Competition Roundup

If you do an event other than as a competitor, we also want to hear from you! Marshals, mechanics and support crew, this means YOU. Remember, other club members might like to talk to you to get a general feeling for an event. Often non-competitors see more than those in the cars!

Neil Cloughley
has now got the Fiesta into a new eye-catching colour scheme in time for the Monteburg rally sprint on May 16th which he is doing with Robert Pike.

Colin Early/Colin Hutchings
used stiffer springs and a new clutch to the Darien for Millbrook to come 40th overall and 6th in class.

Ellya Gold/Michael Weeks
came 21st overall and 8th in class (and most importantly, first Pug) at Longcross. The area at the top of the slopes developed an interesting surface (Le Creuset are patenting it as the next successor to Teflon) but they managed to avoid major body work damage. Then to the JVC Southdown Stages at Goodwood where they were doing extremely well and would have come 6th overall except for an over-enthusiastic penalty which dropped them to 9th overall and 4th in class. Ellya has finally decided that it is time to get the car muddy and so will be out on the Mid Wales Stages which are based in Dyfnant.

Joe Hoyles
has passed his Pinto-engined MkII Escort over to Dave Jacobs to put the finishing touches. Joe is looking for a navigator, so if you are interested please have a word with him or with one of the Phillipsons at club night.

Dave Jacobs
had a very successful outing to the Mini Tempest Stages at Longcross, winning the event by just three seconds - making up eight seconds on the final stage in rapidly worsening weather conditions.

Sue Orchard/Graham Morris
crammed a second hand engine into the Metro in two weeks flat to get ready for the Rallye des Haute Fagnes. See "Competitors' Reports". Their next outing is Wallonie (16-17 May).

Richard Phillipson/Catherine Phillipson
did stunningly well on the fiercely-contested Pirelli International Rally to come 2nd in class and 27th overall. At least, they would have done had they put more petrol in at the Hexham service. In fact they ran out of fuel on the Riccarton stage and dropped 20 minutes, putting them well down the order and out of the reckoning. 2 minutes short of OTL, and after some intensive pushing, they recovered their equilibrium to set a good time on the final Kershope stage to complete the moral (but not actual) victory.

Mark Shoosmith/Chris Morford
did not make it to the Somerset Stages, see "Competitors' Reports" for details. Next outing is the Plains on May 3rd.

Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing
came 28th overall, 2nd in the B11 2 litre class and also 1st in the two wheel drive Peter Lloyd challenge on the Granite City. See "Competitors' Reports". Their next outing is the Manx on May 9th.

Vanessa Steele/Ian Smallridge
completed their first ever rally at Millbrook, without any bodywork damage, details to follow in next edition.

Mark Straker
had a successful first visit to Ireland for the West Cork rally. He came 24th overall out of 130 and 5th out of a class entry of 53! - and all without putting a scratch on the car. Plans for the rest of the season centre around the Safety Devices National Macadam Championship (the EARS/MN Tarmac™ championship for those with long memories).

Ian Torkington/Colin Hutchings
rolled the 4x4 Cavalier on the Astra Stages in Llangollen on 11th April. See "Competitors' Reports" for details. The Mid Wales Stages on May 24 is now not an option for them but hopefully, a new main hoop and a few panels and lights later the ATS Coracle will be the next adventure in the 'Snow' of early July.

Richard Worts
had a rotten time on the Pirelli with a bad dose of Berlin flu. Over-enthusiastic new brakes led to him stopping every time he tried to left-foot and gear selection problems added a healthy dollop of lateness penalties to his misery. The stages were so rough that the bottom of the car resembles a cheese grater, and the rear beam tore almost in two leaving 1" to propel them into parc fermé. But the BRC is a points game, and he survived to finish 4th in class.