out there. Generally the feeling is very good, the car is working well and the confidence is high as a result. The road surface has also been more consistent today which has helped. I think the gap to Chris is still close enough to challenge tomorrow but they are two tricky stages, especially if it is wet, so we will have to wait and see what happens in the morning." 6. Munchis Ford No information available at time of going to press. 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky No information available at time of going to press, please check site later. __________________________________________________________________ Remaining Event Schedule Sunday 2 December: Leg 3 Swansea - Swansea Serv F Swansea (10 mins) 06.25 SS14 Brechfa 1 28.89km 07.46 SS15 Trawscoed 1 28.24km 08.33 Serv G Swansea (30 mins) 10.28 SS16 Brechfa 2 28.89km 12.09 SS17 Trawscoed 2 28.24km 12.56 Finish Cardiff 15.10 Total 114.26km Rally total 359.54km

Leaderboard after Leg 1 1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 17min 21.3sec 2. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 18min 00.9sec 3. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroen C4 1hr 18min 19.2sec 4. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza 1hr 18min 55.3sec 5. D Sordo/M Marti E Citroen C4 1hr 19min 59.2sec 6. M Wilson/M Orr GB Ford Focus RS 1hr 22min 22.6sec 7. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 1hr 22min 23.6sec 8. M Stohl/I Minor A Citroen Xsara 1hr 22min 59.2sec 9. X Pons/X Amigo E Subaru Impreza 1hr 23min 18.8sec 10 A Mikkelsen/O Floene N Ford Focus RS 1hr 24min 03.1sec 1. BP-Ford 2. Citroen Total 3. Subaru 4. OMV Kronos Citroen 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford 6. Munchis Ford 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky 1. BP-Ford BP-Ford World Rally Team dominated today's opening leg of Rally GB to hold first and second with its Focus RS World Rally Cars. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen were outstanding in dreadful weather conditions to win five of the day's six speed tests in south Wales and build a 39.6sec lead. Team-mates Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen shared fastest time on the other special stage to end the day in second. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: I was too cautious at the start of the first stage this morning because it was uncomfortable in the fog and I couldn't see much," he said. "I don't have to take risks and I didn't drive flat out. I didn't try to catch Mikko, I was just trying to control my pace, but my confidence wasn't so good because the weather this afternoon was some of the worst I can remember in my career. There was water on the car, under the car and all around the car - there was even water in the car!" Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I guess I took more risks than the others and I felt confident with the car and tyres. That allowed me to keep pushing and build my lead. Tomorrow I will try to maintain it, but I've not driven those stages for a few years so it won't be easy." 2. Citroen Total The weather encountered during the first leg of the 2007 Wales Rally GB, the last round of the season, seemed to go from bad to worse. At the end of what turned out to an awesome opening day, Citroën C4 WRC crews Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí returned to the service park in Swansea in overnight third and fifth positions. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "For once, I didn't set out with the intention of winning. It would have been stupid to throw everything away by trying to take the lead. We spent the day trying to adapt our pace to the difficulty of the stages and how we felt. Despite the thick fog that marked this morning's stages, for example, I had confidence in my notes and I managed to find a good pace. I didn't take any risks through the muddier parts where braking was very tricky, though. I tried not to cut across the deepest ditches and did what I could to avoid the rocks. There is still a long way to go but I'm glad today is behind us." Dani Sordo/Marc Marti: Our Citroën C4 WRC performed perfectly; it's just me who needs to loosen up a bit. That said, the stages are so slippery and so difficult that it would be easy to make a mistake, and that's the last thing I want to do." 3. Subaru On the first day of the final round of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship, Petter Solberg and his Welsh co-driver Phil Mills kept their focus and consistency in some terrible conditions to finish in a solid fourth position overall. All three Subaru World Rally Team entries finished the opening day inside the top nine. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "I've never seen Rally GB conditions like this before. Today has been very, very stressful, but quite good also. It's been good fun as the surface is so slippery. It is good we are in fourth, but I hope we can climb from there. We will try everything we can here to improve on our position, so we will see tomorrow how we go. It's going to be a tough rally and a long rally so I am not giving up for a podium." Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: "We struggled with the screen which kept fogging up in the last two stages, and it was always on my side so I couldn't see much. I was driving with my head tilted, trying to see round the side. I drove the last stage with my window down which helped, but there was mud coming in. The conditions out there today have just been unreal -torrential rain, full fog, just no visibility. You need absolute confidence in the car, and you can see a few people having problems today." Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo: "The screen was just completely misty for the last three stages, and I just didn't see anything, it's incredible. And also the last stage, it was very foggy so it was very difficult. For me, it's my first time in these conditions, but okay, I have arrived here at the end of the day. This is important. Tomorrow I think will be better if the screen is ok, as that is more important than the conditions so I am looking forward to it." 4. OMV Kronos Citroen The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team fights for a WRC-point at the last run to the FIA World Rally Championship. But the first day of the Wales Rally GB was anything but optimal for Stohl/Minor. A place on the podium seems out of reach just like during the whole season. Therefore the OMV pair at least fights to successfully prolong their Wales-series. For they always scored points during the last four rallies here. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: "It was incredibly foggy. We couldn't see our hands in front of our face. Additionally our low-beam light didn't work optimally. So visibility was almost zero which easily explains the time-gap" 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford In one of the most weather-driven days in this year's FIA World Rally Championship, Stobart VK M-Sport Ford crew Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr have battled the elements to finish leg 1 of Wales Rally GB in an impressive sixth position overall. Team-mates Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila became victims of severe conditions and were both forced to retire from today's leg with similar, visibility related issues. Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "I was not happy this morning which started off with a puncture but that is a part of the game. I couldn't really find my rhythm today and then on stage 4 things got worse when the heater started playing up and I couldn't see anything for the whole stage. This got worse over the final two stages today and in the end Cato [Menkerud] had to use a stick with his hat on the end to try and clear the windscreen because the mist was just too bad to see anything. I just couldn't see a thing at all when the screen was misted up. Then it was even worse in the dark and I had no option but to crawl through the stages. I am so disappointed with today as we were hoping for things to start off well here." Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "After a slowish first stage things got much better on the next two stages. While I was still making some small mistakes and sliding too much in places the rhythm was OK and we were in fourth fighting Loeb for third. In the last stage everything went wrong. The visibility was really bad and my wipers were not working properly. The rain was so bad I couldn't see anything and then I hit a bank quite hard on a very rough part of the stage which damaged the bumper and made the wipers stop working completely. I really couldn't see anything at all and had to stop and get out of the car a few times to clean the mud off the windscreen. There was so much water coming up over the screen that I had no option but to stop in places. It was a really frustrating end to what was a very encouraging start to the rally." Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: "This morning was very tricky because sometimes the visibility was fine but other times you really couldn't see anything which made it hard to pick the right braking points. Things got better though as the fog began to clear and it was really fun on that last stage this morning. In the afternoon there was so much rain which made things very difficult and that last stage is one I will never forget, that's for sure; it was one of the most challenging I have ever done especially with the fog making it almost impossible to see. I just cannot explain how bad the visibility was; it was just a matter of damage limitation. I'm feeling quite good at the moment and it's great to be in a points scoring position but there is still a long way to go and a lot of tricky corners left in this rally. My times today were very encouraging and it's great to be sixth after the first day and even better to have stayed out of trouble today." 6. Munchis Ford No information available at time of going to press. 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky No information available at time of going to press, please check site later. __________________________________________________________________ Remaining Event Schedule Saturday 1 December: Leg 2 Swansea - Swansea Serv C Swansea (10 mins) 08.00 SS7 Crychan 1 19.56km 09.38 SS8 Epynt 1 13.76km 10.21 SS9 Halfway 1 18.37km 10.54 Serv D Swansea (30 mins) 12.49 SS10 Crychan 2 19.56km 14.47 SS11 Epynt 2 13.76km 15.30 SS12 Halfway 2 18.37km 16.29 SS13 Cardiff 1.10km 19.00 Serv E Swansea (45 mins) 20.10 Finish Swansea 20.55 Total 104.48km Sunday 2 December: Leg 3 Swansea - Swansea Serv F Swansea (10 mins) 06.25 SS14 Brechfa 1 28.89km 07.46 SS15 Trawscoed 1 28.24km 08.33 Serv G Swansea (30 mins) 10.28 SS16 Brechfa 2 28.89km 12.09 SS17 Trawscoed 2 28.24km 12.56 Finish Cardiff 15.10 Total 114.26km Rally total 359.54km

