WARREN AND PULLAN TAME THE WILDS OF THE YORKSHIRE WOLDS
Thewhite Rose Classic Rally By Martin Phaff Organiser: Malton Motor Club When: July 7 Where: Yorkshire Wolds Starters: 48.
Matt Warren and Andy Pullan (Ford Escort) came out comfortable winners on last weekend’s White Rose Classic Rally, two minutes ahead of Richard Isherwood and Henry Carr (Volkswagen Golf GTI) with Harvey Steele and Martin Pitt (Volvo 144) a further minute back
The 150-mile event, run by Stuart Taylor and his team, consisted of 11 tests and nine regularities combing every useable road in the Yorkshire Wolds.
The innovative design for many of the regularities and the wonderful open tests combined to make this rally the most enjoyable to date in the Motorsport Newsbacked championship
The crews were flagged away from the Market Square in Malton at 0900hrs and were straight into Regulation 1 through the Vale of Pickering. Among the four cars to tie at the head of the pack was the amazing 4.5-litre Bentley Derby of Stuart and Emily Anderson.
Test 1 followed and was cleaned by half the field, showing how difficult it can be for organisers to slow down even the oldest cars. The test finish combined as the start of Regulation 2, which kept everyone on their toes. This 12-mile regulation had 10 speed changes and finished with flourish in Wykeham Forrest. Warren/pullan were fastest from Andre Scruton/ John Youd (Porsche 911). Regulation 3 continued through Wykeham: this time Warren/ Pullan squeezed out Isherwood/ Carr for the win.
On the next three tests around Wykeham Abbey, John Haygarth/ Bob Hargreaves (Opel Kadett Rallye) won 2-1 to Warren/pullan, but the biggest smiles were from Derek and Susan Skinner (Ford Cortina GT) with a second place on the middle test.
Regulation 4 was won by Rob and Amy Henchoz (Volvo PV 544) and this brought the crews to test five, the first of the Sledmere tests.
John Ruddock/roger Burkhill (Escort Mexico) took fastest time of the day.
The lunch halt at Sledmere
House was followed by two more tests in the estate. On the first, Warren/pullan took 19 seconds out of the field, probably being the only crew to master a power 360-degree round cone! On the second run, seven cars beat the bogey time.
Regulation 5, through Helperthorpe and Rotter Brompton Wold, was taken by Ruddock/burkhill. They were one second ahead of Steele/pitt and John Bloxham/martin Phaff (Lancia Fulvia), Bloxham out in the Motorsport News car to celebrate 50 years since his win on the then Motoring News Championship. Sadly, their day was spoilt by Phaff failing to record a time at the start of Regulation 9, which dropped them well out of the top 15.
Regulation 6 was cleaned by Haygarth/hargreaves and Pete Dalton/paul Bodset (Lotus Cortina). Tests eight to 10 were shared: one each to Ruddock, Haygarth and Warren.
Regulations 7 and 8 both went to Isherwood/carr before Haygarth/ Hargreaves took the final test and Warren/pullan sealed the win on Regulation 11.
Results
White Rose Classic Rally
1 Matt Warren/andy Pullan (Escort) 18.12 marks; 2 Richard Isherwood/henry Carr (Golf GTI) 20.14 marks; 3 Harvey Steele/martin Pitt (Volvo 144);
4 Rob Henchoz/amy Henchoz (Volvo PV544); 5 Andre Scruton/john Youd (Porsche 911); 6 Andrew Johnson/ David Taylor (Lancia Fulvia); 7 Pete Dalton/paul Bodset (Lotus Cortina); 8 Roger Fildes/seren Whyte (MGB); 9 Thomas Bricknell/roger Bricknell (Golf GTI); 10 Hugh Garnish/david Bell (Peugeot 205GT). Classes: Expert – Steele/pitt (Volvo); Novice – Jonathan Swales/sue Swales (Mini 1000).