Rob 8th on Manx International

Isle of Man Sports Aid Foundation recipient Rob Fagg made his International rally debut on his home round of the British Rally Championship, the Total Manx International Rally. After agreeing a deal with leading local Manx driver Rob Watson the pairing secured the use of a Giles Philips Motorsport run Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8.

 
The plan for the event was to challenge the two works Mitsubishi's of leading group N driver David Higgins and team mate Rory Galligan, for Production class honours. Watson won the class on the 2004 event driving an Evo 6.
 
Over the opening leg of the 2005 event, taking in two runs around the short Castletown stage, the Rob's and the works Mitsubishis would be separated by just
7.8 seconds as they returned to the Grandstand for the overnight halt. But after heavy contact with a bale chicane on the penultimate stage of the opening leg, there participation in the rest of the event was in doubt with a damaged radiator. Good work by the GPM team though had the car entering Parc Ferme on time.
With the damaged patched up and the crew feeling optimistic about the rest of the event, they set about challenging the works cars which had broken away from the other Production cup competitors. In the wet morning conditions though they slipped back from Rory and David and after stage 11 they were around 40 seconds back from Higgins who in turn was 15 behind Galligan.

The very next stage though would see Higgins retire with a blown engine. Having stopped on the stage to hand David their fire extinguisher the Rob’s were credited with the same time as Galligan. Two short runs round Ramsey were completed before a return to service and a chance to analyses the current standings. Two stages remained before the end of the leg and despite a moment with a bank which caught most of the leading crews out on the final stage they ended the leg in 7th overall and 2nd in Production class just over a minute behind Galligan.


The third and final leg started with drier conditions and with this it was decide to give it everything and hunt the Production class leader down. The times were just two close over the days stages up to stage 21 with the Robs taking numerous fastest Production times but not making an impact on the class leader.

The final two stages saw an amazing
performance. First taking 10 seconds back on the Orrisdale stage and then a staging 20 seconds on the final Barclays Classic finishing at the TT Grandstand. Despite this great effort the pair ended the event 8th Overall and 2nd in production class but they had reduced the winning margin to 33 seconds.
 
At the event presentation Rob Watson also collected the Best Manx Driver award.
 
The pairing received coverage in the Monday night BRC programme broadcast on Sky Sports, and they received extensive coverage in the Production review broadcast on the Wednesday after the event
 
Rob is supported in 2005 by the Isle of Man Sports Council, Manx Motorsport Youth Trust, Isle of Man Bank Scholarship, Integrated Capabilities, Patterson's Pacenotes, Rob and Ali Graham and Mexperience.com
 
Both Rob's would like to thank Giles Philips Motorsport, Dunlop Tyres, Shell Perfomance Racing Fuels, Conister Trust and Greenlight Television.
 
Robert Fagg
05/08/2005
 
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