1. BP-Ford Newly-crowned world rally champion BP-Ford aims to add the drivers' title to its second- consecutive manufacturers' success in the FIA World Rally Championship in Wales next week. Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen have their sights set on celebrating their 150th WRC start by securing a third world title on Rally GB (29 November - 2 December) on their final event before retiring from the sport. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "It will be difficult to win the title but I have a chance and have to make the most of that opportunity. What happened in Formula 1 is a good example. With two races left, Kimi Raikkonen had a big gap to make up to win the title - and succeeded. That's a big spur for me because for Finland to win both the Formula 1 and the WRC titles would be something special for my country." Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "All we can do is to try to finish in front of Loeb and do our best to help Marcus. The roads in Wales will be fast and slippery and after my win in Japan last month, I feel confident in those conditions. The uncertain weather is the biggest concern on this rally. Some stages will be held entirely in the dark and if it rains or is foggy then it will be extremely tricky." 2. Citroen Total This emblematic fixture, which was known for many years as the RAC Rally, has also tended to be one of the toughest events on the WRC calendar and has lost none of the ingredients that helped forge its legend. For rally fans, it still conjures up pictures of cars opposite locking through muddy stages as their lights struggle to pick out the road ahead in thick fog. Its end-of-year slot also means it has often been decisive in the outcome of one or both world titles. The different cities that have hosted the event over the years have frequently been the scene of the sort of celebrations that Cardiff can expect again this time round, and Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena go to Wales with a real chance of securing a fourth consecutive crown. To succeed, the Citroën duo knows what it has to do. on paper at least! Should Marcus Grönholm win in Wales, Seb and Daniel, who have a six-point advantage over their Finnish rival, will need to pick up at least four points if they are to join Tommi Mäkinen (champion in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999) in the record books as World Champions four times in a row. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "We lead by six points, so we won't need to win at all costs. Should Marcus win, we will have to finish in at least fifth place to make sure of the title. That would put us equal on points but we have more wins to our name. We will consequently need to find a pace that permits us to finish inside the top-five. I don't enjoy driving to finish but, given the importance of the stakes, it's only logical." Dani Sordo/Marc Marti: "Above all, I will be looking to finish. It will be important for my experience to contest all the stages. We won't be under any particular pressure, so I will also try to enjoy myself with the C4 WRC and post some decent times compared with our rivals who have more experience of the event. I will also keep a close eye on how things are going for Sébastien and Daniel and lend a helping hand to the Citroën team effort if that proves necessary." 3. Subaru Two weeks after Rally Ireland, the last asphalt round of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship, the Subaru World Rally team will head to Wales for the final rally of the season, and the team's second 'home' event. Wales Rally Great Britain is one of the classic events of the WRC calendar, and the varied nature of the gravel roads, coupled with the traditionally unsettled Welsh weather, also make it one of the toughest. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Wales Rally GB gets underway on Thursday 29 November with a ceremonial start in the capital city, Cardiff, before moving 65 kilometres west to a brand new rally base at the SA1 waterfront complex in Swansea. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "Rally GB is the final round of the championship and we have always gone well there, so we'll be pushing as hard as ever for a good result. If it's typical Rally GB weather, wet with lots of mud on the stages, then those are the conditions I think we can go well on. It's the team's home event so they have lots of experience of the tricky conditions, and we are testing this week to work on setup. Phil lives close by so we always get lots of support." Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: "This year I have more experience of driving on slippery and icy surfaces going into Rally GB, whereas last year it was new and I had a lot to learn. Testing this week is going well and I hope to find a set-up that will work on the rally. It's especially important to find good stability on the fast and slippery gravel. Rally GB is the last of the season so we will push for a good result and hope to finish the year strongly." Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo: "I am looking forward to GB next week. Okay, like Ireland it will be difficult and slippery, but we have some testing planned and I have more experience of driving in Wales so I hope we will have a good weekend with no problems. I finished fifth in Wales last year, but this will be my first time with the Subaru World Rally Team. It is the team's home rally, so I hope we can have a good finish to end the year." 4. OMV Kronos Citroen The Wales Rally GB from November 29 to December 2 will be the last run to the FIA Rally World Championship this season for the OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team. Following a rather up-and-down year what is left is to take care of a conciliatory WRC-finish on the British isle. And the signs point in that direction since Manfred Stohl and Ilka Minor scored points each time during the last four years (7th, 8th, 5th and 2nd). In 2006 they possibly completed the best rally of their career when finishing in second place. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: "We will attack right from kilometre one on. This rally suits me very much as is generally known. I scored points here four times in a row and last year we were even able to put pressure on eventual winner Marcus Grönholm for quite some time. Also, I have nothing to lose anymore this year." 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team are just one event away from capturing a podium position in the FIA World Rally Championship for manufacturers as they head to Swansea for Wales Rally GB; the final round of the 2007 WRC season. After a stunning performance from all three crews in Ireland last week, the Stobart team now move one point ahead of works manufacturer Subaru. If results stay the same this would be an amazing performance by somewhat of a young team in just its second full year of competition. Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "I will be going flat out on this rally I promise you. All the Ford guys will be going hard, firstly for Stobart to be number three in the manufacturers' championship and secondly to help Marcus [Grönholm] win the drivers' championship; this is very important. I am very happy to be back on roads that I know and if we can show the same speed as Japan I think we can do very well, because in Japan I had only seen those roads for the first time. I will try my best on this event and drive as fast as I can here. The roads can be difficult at GB but this is my seventh time here so I know what to expect from them. The Focus has been great all year and I have had an especially good felling on gravel." Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "This is going to be a very exciting event and one where I think I can do well. I have competed on this event every year since 2002 and finished every time so my experience of GB is already quite good. Marcus [Grönholm] has the chance of winning the championship in Wales and I will try and help him as much as possible. The conditions can be very slippery especially if it is wet because as more cars pass across the stages it starts to break the surface and make things very muddy. It will be interesting to see if we can keep ahead of Subaru and I know it is something all the team, and especially Henning competing against his brother's team, will be very excited to achieve. I will try and do as well as possible here and for sure I want to get into the top-five but it would be a great thing to get on the podium for the second event in a row." Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: "This is a pretty special event for me and the whole M-Sport team as it is essentially our home rally and the final event for 2007. It has been a great year already and hopefully we can finish off in style here in Wales. I have done this event more times than any other so it will be a good to come into it with a bit more experience under my belt. The conditions can be very difficult here when the roads start to turn into mud and if it is wet then it will be very challenging. Again we are going to approach this event with the goal of getting through each stage and getting the maximum number of experience miles in the car, but I think it will be good for my confidence to know we have done this event two times previous." 