NEWBYAVOIDSLATE DRAMAATMELBOURNE
Organiser: Lindholme MSC & Slaithwaite MC When: September 3 Where: Melbourne Nr York Championships: EMAMC, ANEMMC, ANWCC Stages: 8 Starters: 58
Having set the fastest time on the first five stages of the day Arron Newby and Andrew Leech’s Subaru Impreza proved unbeatable at a dry and dusty Melbourne.
Newby had 10 seconds in hand over 2016 winners Dave Welch/ Steve Mcnulty on the opening stage, but their Impreza gradually consolidated second place, taking time out of Newby too on the sixth stage, when the leader had a turbo pipe blow off.
The gap had come down to three seconds with two runs left, but Newby upped his pace again to take the win by seven seconds. Martin Farrar/andy Ward comfortably retained a day-long third, despite being almost two minutes off the lead.
Garry and Matthew Hirst’s Mitsubishi Lancer E9 held onto fourth over the first two stages, before losing out to Gary Wayne/ Neal Bloor’s Impreza. But Hirst took the place back a stage later, but then a transmission breakage left them stranded on stage six.
Dave Hornbrook/phil Hewson’s Lancer E4 also started well, but lost sixth place to Darren Martin/martin Steele’s E9. Although Martin moved up to fifth after Hirst’s retirement, he had Mick Pickles/beverley Warren’s Impreza closing in and was forced to surrender the place on the penultimate stage.
Martin was left to take sixth, with Hornbrook holding onto seventh, despite having Stuart Newby/sam Bailey closing in with their Impreza, on the driver’s first outing for over a decade, his hopes of beating son Arron a little too ambitious.
The Imprezas of Chris Walker/ David Longhawn and Andy Smith/ Bob Draper completed the top 10.
Paddy and Tom Homan’s Ford Puma led Class 1 all day, but were left limping to the finish in second after a master switch fault left the car cutting out, as David/robert Ginn’s Nissan Micra took the spoils.
Having led Class 2 for the first three stages, Dave Johnston/bruce Lindsay’s Peugeot 205 GTI had to settle for second, as Jack Leese/tom Bowen’s Peugeot 208 went clear.
George Hewick/mick Johnson’s Ford Escort and Adrian Day/wayne Ward’s Peugeot 205 GTI had both led Class 3 before Andy Graham/daz Prall’s Ford Escort took charge on SS5, while Stuart Tomlinson/nick Taylor’s Escort claimed Class 4 after Philip Rowland/philip Woodcock’s BMW 325 broke a driveshaft when lying ninth overall.