PIRELLI British International Rally championship contender, Shelly Taunt, from Highworth, has retained her lead in the Formula 1400cc championship after taking another maximum score on the Scottish Rally.

Taunt also leads the women's category ahead of the 2002 British ladies' champion, Kate Heath.

Like most other competitors, the Silverstone Rally School, Guest & Fiore Bricklayers, Creative Block Paving, Rapid Hire, Advanced Sign Factory, Silkolene and Mintex-supported car suffered with two punctures on the opening stages on Saturday and lost valuable time.

Taunt had also buckled two wheels and bent two lower arms which her mechanics had very quickly changed during service.

And on special stage 6, Shelly and co-driver Bob Stokoe, from Croydon, were virtually choking when the tailgate flew open near to the start of the stage and the pair drove to the end with a car full of fumes and dust.

But after leg two and with no major dramas, Shelly admitting to backing off for most of the day to get the car to the finish. In the event, the crew were a very creditable 19th overall.

Conditions were extremely hot and dusty and some of the stages had been re-surfaced which meant that they were rough and the rocks were ripping through tyres and smashing the car to pieces underneath.

Nonetheless, the tough 1275cc Nissan Micra once again held together and the team came home with the result that they were looking for.

The next competition for Shelly will be the Jim Clark International Rally which starts in Edinburgh on July 4 and covers some 462 miles.

This will be the first tarmac round of the championship and it is the only event on the mainland that is allowed to use closed roads.

This time, Shelly will be co-driven by local man Andy Garret, from Melksham, as regular her co-driver, Bob Stokoe, will be unavailable.