6. Munchis Ford Wales Rally GB will be another brand new challenge for both Munchi's Ford World Rally Team drivers when they tackle the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship in a few days. While it will be a totally new experience for both Luis Perez Companc/Jose Maria Volta and Federico Villagra/Jorge Perez Companc, they will be on their preferred gravel surface from start to finish, apart from 1.1 kilometres when crews head to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the hugely popular indoor special stage. Luis Perez Companc: "This is my first time at this rally and I have heard both good and bad things about it. One thing for sure is that it will be very fast with the difficult weather conditions of rain, fog and of course mud. The stages should be similar to those in Japan and we had an excellent result there. This suited me very well and so hopefully we can have another performance like that on Rally GB." "We will have a similar strategy to Japan but will probably start with more caution as it will be our first time on these roads and we just need to make sure our pacenotes are working at race speed. I have a very good feeling and high confidence after the last rally and generally I am quite happy with how the year has gone for us. We had a change of driver in the middle of the season and I think this made us stronger as a team and helped us all to achieve more experience of the rallies and the rally car. For sure this will help us in the future." Federico Villagra: "We had a fantastic result in Rally Japan so I think my confidence on gravel is quite good at the minute. If things are feeling good in Wales then we will try to push and aim for a good result again to finish off the year. The stages will be similar to Japan and although this is my first time on the roads, I have heard that they are very good to drive on. The only thing I am concerned about is the weather. This rally is well known for rain and mud and for sure these conditions will make it very difficult to drive. It has been a good year for the Munchi's team so far and we have managed to score both manufacturer and driver points and to finish most of the events. I think this will be the same plan for Rally GB; the important thing for us will be to finish without any problems, get experience of the roads and have a good set of pacenotes for the next time we do the rally." 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky CRT-Skoda come fresh from running Carlos Sainz at last weekend's Rally Shalymar where the former world champion took a dominant win behind the wheel of the Fabia WRC. This weekend they will be back with regular driver Jan Kopecky on what will quite probably be his last WRC event behind the wheel of the Fabia WRC05. __________________________________________________________________ Event statistics * Since 2003, the official name of the event has been Wales Rally GB, but many still refer to it as the RAC Rally. This will be the 75th edition of this event which has always counted towards the world rally calendar. * The rally takes place in Wales and is based in its capital, Cardiff which hosts all the event's facilities, including the Media Room, Rally HQ and the super-special. The single service park in Swansea is 65km from Cardiff. * The time difference between Wales and CET is one hour. When it is 8pm in Paris, it is 7pm in Cardiff. The local currency is the Pound (£1 = ?1.3). Distances are given in miles (1 mile = 1.6km). * The total length of the 2007 event is 1,271.94km, including 359.54km divided into 17 stages (9 different). * In accordance with the regulations, the C4 WRC of Seb and Daniel will have a new engine following their retirement in Japan. The engine in the car of Dani and Marc has already contested the New Zealand and Japan Rallies. The chassis of the two cars are not linked with any other events, nor are the subframes or steering racks: four of each (one per car, plus two spares) are authorised. They can be used freely on either C4 WRC. * Tyres - the quota per driver is 60 tyres, of which 38 may be used (event + shakedown). Barcode lists and pattern choices had to be nominated by Friday November 23. * Recce is scheduled for Tuesday November 27 (between 08.00 and 15.00 - SS1/4, SS2/5, SS3/6 and SS7/10) and Wednesday November 28 (between 08.00 and 19.00 - all the other stages). Two passes are authorised at a maximum speed of 80kph, and in an order and at specific times dictated by the organisers. * Shakedown takes place on Thursday November 29, between 08.00 and 12.00 and uses the same 3.90km stage as in 2006, near Penllergaer Forest, 18km north of the service park. * The start ceremony will take place on Thursday November 29 in Cardiff's Cathays Park, in front of Cardiff City Hall. It is scheduled to start at 19.30. * Leg 1 (Friday November 30): 306.80km, including 140.80km divided into 6 stages (3 different). Cars leave the service park at 09.10. SS1 (Port Talbot 1, 17.41km), SS2 (Resolfen 1, 25.08km) and SS3 (Rheola 1, 27.91km). Regroup (12.52, 15 minutes). Service A (13.07, 30 minutes). SS4 (Port Talbot 2) and SS5 (Resolfen 2). Regroup in Glynneath (15.43, 17 minutes). SS6 (Rheola 2). Service B (17.36, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 21.00. * Leg 2 (Saturday December 1): 504.50km, including 104.48km divided into 7 stages (4 different). Cars exit parc ferme for Service C (08.00, 10 minutes). SS7 (Crychan 1, 19.56km), SS8 (Epynt 1, 13.76km) and SS9 (Halfway 1, 18.37km). Regroup (12.34, 15 minutes). Service D (12.49, 30 minutes). SS10 (Crychan 2), SS11 (Epynt 2) and SS12 (Halfway 2). Regroup in Cardiff (18.37, 15 minutes). SS13 (Cardiff Super-special, 1.10km). Service E (20.10, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at midnight. * Leg 3 (Sunday December 2): 460.64km, including 114.26km divided into 4 stages (2 different). Cars exit parc ferme for Service F (06.25, 10 minutes). SS14 (Brechfa 1, 28.89km) and SS15 (Trawscoed 1, 28.24km). Regroup (10.18, 10 minutes). Service G (10.28, 30 minutes). SS16 (Brechfa 2) and SS17 (Trawscoed 2). * The finish ceremony takes place on Sunday December 2 in Cardiff's Cathays Park in front of Cardiff City Hall. It is due to start at 15.10. * Note: the big change concerns the new service park which moves from Felindre for a new seafront location near Swansea City Centre. The route itself changes very little compared with the 2006 event. SS1/4, SS3/6, SS7/10, SS8/11, SS9/12 and SS14/16 are identical. For the third year running, the super-special takes place inside the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. The principal differences concern SS2 (new start) and SS15/17 (opposite direction compared with last year). __________________________________________________________________ Event Schedule Thursday 29 November: Ceremonial Start Start Cathays Park, Cardiff 19.30 Friday 30 November: Leg 1 Swansea - Swansea Start Swansea 09.10 SS1 Port Talbot 1 17.41km 09.53 SS2 Resolfen 1 25.08km 10.41 SS3 Rheola 1 27.91km 11.39 Serv A Swansea (30 mins) 13.07 SS4 Port Talbot 2 17.41km 14.10 SS5 Resolfen 2 25.08km 14.58 SS6 Rheola 2 27.91km 16.23 Serv B Swansea (45 mins) 17.36 Finish Swansea 18.21 Total 140.80km Saturday 1 December: Leg 2 Swansea - Swansea Serv C Swansea (10 mins) 08.00 SS7 Crychan 1 19.56km 09.38 SS8 Epynt 1 13.76km 10.21 SS9 Halfway 1 18.37km 10.54 Serv D Swansea (30 mins) 12.49 SS10 Crychan 2 19.56km 14.47 SS11 Epynt 2 13.76km 15.30 SS12 Halfway 2 18.37km 16.29 SS13 Cardiff 1.10km 19.00 Serv E Swansea (45 mins) 20.10 Finish Swansea 20.55 Total 104.48km Sunday 2 December: Leg 3 Swansea - Swansea Serv F Swansea (10 mins) 06.25 SS14 Brechfa 1 28.89km 07.46 SS15 Trawscoed 1 28.24km 08.33 Serv G Swansea (30 mins) 10.28 SS16 Brechfa 2 28.89km 12.09 SS17 Trawscoed 2 28.24km 12.56 Finish Cardiff 15.10 Total 114.26km Rally total 359.54km

Leaderboard after Leg 3 1 Loeb / Elena Citroen C4 03:01:39.2 00.0 2 Sordo / Marti Citroen C4 03:02:32.6 +53.4 3 Latvala / Anttila Ford Focus RS WRC 06 03:03:27.4 +01:48.2 4 Hirvonen / Lehtinen Ford Focus RS WRC 07 03:03:56.9 +02:17.7 5 Solberg / Mills Subaru Impreza WRC2007 03:04:35.0 +02:55.8 6 Wilks / Pugh Subaru Impreza WRC 03:07:37.1 +05:57.9 7 Wilson / Orr Ford Focus RS WRC 06 03:11:44.1 +10:04.9 8 Machale / Harryman Ford Focus WRC 03:12:47.5 +11:08.3 9 Mikkelsen / Floene Ford Focus WRC 03:14:47.4 +13:08.2 10 Mcshea / Clarke Subaru Impreza 03:18:11.3 +16:32.1 _________________________________________________________________ Leg 3 News Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) survived a late scare to win his eighth rally of the season and take a six point lead in the drivers' championship. The Frenchman incurred a 10-second penalty at the final service this morning when an electrical problem caused him to check out late. Team-mate Dani Sordo finished 53.4sec behind his colleague. Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford) claimed a career-best third while Petter Solberg (Subaru) and private-entrant Guy Wilks (Subaru) completed the top six. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) failed to leave service this morning after engine problems. Ford today won the manufacturers' title in the FIA World Rally Championship for the second straight season with the Focus RS World Rally Car. Fourth place for BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen in Rally Ireland was sufficient to ensure the crown with one round remaining next month in Great Britain. The team holds a 21- point lead with a maximum 18 available on the 16th and final event. Rally Ireland's championship debut proved every bit as challenging as was expected. The narrow, bumpy asphalt lanes were full of crests and dips and presented the kind of test not found on any other round of the series. Rain during the opening two legs of the three-day event provided treacherous conditions as cars dragged mud onto the already shiny asphalt, and drivers likened the special stages to driving on ice. _________________________________________________________________ 1. BP-Ford 2. Citroen Total 3. Subaru 4. OMV Kronos Citroen 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford 6. Munchis Ford 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky 1. BP-Ford Hirvonen's target from the outset was to obtain the points necessary to ensure BP-Ford's second consecutive manufacturers' title. Sixth position or better would provide the three points required to do that and his role became even more important when team-mates Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen crashed out during Friday's opening leg. Hirvonen settled into fourth on the first morning and adopted a safety-first policy throughout the rest of the event, happy to keep an eye on the times of the cars behind rather than chase the drivers in front. As BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson celebrated a second title, he said: "It's a fantastic feeling to win again. Nothing will surpass our 2006 title but back-to-back world championships sends out a message about how strong we are as a team. To win with one event remaining is amazing. We've had so much support from the drivers and the entire team, and thanks to Ford for its magnificent backing. Mikko did a perfect job this weekend. After Marcus' retirement, Mikko fully understood the role he had to play this weekend and he did it to perfection." Ford TeamRS director Jost Capito said: "After last year's title success we knew we had to raise our game in 2007 if we wanted to defend it. The reigning champions become the target of all their rivals and it is an old adage in sport that is harder to defend a title than it is to win it in the first place. It gives me great pride to reflect on this achievement and see the confidence throughout the team. I would like to thank Marcus, Timo, Mikko and Jarmo for their leadership. Their passion has inspired everyone in the team to give their very best to help Ford take rallying's crown again." Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: Grönholm, who is now six points behind Sébastien Loeb in the drivers' series, returned home yesterday morning to rest after his accident. "While I am naturally still disappointed not to have finished the rally, I'm so pleased for Mikko and Jarmo who really did a fantastically cool job in securing the vital points," said the 39-year-old Finn. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "It was a difficult weekend," he said. "I had to keep reminding myself to drive cautiously but I did the job that was required and it's fantastic for the team to win the title. I'm so pleased for everyone, they deserve it. It's hard to drive at less than flat out pace and find a rhythm but I had to do that because I wanted these points so badly. For some reason it feels better than our first win last year. I expected this to be a tough rally because the roads here are so narrow and bumpy. The rain made it even harder and this is definitely the most difficult asphalt round of the season," added Hirvonen, who has assured himself of third in the drivers' championship. Khalid Al Qassimi/Nicky Beech: BP-Ford team-mates Khalid Al Qassimi and Nicky Beech finished 15th in another BP-Ford Focus RS on their last outing of the season. "Conditions here were incredible," said 37-year-old Al Qassimi. "The roads were more slippery than anything I have encountered before." 2. Citroen Total The end of the third and last day of the inaugural Rally Ireland saw Citroën Sport claim an emphatic one-two, with Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena steering their C4 WRC to victory on the Emerald Isle ahead of the similar car of team-mates Dani Sordo/Marc Martí. Sitting round a table at breakfast, the Citroën Sport drivers and co-drivers agreed that today's stages promised to be as tricky as any they had contested since Friday's start and concurred that they called for just as much caution. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: Sébastien and Daniel were equally very pleased to have notched up their eighth success of the year and their 36th world class win. "We had an early scare with a damper on the run-out to SS2, so the start of the rally was quite stressful," related Seb. "However, we soon found ourselves in a strong position to win and consequently boost our chances in the fight for the Drivers' title. It was an opportunity we couldn't afford to let pass by. The biggest challenge over these very difficult stages was finding a pace that enabled us to stay in control while at the same time making the most of the speed of our C4 WRC. It wasn't easy and I am so happy to have won here in Sligo today." Dani Sordo/Marc Marti: Dani Sordo and Marc Martí were also upbeat at the end of the weekend after finishing in second place in Ireland: "It was more of a mud rally than an asphalt event," quipped the young Spaniard. "There were so many potential pitfalls and it was by no means simple. Our C4 went extremely well in the conditions, though, and enabled us to secure our fourth consecutive podium finish." 3. Subaru After the final day of competition on the inaugural Rally Ireland, the Subaru World Rally Team pairing of Petter Solberg and Phil Mills continued their solid pace to finish fifth. The morning brought disappointment for the team however with the retirement of Chris Atkinson at the morning’s service. Petter headed into the final four stages focused on continuing to drive to a pace with which he was comfortable. Experiencing a punctured right rear tyre, which was totally flat by the third split of the day’s opener (SS17), Petter otherwise had a trouble-free day. He ended the rally on a high by winning the final stage while fifth place meant four points in the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships. The Impreza WRC2007 of Chris Atkinson was withdrawn at this morning’s ten minute service. During the last service of leg two the team discovered an internal engine problem, and after analysing the data overnight and inspecting the engine again today, the decision was made to retire as there was almost no possibility of the car reaching the end of the rally. According to Superally regulations the Australian still managed to collect two manufacturers’ championship points. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: “It’s been the most difficult rally I have ever done I think, but it’s been quite enjoyable. It’s been very special for Phil and me as you have to really work properly together as a team to get through this rally, and we have finished with no mistakes at all. The car is working better and we have had some good stage times, so it has been quite a good event for us. The result is not what we hoped, but we will now really, really work hard for Wales Rally GB.” Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: Retired. Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo: Retired. 4. OMV Kronos Citroen Retired. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: Retired. 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team have moved up to occupy third place in the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers thanks to Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila’s magnificent third place at this weekend’s penultimate championship round, Rally Ireland. This result has given Stobart an amazing two podium places in as many events, another milestone in the team’s short career. Team-mates Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr have shown a consistent pace throughout the event bringing it home in the points for the second consecutive rally with a well earned seventh place. After retiring from day 1 Henning Solberg and substitute co-driver for this event, Göran Bergsten, finished up 16th and more importantly, sixth in the manufacturer standings. With a heavy weight on its shoulders to deliver a world class event, Rally Ireland has shone and delivered a package that has been more than fit for WRC status. The general consensus among teams is that the event has been one of the most challenging across the board in recent years. Henning Solberg/Goran Bergsten: “This has been a difficult weekend for me but to claim some manufacturer points and help move the team up to third makes it worthwhile. We struggled in the muddy conditions but when the grip was constant I actually set some pretty good times and this has probably been my best feeling with the car on tarmac. Göran has done a fantastic job here but after my mistake on Friday we were really just cruising to the finish. This is my third new event in a row and I have scored manufacturer points on all three so I’m happy with this achievement.” Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: “It’s an amazing feeling to be on the podium especially on a tarmac rally. I have tried so hard all year and this result has given me a massive boost. I have come very close before, most recently in Japan, but to get this result here has more than made up for it. The conditions were so difficult here and I knew before the rally that it was going to be a hard one but I have driven sensibly and it has been a very strong performance from both myself and Miikka. Now I am looking forward to Rally GB where we will be back on gravel; we had a great result on this rally last year so hopefully we can repeat this again.” Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: “It is a fantastic feeling to get to the end of this rally which has been a real race of attrition. Some of my times over the weekend could have been better but when things were working well I posted some good times. It was such a difficult event and I was always concentrating on getting to the finish and not making any major mistakes; and its mega to claim more driver points. The last stage of the rally was amazing and the organisers need to be congratulated for an overall excellent event.” 6. Munchis Ford The Munchi's team are not competing on this event. 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky Jan Kopecky is not competing in Ireland, his final event of the 2007 season will be Rally of Great Britain. __________________________________________________________________ Championship Points Drivers 1. S Loeb 110pts 2. M Grönholm 104pts 3. M Hirvonen 89pts 4. D Sordo 61pts 5. P Solberg 42pts 6. H Solberg 34pts Manufacturers 1. BP-Ford (champion*) 194pts 2. Citroen Total 173pts 3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford 80pts 4. Subaru 79pts 5. OMV Kronos Citroen 43pts 6. Munchi's Ford 14pts * Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA __________________________________________________________________ Next Event The WRC will travel to Wales, UK for the final round of the 2007 calendar in two weeks time. Wales Rally GB runs from 30 November to 2 December, and comprises a gruelling series of gravel stages that stretch into the Welsh mountains from the service park in Swansea.

