COLE TAKES ASPHALT TITLE WITH PATRIOT WIN
Patriot Stages Rally
Organiser: Forresters Car Club, South Wales Automobile Club When: September 25 Where: Caerwent Training Area, Monmouthshire Championship MSA Asphalt Championship; CMSG Stage Rally Championship; FMP Rally Challenge; ASWMC Sealed Stage Rally Championship; ACSMC Rally Championship; AWMMC Heart of England Rally Championship; WAMC Mixed Surface Stage Rally Championship; WAMC Historic Championship; F1000 Junior 1000 Championship; F1000 Senior 1000 Championship Stages: 6 Starters: 95
Pre-event favourite Damian Cole lived up to expectations as he won the Patriot Stages in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC securing another MSA Asphalt Championship in the process, as co-driver Paul Morris took his first championship win.
After overnight rain, John Stone made the most of the slippery conditions and the local knowledge of Ian Davis to set fastest time on SS1 in his Ford Fiesta S2500, nine seconds quicker than Cole, who tied with Martyn and Dawn England in their Ford Fiesta R5+. Early retirees were multiple Caerwent winners Dave Willett/john Davies following front suspension failure on their Ford Escort.
With Stone unable to repeat his stage one success, it was the Englands who were fastest on the second test, taking three seconds out of Cole to move into the lead with David Tinn/giles Dyke moving into third on their first Caerwent visit in their MEM Proton Satria Neo S2500.
It wasn’t a good start for reigning MSA champion Simon Mauger, who was driving the Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage when a driveshaft broke. Also, leading two-wheel-drive runners Carl O’grady/ellie Williams suffered a maximum following injection problems in their Nissan Sunny. Phil Turner/ Simon Anthony retired their Mitsubishi Lancer E9 with turbo problems and Bob Fowden/paul Wakely lost time with launch control problems on their Subaru Impreza WRC.
Cole took his first fastest time of the day ahead of the Englands on SS3, only for the latter crew to set quickest time on the next stage, leaving the championship leader with a slender one second advantage. Tinn was making light of his experience at the venue to hold third ahead of Stone and Fowden, with leading Group N runners Wynne Watkins/ Ashley Trimble in sixth.
Fastest time on stage five allowed Cole to extend his lead, while England was subsequently forced to retire his Fiesta R5+ with calliper problems. Another quickest time on the final stage enabled Cole to win the event and championship, the happy winner stating: “That’s my sixth championship win, halfway to equalling John Price,” as he celebrated his success.
Tinn blotted his copybook with a stage five excursion, which meant he dropped behind Stone, who gratefully held on to second position. The Proton driver was content with third after a good run. By now, Mauger was more in tune with the Mirage and setting some promising times.
The afternoon got better for Fowden who held on to fourth ahead of class winners, Jeremy Straker/neil Harrison who flew over the drier later stages in their Darrian T9. It was a successful day for Watkins/trimble who secured the Group N title in their Subaru with sixth place, with Lee Edwards/mike Roberts’ Escort Mk3 RWD finishing seventh. Thomas Cooper/paul Williams could have done with more power in their Mitsubishi, but the young driver still finished in a creditable eighth place ahead of the first time pairing of Oliver Hopkins/