CHAMPION DEFEATED AS PETCH COMPLETES A FIGHTBACK
Organiser: Ripon MSC/ Whitby & DMC When: February 19 Where: North Yorkshire Championships: ANCC; SG Petch ANECCC; ANWCC Forest; Alexander Calder Financial EMAMC; Northern Forest Challenge: Motoscope Northern Historic Gravel Stages: 6 Starters: 69
Having led from the opening stage of the day, a broken rear differential ended Ryan Champion/craig Thorley’s hopes, just when a final-stage shootout looked on the cards with eventual winners Stephen Petch/ Michael Wilkinson debuting a new Fiesta.
Petch had made a wrong tyre choice on the opening test in a slippery Roppa, leaving his Ford Fiesta RS WRC only fifth best, behind Champion’s Mitsubishi Lancer E9. It was the car Champion had won the Trackrod and Pirelli International rallies with in 2006 and hadn’t driven since reacquiring the car earlier this year. He had a two- second lead over Callum Black/elliott Edmondson’s Fiesta R5+. They were using the event as a shakedown after the Cambrian was been cancelled. The Subaru Imprezas of Matthew Robinson/sam Collis and Phil/simon Pickard were equal third and Peter Stephenson/patrick Walsh’s Focus WRC followed Petch in the top six.
Champion increased his lead through Cropton despite developing a misfire, but Petch’s hopes of progressing were dashed again. “We stalled at the start and had a spin,” he explained. Robinson had gapped Pickard to consolidate third, but the top five had already started to ease away from sixth-placed Stephenson, who was struggling with intermittent gearbox maladies.
With Gale Rigg completing the first half of the day, Petch not only set the fastest time but was also up to fourth, only one second down on Robinson, while Champion still had a healthy 10-second lead over Black.
Returning to Cropton for stage four it was much drier and it was honours even at the top between Champion and Petch. “We cured the misfire in service so it’s a straight fight now,” said Champion. But Petch’s time had brought him to within a second of Black and second place.
Topping the times again on the second Gale Rigg run, Petch had reduced the lead to six seconds with only Roppa to settle the duel, but run in the opposite direction to the morning stage. A chicane on the long straight proved to be the deciding factor however. “I was trying to keep it neat and tidy and bring it home, then we clipped the chicane,” Champion explained. “My rear ’diff had rattled a bit in Gale Rigg, but as I hit the brakes hard for the chicane, it snapped and I hit the chicane and just limped to the finish in two-wheel drive.”
Petch was still quickest and took the win by seven seconds over Black, who had developed a misfire on the last two stages. “It just lost me some power on the straights,” he explained.
Champion was still third, ahead of Robinson, who was debuting his new Melvyn Evans-built Impreza. “I was just being cautious and getting used to the car,” he said. Pickard and Stephenson retained fifth and sixth.
With Charlie Barlow/emma Morrison’s Nissan Micra breaking a driveshaft on the opening stage, Amanda Cornforth-smith and Derek Cornforth led Class A until their Ford Ka quit on stage four and handed victory to David Coatsworth/chris Pattison’s MG ZR.
David Bennett/alistair Mcneil’s Class B Vauxhall Corsa was seventh overall on the first stage, but found a gatepost in Cropton, and left Barry Jordan/james Gratton-smith’s Hillman Avenger to usurp the duelling Barry Lindsay/caroline Lodge and David/matthew White for the win.
Ross Brusby/kevin Wilson’s Escort took Class C after Curly Haigh/sally Peacock parked their similar car on stage two. Mike Wolff/mark Twiname’s BMW E30 took Class 4 after Steve Magson/steve Bielby’s Mercedes expired in Cropton 2 and in the Historics there were wins for ninth overall Tom Hewick/mick Johnson’s Escort and Kim Gray/tom Murphy.