Leaderboard after Leg 2 1 Loeb / Elena Citroen C4 02:30:35.2 00.0 2 Sordo / Marti Citroen C4 02:31:34.5 +59.3 3 Latvala / Anttila Ford Focus RS WRC 06 02:32:44.0 +02:08.8 4 Hirvonen / Lehtinen Ford Focus RS WRC 07 02:33:12.8 +02:37.6 5 Solberg / Mills Subaru Impreza WRC2007 02:33:28.4 +02:53.2 6 Wilks / Pugh Subaru Impreza WRC 02:36:27.2 +05:52.0 7 Wilson / Orr Ford Focus RS WRC 06 02:39:58.5 +09:23.3 8 Machale / Harryman Ford Focus WRC 02:40:42.9 +10:07.7 9 Mikkelsen / Floene Ford Focus WRC 02:43:36.5 +13:01.3 10 Araujo / Ramalho Mitsubishi Evo 9 02:45:04.9 +14:29.7 _________________________________________________________________ Leg 2 News Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) was untroubled and extended his lead to 59.3sec after winning four of the six stages. Dani Sordo (Citroen) retained second, despite going off the road near the finish of the second stage and losing 30sec. Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford) dropped 30sec after going into a field on the opening stage this afternoon but the Finn remains third, ahead of Hirvonen. Petter Solberg (Subaru) and Guy Wilks (Subaru) complete the top six. Manfred Stohl, seventh overnight, (Citroen) left the road on the opening stage and lost almost seven minutes and then went off for good two stages later. Today’s six stages were just as treacherous, if not more so, than those of leg one. Heavy rain mid-morning cleaned the narrow routes but made the surface even greasier. The rain stopped before the afternoon loop, but drivers were still faced with standing water in the final three stages. _________________________________________________________________ 1. BP-Ford 2. Citroen Total 3. Subaru 4. OMV Kronos Citroen 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford 6. Munchis Ford 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky 1. BP-Ford Caution rather than outright speed served Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen well during today's second leg of Rally Ireland as the BP-Ford World Rally Team duo maintained their grip on fourth place. Heavy rain left standing water covering the narrow and twisty lanes in Northern Ireland and Hirvonen's safety-first policy enabled him to preserve his first leg position in his Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. In conditions that were almost as demanding as yesterday's mud-caked roads, the Finns had their minds firmly fixed on obtaining the points necessary to secure BP-Ford's second consecutive manufacturers' title in the FIA World Rally Championship. Sixth position would provide the three points required to do that, so 27-year-old Hirvonen was happy to keep an eye on the times of fifth-placed Petter Solberg and resist the temptation to chase Jari-Matti Latvala in third. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: Retired Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: Hirvonen matched his pace to Solberg's split times and a string of consistent top five times enabled him to end the leg 28.8sec behind Latvala and 15.6sec clear of Solberg. "I didn't need to attack, I just need to finish and take those three points for Ford," said Hirvonen. "I drove so steadily that I couldn't find a rhythm but I guess that didn't matter. There wasn't so much rain this morning, just a little bit in all three stages, and the roads were damp rather than wet. They were good stages with jumps and crests like we have in Finland, and in the dry they would be fast. "The conditions were more difficult this afternoon but in a way it was easier because I could remember the roads. There was a little asphalt but mostly it was gravel and mud. I'm not trying to catch Jari-Matti and my plan for tomorrow will be the same as today," he added. Khalid Al Qassimi/Nicky Beech: BP-Ford team-mates Khalid Al Qassimi and Nicky Beech climbed from 27th overnight to 19th in their Focus RS, but the 35-year-old Abu Dhabi driver continued to find conditions tricky. "I've never seen weather like this, even the local drivers were finding it difficult," he said. "Where there was grip, or it was drier, I pushed harder but I spent a lot of time trying to find that grip. "This afternoon I stalled the engine for about 15sec at the start of the first stage. That spurred me on to push hard to make up lost time and it was the best stage of the rally for me. The final test was extremely hard, with water running across the road all the way through," he added. 2. Citroen Total The persistent rain that marked Day 2 of the 2007 Rally Ireland didn't prevent Citroën Sport's crews from successfully defending their overnight one -two at the wheel of their respective C4 WRCs. Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena continue to top the leaderboard ahead of team-mates Dani Sordo and Marc Martí in the second Citroën-Total car. Being shorter didn't make things any easier, however, and today's stages were just as complex and challenging as Friday's tests. In addition to being narrow and bumpy, they also featured another local speciality: rain. That said, the adverse weather didn't surprise Citroën Sport since it had been forecast by Météo France Sports which is one of the team's technical partners this season. After holding first and second places since SS2, Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí set off this morning intent on defending their positions. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Today's stages were perhaps slightly wider in places," observed Sébastien Loeb. "However, all the puddles, running water and mud meant we still needed to take it very carefully. Having to cope with this sort of situation is not something I enjoy. Also, in conditions like this, it can be very complicated because the amount of grip changes all the time and it can be easy to make a mistake. I tried to push hard to stay concentrated but I lifted over the trickier, more difficult portions. I'm glad today's behind us. If we have a good run tomorrow, we could secure a good result in terms of the Drivers' title chase." Dani Sordo/Marc Marti: The Frenchman's analysis was echoed by Dani Sordo and Marc Martí. "Driving on such muddy, greasy roads isn't easy, especially when you don't know how much grip to expect when you brake," reported Dani. "I tried to base my pace on that of the driver behind us to keep the gap stable. I globally succeeded, with the exception of a small mistake on SS12. There are now four more stages to come and we will do all we can to leave Ireland with a good result." 3. Subaru Petter started the day on heavily cut slicks, and despite the rain and driving to a pace with which he felt comfortable he steadily closed on fourth-placed Hirvonen (Ford). He posted the third fastest stage time on SS12 and SS15 and was second quickest on the day’s final stage. The gap to Hirvonen was 30.3 seconds at the end of leg one, but by the end of the second day this had been halved. Having slipped down the overall standings after an accident on leg one, Chris was the 17th car through the stages today, and had to contend with dirtier roads than those at the head of the field. With his chances of a strong finish wiped out on leg one, Chris’s focus was on testing and data acquisition – although he still managed to finish in the top five on four of the day’s stages. His outright stage win on SS14 demonstrated the pace of which he is capable on these unpredictable surfaces. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "There was no specific plan for today; I just concentrated on my driving and on my car - that’s it. But even though I’m not pushing hard, things are not going so badly. The car is definitely getting better, but as a lot of the guys at the top have backed off it’s difficult to gauge the extent of the improvements. I just want to be cautious, you know, finish the rally and get a good result. We need the manufacturers’ points for Subaru too. It’s important to keep in front of Stobart because I’m going to stay with my brother over Christmas and if they beat me I’ll never hear the end of it.” Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: "It’s been quite a positive day. The engineers made some set-up changes for the afternoon which gave me more front-end grip and a more solid feeling in general – especially through the bumpier sections. That gave me the confidence to drive safely but still fast - and that was quick enough to get a stage win. Obviously most of the other guys have backed off a bit, but at least it’s something for the team and our supporters. It’s basically the same plan for tomorrow. We’re out there to gather information for the engineers and to put on a good show for the fans.” Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo: Retired 4. OMV Kronos Citroen The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team had to give up the fight for WRC-points at the Rally Ireland on the 13th special stage. After the OMV pair Stohl/Minor had already lost almost seven minutes due to a slip on SS 11 the end came two special stages later. The reason was a pace notes error. The beginning of the second day of the penultimate run to the FIA World Rally Championship was anything but optimal for the OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team. About one third into the 27 kilometres long first stage Manfred Stohl slipped off the road at top speed. Spectators helped him to get back on the road again but he lost almost seven minutes. This caused the 35-year-old OMV driver to drop out of scoring ranks. