Vey victorious at Bovington
Bovington Stages Rally Organiser: Bournemouth and District MC When: August 11/12 Where: Bovington camp, Dorset Championships: ASWMC Sealed Surface; ACSMC Tarmac; RAC Historic Asphalt Stages: 12 Starters: 61
Following weeks of hot weather, the Bovington Stages was subject to a rain-affected scrap for supremacy. After a cautious start on Saturday, eventual winners Andy Vey/richard Fletcher (Mitsubishi Lancer E4) overhauled early pacesetters Josh Payton/marcus Mizen (Ford Escort Mk2) on SS3.
Payton later collided with a chicane and lost time, while Vey mastered the ever-changing conditions to build a 42-second overnight lead. The following morning, Vey’s mechanics fitted fresh brakes and tyres. In persistent rain and on a track with hidden slippery patches, it made a difference; he set four fastest times in a row and won by 1m14s.
Behind the leaders, a tough battle played out for third place. Four-wheeldrive debutant James Self (Ford Fiesta R5) and co-driver Nick Vigors disputed the spot throughout Saturday with Jim Munden/nick Eccles’s Subaru Impreza, Dean Thomas/mark Burt’s Toyonda DTR and Geoff Bennett/john Billett’s Escort Mk2. On Sunday, finding a tyre compound he was happy with gave Self the advantage: he went second fastest on SS11 to take third from Munden by nine seconds. When Thomas retired on SS7 with a broken CV joint and Bennett’s rally ended with a jammed gearbox, Rob Smith/alun Cook inherited fifth. The Escort Mk2 crew tied exactly on times with Jerry Bailey/graham Lacey’s Escort RS Mk2 but they were quicker on SS1 which gave them the placing.
Results
1 Andy Vey/ Richard Fletcher (Mitsubishi Lancer E4) 1h17m30s; 2 Josh Payton/ Marcus Mizen (Ford Escort Mk2) +1m14s; 3 James Self/ Nick Vigors (Ford Fiesta R5); 4 Jim Munden/ Nick Eccles (Subaru Impreza); 5 Rob Smith/alun Cook (Escort Mk2); 6 Jerry Bailey/ Graham Lacey (Escort RS); 7 Dale Crowsley/ Steve Gully (Mazda MX-5); 8 Roger Cox/ Sam Cox (Escort Mk2); 9 Paul Sydenham/ Paul Rumary (Escort Mk2); 10 Richard Seal/ Bruce Yeomans (Escort Mk2). Class winners: Paul Davis/ Keith Richings (Vauxhall Corsa), Roger Ray/ Cameron Ray (Ford Fiesta XR2), Payton/ Mizen, Crowsley/ Gully, Self/ Vigors, Nick Pinkett/ Hugh Myers (Saab 96), Graham Patten/ Pauline Hale (Datsun 240Z), Benjamin Smith/ John Nichols (Escort Mk2), Seal/yeomans, Smith/ Cook, Dick Mauger/ Gino Gouveia (Escort Mk2), Chris Mccarthy/ Barry Connolly (Land Rover Wolf XD).