WATERS TAKES SECOND CONSECUTIVE FESTIVAL VICTORY

Boconnoc Motorsport Festival

Organiser: Warrington & DMC South Hams Motor Club/ Newquay Auto Club/ Plymouth Motor Club/ Camel Vale Motor Club When: August 14 Where: Boconnoc Estate, Cornwall. Championships: ASWMC Sealed Surface, ACSMC Tarmac Stages: 12 Starters: 50

Martin Waters/ben Purnell (BMW 325i) scored their second consecutive win at the Boconnoc Motorsport Festival after a close duel with Steve and Yvonne Furzeland (Subaru Impreza S12 WRC).

An eighth-stage overshoot by Furzeland made the difference between victory and defeat. It broke a morning-long stalemate and Waters seized the initiative, setting four second-fastest times in a row to take an 18s victory.

As in 2015, Kevin and Charles Tappin (Ford Escort Mk2) set the early pace chased by Waters, Furzeland and eventual third-placed crew Richard Fishleigh/ian Edwards (Escort Mk2). Tappin’s car soon retired though, with shock absorber failure on stage four.

Mike Raymond/scott Smith now challenged the leading trio; driving hard from the start. The Ford Escort pair moved up from 22nd to fourth, which they held to the end.

Fifth-placed Danielle Furzeland/holly Creamer led home an all-impreza trio of Richard Barrow/andrew Richards and Graham Roberts/bradley Down. The three crews were never more than six seconds apart on any stage.

Ed Lambert and Gareth Drayton (Peugeot 106 Rallye) continued their season-long strong form, finishing eighth and scooping Class A honours.

Class B was hard-fought throughout. Derek Bligh/ Nigel Barnett (Suzuki Swift) beat Mat Wheeler/alex Hawkins (Citroen C2 VTR) by five seconds, after long-time leaders Phil/david Garnett (Escort) broke a driveshaft on stage eight.

Further back in 19th, Brian Moore/paul Hughes finally finished after three attempts. The Vauxhall Astra pairing crashed at exactly the same spot in both 2014 and 2015.

Results

1 Martin Waters/ Ben Purnell (BMW 325i) 25m39s; 2 Steve Furzeland/yvonne Furzeland (Subaru Impreza S12 WRC) +18s; 3 Richard Fishleigh/ Ian Edwards (Ford Escort Mk2); 4 Mike Raymond/ Scott Smith (Escort Mk2); 5 Danielle Furzeland/ Holly Creamer (Impreza WRC); 6 Richard Barrow/andrew Richards (Impreza); 7 Graham Roberts/ Bradley Down (Impreza); 8 Ed Lambert/ Gareth Drayton (Peugeot 106 Rallye); 9 David Peters/ Roger Partridge (Impreza); 10 Sam Perring/amy Fergus (BMW E36). Class winners Lambert/ Drayton; Derek Bligh/ Nigal Barnett (Suzuki Swift); Fishleigh/ Edwards; Perring/ Fergus; S Furzeland/y Furzeland.