NEIL Simpson is the talk of British rallying this week following his sensational performance on the Manx International Rally.

The 27-year-old Colne driver stunned his petrol-powered rivals by finishing second overall in his Volkswagen Golf TDi.

The result established a new record for a diesel rally car - and a personal best for Simpson.

"I'm chuffed to bits. And it proves that the day of the diesel is here," he said.

An acknowledged Manx specialist - he finished fifth last year - Simpson was among the top ten from the start of the two-day, all-Tarmac event, which formed the final round of the 1999 Mobil 1 British Rally Championship.

At the end of the opening day's action, Simpson and co-driver Michael Gibson powered their Greenery-backed machine from 22nd up into sixth.

"The car is pulling like a train and we have no problems. I'm happy with our placing and I know we can improve further before the finish," said Simpson at the overnight halt in Douglas. And he was proved right with a blistering run through the second and third legs, hauling the Golf up into second as other drivers fell by the wayside.

His podium placing brings to a close a remarkable first season of BRC competition for Simpson and his unique car.

Right from the outset the combination was a force to be reckoned with, racking up strong placings on both the Rally of Wales in March, and April's Pirelli International.

But when the series switched from gravel to the asphalt of the Jim Clark Rally in early July, it was time for Simpson and Gibson to show their mettle.

The pair set a new diesel rally car record by finishing ninth overall.

And the records kept on tumbling. The Ulster Rally at the end of July saw the Golf TDi fighting through to fifth place overall, setting the scene for a dramatic final round on the Isle of Man. Said Simpson: "It's been a magnificent year for the whole team. I think most of our rivals wrote us off as a bit of a joke at the beginning of the year. But they're not laughing now!"

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.