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: The next and final mishap took place only two special stages later. Stohl: “Our writ was `crest full – 60 metres – crest into right three´. That unfortunately was much too fast, the right turn proved impossible to take.” The Citroen Xsara WRC broke through a gate and was heavily damaged when hitting a concrete pole. Stohl. “That was the end of the rally. I am extremely sad for the team. The fault was in the notes and definitely not in the reading. I did have troubles writing the notes in the first place since, like many other drivers, I judged things much faster than they can actually be driven. Now all that could help us salvage a rather modest season would be an absolute top result in Wales. And I will definitely try my very best.” 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila are just four stages away from their first ever FIA World Rally Championship podium finish after two completed legs at this weekend’s Rally Ireland. His Stobart VK M-Sport Ford team-mates Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr have progressed from their overnight position to finish the day in seventh place. Norwegian driver Henning Solberg and stand-in co-driver Göran Bergsten have spent the day moving up the leaderboard after entering this morning under SupeRally regulations due to a heavy accident yesterday which forced them to retire from leg 1. Latvala’s ability to perform on this surface continues to grow from strength to strength as he sits comfortably on the final podium step. The 22-year-old set a multitude of blisteringly fast stage times over the day finishing in style with a fastest time on the closing 13.46 kilometre test; his seventh in the WRC. It was almost game over for the young Finn when his Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC06 slid off the road into a field smashing into a small post. Fortunately damage was only mildly cosmetic and with the grateful help of nearby onlookers he was able to get back on the road losing just 30 seconds. This could have been disastrous if it wasn’t for the fact Latvala had build a reasonable lead on fourth placed Mikko Hirvonen which allowed him to maintain third. Britain’s only full-time WRC driver, Wilson, showed an improved confidence despite the extremely wet conditions. The only problem for him was a half-spin this morning on stage 13 which lost him ten seconds when he spun under-braking on shiny tar. Henning Solberg/Goran Bergsten: “The car has been working very well today but really I’ve just been trying to maintain my position as there is no need for me to push. Today’s conditions were easier than yesterday as there was less mud on the roads. I’m still on course to score points for the team so this is my main objective tomorrow. I am just going to take things slowly for the rest of this rally as we have to work together for these manufacturer points. The last stage today was so wet I don’t think I have ever been in a stage where it has rained so heavily.” Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: “It’s been another fantastic day for me as I have maintained my third position overall and also put in a fastest time on the last stage. I was happy with my driving except for a small mistake when we got caught out with lots of water on the road on stage 14. We slid through some gate posts into a field and were quite lucky to make it back onto the road as the grass was very soft and slippery. The limit to making a mistake was very small and you really need to expect the unexpected on these stages. The information from safety crews was a good help today and our tyre choices have been perfect also.” Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: “Today has been reasonably good and I’m happy to have taken time back off Gareth MacHale. We had a pretty average morning as conditions were still very difficult but things seemed to pick up in the afternoon. The stages were still tricky as there was lots of standing water but fortunately my safety crew did a fantastic job. They had marked all the dangerous areas and I knew exactly where all the standing water was and it was a big help to my confidence. There was very heavy rain in the last stage and it was an extremely fast stage also; visibility was terrible and it really did get my heart racing.” 6. Munchis Ford The Munchi's team are not competing on this event. 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky Jan Kopecky is not competing in Ireland, his final event of the 2007 season will be Rally of Great Britain. __________________________________________________________________ Remaining Event Schedule Sunday 18 November: Leg 3 Sligo - Sligo Serv G Sligo (10 mins) 07.00 SS17 Murley 24.70km 09.03 SS18 Fardross 14.77km 09.51 SS19 Donegal Bay 14.06km 11.39 SS20 Mullaghmore 2.38km 13.08 Finish Sligo 14.18

Leaderboard 01. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (F) Citroen C4 WRC 1:33:15,9 hrs. 02. Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti (E) Citroen C4 WRC +11,2 sec. 03. Jari-Matti Latvala/Mikka Antilla (Fin) Ford Focus RS WRC06 +1:28,4 min. 04. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (Fin) Ford Focus RS WRC 07 +1:53,2 min. 05. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills (Nor) Subaru Impreza WRC +2:19,2 min. 06. Guy wilks/Phil Pugh (GB) Subaru Impreza WRC +4:13,6 min. 07. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor (A) Citroen Xsara WRC +4:41,9 min. 08. Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr (GB) Ford Focus RS WRC06 +6:45,4 min. 09. Tim McNulty/Eugene O'Donnell (IRL) Subaru Impreza S11 WRC +7:55,9 min. 10. Gareth MacHale/Alan Harryman (IRL) Ford Fous WRC +7:59,8 min. 1. BP-Ford 2. Citroen Total 3. Subaru 4. OMV Kronos Citroen 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford 6. Munchis Ford 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky 1. BP-Ford No information available at this time, please check site later. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: Khalid Al Qassimi/Nicky Beech: 2. Citroen Total The first leg of the 15th and penultimate round of the 2007 World rally Championship ended this evening with the two Citroën Sport C4 WRCs in first and second positions. Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena are the overnight leaders, 11.2s ahead of their team-mates Dani Sordo/Marc Martí. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "We saw there was problem with the damper and we wondered how much time we would lose," reported Seb. "I did my best to push hard where the going was flat and then spare the car over the numerous bumpy portions in the hope that the part would hold. And it did. Then Marcus had his problem. After that, SS5 marked the start of a completely different rally for us. We will need to stay concentrated now because the roads are very muddy and it could be so easy to get caught out. There are still two legs to come to try to defend our position." Dani Sordo/Marc Marti: "I am pleased with our performance today. Our Citroën C4 was competitive, we chose the right BFGoodrich tyres and our times were good. There are still two more days of this to come, but we will do all we can to hold our position." 3. Subaru Leg one finished with the Subaru World Rally Team duo of Petter Solberg and Phil Mills lying fifth overall, but with team-mates Chris Atkinson and Xevi Pons both counting the cost of mistakes on the unforgiving Irish stages. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "Today's stages have been difficult and tricky, but for me it's actually been quite okay. The car feels okay, and from fifth place overall, anything is still possible over the next two days. Today I've driven at a steady pace, I've taken no risks, and instead I'm keeping a pace I feel comfortable with. Tomorrow's stages are a different kind of challenge and I'm looking forward to them." Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: "We've faced some incredible stage conditions out there today and were pushing quite hard this morning. Things were going well until SS4 when I got distracted by a split-time coming into the car. I looked down, missed my braking marker and went off. It's very disappointing. From that point on the focus switched to testing, looking ahead to Monte Carlo next year and working our way through some set-up options. Tomorrow we'll continue that work, not running at a maximum attack but hopefully taking something valuable from the rally." Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo: "My car left the road on SS4, on a right hand corner about 5km from the start. It was a wide piece of road, not particularly bumpy or muddy, but we had too much speed and the car under-steered straight on and hit a bank. I got going again, but the oil-cooler had been damaged in the impact and after a couple of kilometres the oil warning lit up on the dashboard and I had to stop. There was a little fire in the engine bay, which we quickly extinguished, and that was it - we could go no further. It's a big shame because this is a very special rally, with completely different stages, and I wanted to get more experience here." 4. OMV Kronos Citroen The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team has successfully weathered one of the most difficult days of this year's FIA World Rally Championship. After ten of 20 special stages the OMV pair Stohl/Minor lies in excellent seventh overall place and thus safely within scoring ranks. At the top it seems as if a preliminary decision in the World Championship has taken place. Following the retirement of Marcus Grönholm (Fin/Ford Focus WRC) title holder Sebastien Loeb (F/Citroen C4 WRC) once more holds all the aces. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: "I seldom was that happy to have survived the first day. I had expected Ireland to be leprechaunish but this surpasses everything. We are currently in seventh place but do stand good chances to move up to sixth place. Still, this rally is highly dangerous. If it should rain harder tomorrow everything could be turned upside down." 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford For the second event in a row Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila have finished day 1 in a podium position as they occupy third at this weekend's Rally Ireland. