Woodhouse/rowland capitalise on attrition

1 Garry Jennings/ Rory Kennedy (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h03m40.8s; 2 Peadar Hurson/ Damien Connolly (Subaru Impreza WRC) +1.34.8s; 3 Niall Maguire/ Enda Sherry (Subaru Impreza WRC); 4 Roy White/ James O’brien (Ford Fiesta WRC); 5 Gary Kiernan/ Ryan Moore (Ford Escort); 6 Ed O’callaghan/ Ger Clancy (Escort Mk2); 7 Gary Mcphillips/ Paul Sheridan (Escort); 8 Frank Kelly/ Paul Twomey (Escort Mk2); 9 Russell Woods/ Martin Byrne (Escort); 10 Shane Maguire/ Mac Kierans (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo). Class winners Brian Lavelle/ Shane Byrne (Honda Civic); Keelan Maguire/ Martin Mcgarrity (Civic); Roger Kennedy/ Wendy Blackledge (Peugeot 306); Shane Maguire/ Mac Kierans (Mitsubishi Lancer E9); Jennings/ Kennedy (Impreza WRC); Damian Reilly/ Damien Mccabe (Escort Mk2); Shane Carr/ Ciaran Carr (Vauxhall Nova); Kevin Mcloughlin/ Michael Mcclafferty (Civic); Seamus Connolly/ Gary Mccrudden (Toyota Corolla); Brian Armstrong/james Logue (Escort Mk2); Kiernan/ Moore; Gary Mcphillips/ Paul Sheridan (Escort); Frank Wray/joe Mcnulty (Impreza WRC); Frank Cunningham/ Ross Forde (Escort RS1800); Billy Cowe/ Paul Gallagher (Subaru Impreza); Iarla Carty/anthony Scanlon (Austin Mini Cooper); Mark Murphy/ Michael Hamilton (Civic). Organiser: Dukeries Motor Club March 6 Where: Donington Park Circuit, Leicestershire Championships: EMAMC Single Venue Rally Championship; ANEMMC Sealed Surface; Jelf Motorsport. com Stage Rally Championship; Dukeries Motor Club Rally Championship Starters: 76 Stages: 8

With Paul Swift and Alan Kirkaldy both retiring from the lead, Ian Woodhouse and Paul Rowland’s Ford Escort took charge from stage six, taking victory over Gary Adam by 36 seconds.

Paul and Jessica Swift had a 17-second lead after the opening stage as icy and greasy conditions left grip at a premium. Kirkaldy/gary Muir ousted Graeme Bell/ Russ Radford’s Proton from second on stage two, before Bell retired after three stages with radiator problems.

Kirkaldy had brought Swift’s lead down to four seconds after stage four, but on the next run Swift was out too with a broken rear axle. Adam had lost out to Woodhouse for third and had Andy Fraser/michael Calvert’s Darrian only two seconds back by half distance.

But Kirkaldy joined the retirements on stage six when his diff failed, leaving Woodhouse 25 seconds up on Fraser, with Adam still third from the closing Escort of Paul Diamond/steve Cox.

Woodhouse held on to take the win, but on stage seven Fraser nosed into a tyre wall and had to reverse. It was enough to hand second back to Adam, but after dropping to fourth, Fraser snatched third place back from Diamond on the final stage.

Paul Alexander/abi Haycock’s Escort came from 10th in Class 3 on stage one to head the class from the fourth and finish fifth overall, while John Marshall/scott

Woodhouse took late lead

Crawford’s Impreza claimed Class 5 in sixth overall.

Peter Smith/steve Mcnulty’s 6R4, Martin Stockdale/nick Taylor’s BMW 1M, Roger and Sam Cox’s Escort and Simon Belcher/sam Bailey’s Impreza completed the top 10, despite Stockdale colliding with a hare on stage four.