OPELS TO TAKE ON ESCORTS ON R.A.C.
Asconas lined up to battle the Ford brigade
Three Opels, including two from France, will take on the Ford Escorts on next month’s Roger Albert Clark Rally.
Heading the Opel contingent will be the Ascona 400 of Theo Bengry and Les Forsbrook on its first rally for over five years. Both crew members live within five miles of the rally’s start venue in Leominster and Bengry was keen to field the car that took him to the
Motoring News Road Rally Championship in 1983.
“We always said that if we did the R.A.C. again we’d bring the Ascona,” said Forsbrook. “The last event it did was the Somerset Stages in 2012. But we had a test at Sweet Lamb recently and it went really well.”
Bengry bought the car new in 1980 and has owned it ever since. He had it rebuilt for stage rallying in 2009, but has used his Ford Escort Mk2 more often. “The stages in Wales on day one will be familiar ground for us,” said Forsbrook, who will celebrate his 64th birthday on the opening day of the rally. “It’s great that Colin and Nicola Heppenstall still have the enthusiasm to run the brilliant event.”
Joining Bengry on the fourday rally will be the Manta 400 of husband and wife team Jean-francois and Aline Berenguer and the Group B Manta 400 of Jean-louis Thizy and Serge Mollar. Together with the Ford Escort Mk1 of Dominic Lesourd and Sebastien Chol, they will form a three-car team from the French Europa Racing squad.