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford team-mates Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr have kept things consistent to finish the leg in the points in eighth overall. Henning Solberg/Göran Bergsten began the day showing an incredible improvement on tarmac to be in sixth after seven stages. Disastrously however, on the following 22.25 kilometre Glenboy test, the Norwegian put his Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC06 off the road retiring from the leg. Henning Solberg/Goran Bergsten: "I am really disappointed with how today ended up for us, we were going really well up until that stage and the feeling was very good. I clipped a rock on the apex of a corner which bounced the car back over the road and down a bank. My tarmac experience is limited and the muddy conditions make it even worse for me here. This is another new rally for me and learning the conditions is very important so hopefully we can re-start tomorrow and gain more experience of this event." Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "It's fantastic for me to be in third position, today was a challenge but that is what rallying is all about. I am really satisfied with my position and my performance today. I had a feeling this morning that it was going to be a long day and it certainly was. The car and tyres have both worked extremely well in really bad conditions; I have never seen a tarmac rally like this before. Sometimes it feels like half the road is missing with the amount of mud on it. We will still concentrate for tomorrow as Mikko is quite close behind. If he tries to chase I will let him as it is more important for me to finish this event and get the maximum experience out of it." Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: "Today has been reasonably good for us and we are happy to be in the points at the end of the first day on this difficult event in which experience counts a lot. We haven't had any problems except for a half-spin on the last stage and a big overshoot on stage eight where we had to reverse and lost about 15-20 seconds. I have never experienced anything like this in my life, the conditions are treacherous in places and not like any other Irish rally I have done before. You have to keep altering your pace as the surface changes which makes concentrating very difficult but a least for tomorrow we will know what to expect of the conditions, unlike today." 6. Munchis Ford The Munchi's team are not competing on this event. 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky Jan Kopecky is not competing in Ireland, his final event of the 2007 season will be Rally of Great Britain. __________________________________________________________________ Event statistics The 2007 Rally Ireland in brief. * This is Rally Ireland's first inclusion in the calendar of the World Rally Championship. * The rally takes place in the northwest of Ireland. The host town is Sligo where all the main facilities are based. Event HQ is based in the Clarion Hotel, while the service park and Media Room are based on the campus of the nearby Technology Institute. Sligo is 207km from Dublin, the Republic of Ireland's capital. Sligo Airport is 8km from the town centre. * The time difference between Ireland and CET is one hour. When it is 8am in Paris, it is 7am in Dublin. The local currency is the Euro. * The total length of the 2007 event is 1,196.25km, including 342.34km divided into 20 stages (14 different). * Tyres - the quota per driver is 70 tyres, of which 47 may be used (event + shakedown). Barcode lists and the pattern choices had to be nominated by Friday November 9. * Recce is scheduled for Tuesday November 13 (between 08.00 and 18.00 - SS8, SS9, SS10, SS2/5, SS3/6, SS4/7 and SS20) and Wednesday November 14 (between 08.00 and 17.00 - SS19, SS11/14, SS12/15, SS13/16, SS17 and SS18). Two passes are authorised at a top speed of 70kph, and in an order and at specific times dictated by the organisers. Recce for the Stormont super-special takes place on Thursday November 15, between 16.00 and 17.30. * Shakedown takes place on Thursday November 15, between 07.00 and 10.00. The length of the test stage, which starts 5.97km to the east of the service park near the village of Formoyle, is 2.87km. * A super-special will be run at Stormont, Belfast, on Thursday evening near Northern Ireland's parliament building. The start ceremony begins at 18.50. * Leg 1 (Thursday November 15 and Friday November 16): 386.10km, including 168.07km divided into 10 stages (7 different). Thursday: Start ceremony, Belfast (from 18.50). SS1 (Stormont Superspecial, 1.82km). Friday: Exit service park at 07.25. SS2 (Geevagh 1, 11.48km), SS3 (Arigna 1, 27.90km) and SS4 (Lough Gill 1, 20.57km). Regroup (09.59, 20 minutes). Service A (10.19, 30 minutes). SS5 (Geevagh 2), SS6 (Arigna 2) and SS7 (Lough Gill 2). Regroup (13.23, 20 minutes). Service B (13.43, 30 minutes). SS8 (Glenboy, 22.25km), SS9 (Bencroy, 15.44km) and SS10 (Drumshando, 8.66km). Service C (17.49, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 21.30. * Leg 2 (Saturday November 17): 505.38km, including 118.36km divided into 6 stages (3 different). Exit parc ferme for Service D (06.30, 10 minutes). SS11 (Sloughan Glen 1, 27.76km), SS12 (Ballinamallard 1, 17.96km) and SS13 (Tempo 1, 13.46km). Regroup (11.41, 20 minutes). Service E (12.01, 30 minutes). SS14 (Sloughan Glen 2), SS15 (Ballinamallard 2) and SS16 (Tempo 2). Service F (17.32, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 21.30. * Leg 3 (Sunday November 18): 304.77km, including 55.91km divided into 4 stages (4 different). Exit parc ferme for Service G (07.00, 10 minutes). SS17 (Murley, 24.70km), SS18 (Fardross, 14.77km), SS19 (Donegal Bay, 14.06km) and SS20 (Mullaghmore, 2.38km). * An unofficial podium ceremony (15 minutes) will be held at the end of the final stage for live broadcast on TV. The official podium ceremony will take place in front of the Clarion Hotel from 14.18. __________________________________________________________________ Event Schedule Saturday 17 November: Leg 2 Sligo - Sligo Serv D Sligo (10 mins) 06.30 SS11 Sloughan Glen 1 27.76km 08.13 SS12 Ballinamallard 1 17.96km 09.08 SS13 Tempo 1 13.46km 09.51 Serv E Sligo (30 mins) 12.01 SS14 Sloughan Glen 2 27.76km 14.04 SS15 Ballinamallard 2 17.96km 14.59 SS16 Tempo 2 13.46km 15.42 Serv F Sligo (45 mins) 17.32 Finish Sligo 18.17 Total 118.36km Sunday 18 November: Leg 3 Sligo - Sligo Serv G Sligo (10 mins) 07.00 SS17 Murley 24.70km 09.03 SS18 Fardross 14.77km 09.51 SS19 Donegal Bay 14.06km 11.39 SS20 Mullaghmore 2.38km 13.08 Finish Sligo 14.18

1. BP-Ford BP-Ford World Rally Team heads into the final three weekends of the FIA World Rally Championship season in head-to-head fights for both the manufacturers' and drivers' titles. Two rallies remain in that three-week period and the squad makes the short journey to Rally Ireland (15 - 18 November) in the knowledge that this series newcomer could prove the toughest challenge of the 16-round year. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "I'm really excited about the end of season. Fighting for world titles in both the drivers' and manufacturers' series is a great position to be in and to win both would be the most fantastic way to end my career. Of course, it's not that easy and things change quickly in this sport so nobody in the team is taking anything for granted. There are two rallies remaining and we have to be as strong and professional as we have been all season." Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "Victory in Japan was great for my confidence. I had a perfect drive over the whole weekend and I'm feeling good going into Ireland. I want to help the team win the manufacturers' title there and that would give me the opportunity to go to the final round in Wales with the opportunity to help Marcus in his fight for the drivers' title." Khalid Al Qassimi/Nicky Beech: "As with every WRC event I have done this year, Ireland will be another completely new challenge. As before, the objective will be to establish a pace and learn how to adapt to the particular challenges of this event." 2. Citroen Total One thing is certain: the outcome of the 2007 World Rally Championship will be decided in the British Isles, and quite possibly on the first of the season's last two fixtures - the inaugural Rally Ireland - for which Citroën Sport has entered two C4 WRCs for Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "The stages in the Sligo region might turn out to be a little different to those we saw in Donegal and Cork, but we are expecting them to be very fast, narrow and bumpy, and lined with big banks. They are likely to be a very difficult cocktail, especially when you consider that it is imperative that we win. It will doubtlessly be close but we'll give it everything we've got!" Dani Sordo/Marc Marti: "Although the Cork Rally took place in the south of Ireland, it still showed us how specific the Irish lanes are. They were a big surprise to me, especially the grip which is low even in the dry. So I can only imagine what it will be like if it's wet!" 3. Subaru Three Subaru World Rally Team Impreza WRC2007s are entered for the fifteenth round of the 2007 WRC calendar. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills will drive car number seven, Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot will drive number eight, and Spanish duo Xevi Pons/Xavier Amigo will be in car number 14. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "I have never rallied in Ireland before so it will be very new for me, but I am looking forward to it. The fans in Ireland are rally-mad which is really good. It's always nice to drive in front of people who are really into it. It would have been good to do a few rallies earlier in the year to get a feel for the surface, but still we prepare and focus 110 per cent. It will be very interesting I think, especially with the chance that the 2007 championship can be decided there." Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "Rally Ireland is a totally different event, not just in terms of the bumpy surface. Being a new round it's very difficult to prepare for. We've driven the route in a Group N car, but the extra speed of the WRC car is bound to make it very different. When everything comes up faster, it becomes more difficult as you have to process the information faster, and when it is all new that is the hard part. The surface is half asphalt and half gravel, which means we have to use an unique setup. We actually set the car up for the wet to get the compromise between the two surfaces, and the high chance of rain. Rather than when the asphalt gets wet and slippery, it's when the asphalt is totally dry that you lose time." Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo: "I haven't been to Ireland before so it's another new weekend for me. Ok, it will be a hard rally and very slippery, so it will be easy to make a mistake but I will push as hard as I can. We haven't done any testing there so I don't really know what to expect from the conditions, but I still prepare in the same way as any rally, and learn as fast as I can from the recce days." 4. OMV Kronos Citroen The OMV Kronos Citroen World Rally Team has prepared itself for the penultimate run to the FIA World Rally Championship, the "Rally Ireland", at the OMV Rally Waldviertel. Not in a World Rally Car, though, but the approximately 180 special stage kilometres were meant to heighten the feeling for speed. Which makes the goal of Manfred Stohl and Ilka Minor obvious: to score points. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: "After quite some time we scored points in Japan once again. We want to repeat that in Ireland. The harder the conditions the easier this could be for us. But we nevertheless will have to attack from the first kilometre on. Each place we move up in the WRC intermediate standings means a better starting position at the Wales Rally GB. That is what we have to focus on." 5. Stobart M-Sport Ford The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team are set to be a part of history as round 15 of the FIA World Rally Championship heads to Ireland for the first ever time next week. This tarmac event marks the penultimate round of the 2007 WRC series as championship standings begin to heat-up over the closing sector. Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "Again I really don't know what to expect of this rally as it is another new one for me. I have been told it can be a very difficult rally, very narrow, twisty and fast and if the weather is bad it can be extremely slippery. It is going to be a hard event but we have had some experience of tarmac this year which will help. I will be looking to just get in the points here. We have been so close to the points on all the tarmac rallies this year so I will try my best for one in Ireland. The podium in Japan was another great moment and one in Ireland would be amazing but I don't want to make mistakes as this rally could be in the WRC again so it will be important to complete the event for experience, hopefully inside the top-eight." Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "This is going to be an interesting rally but for me I am feeling quite confident. In 2003 we had a Focus run by M-Sport to compete on the British championship and it was a really good year of experience. In this year we had some good results and it gave me the feeling for these bumpy, dirty, tarmac roads. We have not done these stages before but we have rallied on roads close by and have an idea of the difficult surface which will help a lot. The only concern for me is the weather. If it rains, conditions can become very difficult and really slippery. We have had a good feeling with the car lately and had a great result on the last tarmac event in Corsica. I have enjoyed the rallies this year that have been new to everyone and I hear there will be lots of world rally cars and spectators in Ireland. I just hope it's going to stay dry for the rally." Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: "I'm really looking forward to this event but I also know how tricky it can be. There are a lot of unknowns here for everybody which is going to make things very interesting throughout the pack. When we won here in 2005 it was quite surprising because it was a mixed-surface event and we thought we would have the advantage on gravel and be behind on tarmac but after the opening, tarmac day we were over a minute ahead against some very quick Irish competitors. A couple of the stages are in the same area so for me it will help to have this prior knowledge of the roads and especially of the tricky surface. These final two events are essentially both home rallies for me and I can't wait to have another go at Irish roads before heading back for the final round in Wales." 6. Munchis Ford The Munchi's team are not competing on this event. 7. CRT Skoda-Kopecky Jan Kopecky is not competing in Ireland, his final event of the 2007 season will be Rally of Great Britain. __________________________________________________________________ Event statistics The 2007 Rally Ireland in brief. * This is Rally Ireland's first inclusion in the calendar of the World Rally Championship. * The rally takes place in the northwest of Ireland. The host town is Sligo where all the main facilities are based. Event HQ is based in the Clarion Hotel, while the service park and Media Room are based on the campus of the nearby Technology Institute. Sligo is 207km from Dublin, the Republic of Ireland's capital. Sligo Airport is 8km from the town centre. * The time difference between Ireland and CET is one hour. When it is 8am in Paris, it is 7am in Dublin. The local currency is the Euro. * The total length of the 2007 event is 1,196.25km, including 342.34km divided into 20 stages (14 different). * Tyres - the quota per driver is 70 tyres, of which 47 may be used (event + shakedown). Barcode lists and the pattern choices had to be nominated by Friday November 9. * Recce is scheduled for Tuesday November 13 (between 08.00 and 18.00 - SS8, SS9, SS10, SS2/5, SS3/6, SS4/7 and SS20) and Wednesday November 14 (between 08.00 and 17.00 - SS19, SS11/14, SS12/15, SS13/16, SS17 and SS18). Two passes are authorised at a top speed of 70kph, and in an order and at specific times dictated by the organisers. Recce for the Stormont super-special takes place on Thursday November 15, between 16.00 and 17.30. * Shakedown takes place on Thursday November 15, between 07.00 and 10.00. The length of the test stage, which starts 5.97km to the east of the service park near the village of Formoyle, is 2.87km. * A super-special will be run at Stormont, Belfast, on Thursday evening near Northern Ireland's parliament building. The start ceremony begins at 18.50. * Leg 1 (Thursday November 15 and Friday November 16): 386.10km, including 168.07km divided into 10 stages (7 different). Thursday: Start ceremony, Belfast (from 18.50). SS1 (Stormont Superspecial, 1.82km). Friday: Exit service park at 07.25. SS2 (Geevagh 1, 11.48km), SS3 (Arigna 1, 27.90km) and SS4 (Lough Gill 1, 20.57km). Regroup (09.59, 20 minutes). Service A (10.19, 30 minutes). SS5 (Geevagh 2), SS6 (Arigna 2) and SS7 (Lough Gill 2). Regroup (13.23, 20 minutes). Service B (13.43, 30 minutes). SS8 (Glenboy, 22.25km), SS9 (Bencroy, 15.44km) and SS10 (Drumshando, 8.66km). Service C (17.49, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 21.30. * Leg 2 (Saturday November 17): 505.38km, including 118.36km divided into 6 stages (3 different). Exit parc ferme for Service D (06.30, 10 minutes). SS11 (Sloughan Glen 1, 27.76km), SS12 (Ballinamallard 1, 17.96km) and SS13 (Tempo 1, 13.46km). Regroup (11.41, 20 minutes). Service E (12.01, 30 minutes). SS14 (Sloughan Glen 2), SS15 (Ballinamallard 2) and SS16 (Tempo 2). Service F (17.32, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 21.30. * Leg 3 (Sunday November 18): 304.77km, including 55.91km divided into 4 stages (4 different). Exit parc ferme for Service G (07.00, 10 minutes). SS17 (Murley, 24.70km), SS18 (Fardross, 14.77km), SS19 (Donegal Bay, 14.06km) and SS20 (Mullaghmore, 2.38km). * An unofficial podium ceremony (15 minutes) will be held at the end of the final stage for live broadcast on TV. The official podium ceremony will take place in front of the Clarion Hotel from 14.18. __________________________________________________________________ Event Schedule Thursday 15 November: Leg 1: Belfast - Belfast Start Stormont 18.50 SS1 Stormont Super Special 1.82km 19.00 Finish Stormont 19.15 Friday 16 November: Leg 1 (continued) Sligo - Sligo Start Sligo 07.25 SS2 Geevagh 1 11.48km 08.05 SS3 Arigna 1 27.90km 08.33 SS4 Lough Gill 1 20.57km 09.24 Serv A Sligo (30 mins) 10.19 SS5 Geevagh 2 11.48km 11.29 SS6 Arigna 2 27.90km 11.57 SS7 Lough Gill 2 20.57km 12.48 Serv B Sligo (30 mins) 13.43 SS8 Glenboy 22.25km 15.01 SS9 Bencroy 15.44km 15.54 SS10 Drumshanbo 8.66km 16.19 Serv C Sligo (45 mins) 17.49 Finish Sligo 18.34 Total 168.07km Saturday 17 November: Leg 2 Sligo - Sligo Serv D Sligo (10 mins) 06.30 SS11 Sloughan Glen 1 27.76km 08.13 SS12 Ballinamallard 1 17.96km 09.08 SS13 Tempo 1 13.46km 09.51 Serv E Sligo (30 mins) 12.01 SS14 Sloughan Glen 2 27.76km 14.04 SS15 Ballinamallard 2 17.96km 14.59 SS16 Tempo 2 13.46km 15.42 Serv F Sligo (45 mins) 17.32 Finish Sligo 18.17 Total 118.36km Sunday 18 November: Leg 3 Sligo - Sligo Serv G Sligo (10 mins) 07.00 SS17 Murley 24.70km 09.03 SS18 Fardross 14.77km 09.51 SS19 Donegal Bay 14.06km 11.39 SS20 Mullaghmore 2.38km 13.08 Finish Sligo 14.18