Network Q RAC Rally 23-25 November 1997

Mark Higgins has rocketed through the first four stages of the last 
leg of the RAC Rally this morning and converted a 31 second deficit to 
the SEAT of Harri Rovenpera to just 2 seconds with just four more 
tests to go in the last round of the World Rally Championship.

The crews have just appeared from the longest stage of the event, the 
28.6 miles through Resolfen, where huge numbers of spectators braved 
the terrible weather conditions that saw low cloud and swirling fog 
make visibilty around 50 to 100 metres in some places.

Higgins did the best 2 litre time of 28.26 compared to A McRae's 28.36 
and Rovanpera's 28.52. Mark said of his run,"That was pretty hairy in 
there to say the least. Probably one of the stages of my life... so 
much so that I really wouldn't like to go much quicker than that. To 
have 4 or 5 big moments in a stage is quite enough, but obviously you 
have to attack to the max in these conditions to get ahead."

"In the first two stages this morning I couldn't get it together - 
must have been asleep or something - but don't worry, I'm awake now!"

Dave Whittock of Nissan Motorsports Europe said, "I'm chuffed to bits 
with him. I knew he could do it on that big Resolfen stage of all of 
them today and it's come off."

At the front of the field, Colin McRae and Richard Burns started the 
day on level time, but Burns had a puncture on the 22 mile Rhondda 
test that lost him five minutes and all realistic chance of winning 
the event. McRae now leads by 2 minutes and 31 seconds over Juha 
Kankkunen.

2 LITRE POSITIONS AFTER 22 OF 26 STAGES
1	A McRae/D Senior		VW Golf GTi		3:31:29	
2	H Rovanpera/Silander	SEAT Ibiza			3:34:14
3	M Higgins/P Mills		Nissan Almera GTi	3:34:16
4	M Rowe/N Beech		Renault Megane		3:36:55
5	R Head/B Thomas		Renault Megane		3:48:35

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