JASPER AND WHYATT KEEP BURNS AT BAY
Roskirk Stages Rally
Organiser: Blackpool South Shore Motor Club When: March 4 Where: Three Sisters Race Circuit, Wigan. Championships: ANWCC; SD34; F1000; Three Sisters Rally Challenge Stages: 12 Starters: 31
Mark Jasper and Don Whyatt headed the standings throughout to bring their Ford Escort Mk2 to victory, seven seconds ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa of Ryan Burns and Shaun Hughes on the Roskirk Stages at Three Sisters.
Having suffered a broken steering arm on SS2, Jasper’s Escort thereafter ran faultlessly as he fended off the challenge of Burns and the Escort Mk2 crewed by Andrew Morris and Chloe Thomas.
When Morris’s tyre gamble of running slicks on SS7 backfired, Burns took advantage and secured the runners-up spot.
Brandon Smith and Dylan Thomas paid a heavy price for their stage three spin and could only manage fourth in their Darrian T90 GTR while Martin Evans and Lee Edwards completed the top five in their Escort Mk2.
Class 2 winners Stephen and David Terry claimed seventh in their Nissan Micra ahead of the Corsa of top Class 3 finishers Richard and Adam Kay.
Reigning Three Sisters Rally Challenge champions John and Alex Stone were without their Ford Fiesta S2500 which suffered a recent engine failure, so used a Renault Twingo R1 prepared by Rallyme. After getting stuck in gear on the last two stages, the duo still finished 12th overall.