Historic Rally Car Register report
Organiser: Vale of Clwyd When: August 31 Where: North Wales. Starters: 62
Ian Crammond and Matt Vokes (Mercedes 280SL) took an assured victory in the season’s last round in North Wales. The 2018 champions were followed home by Dermot Carnegie/paul Bodset (Escort RS2000) and Richard Isherwood/ Nick Bloxham (Golf GTI). The result secured the Drivers’ Championship for Isherwood and the Navigators’ Championship was retained by Vokes.
The rally began, as usual, with the first test at Loggerheads just a mile from the start. The sharpest early morning risers were Thomas and Roger Bricknell (Golf GTI) from Carnegie/bodset. Round the hedges in Loggerheads will always catch someone trying too hard early on, this year it was Phil Mills and David Richards in the Motorsport News Lancia Fulvia: the two former World champions earned a maximum.
The other Fulvia of Andrew Johnson/ David Boyes won Regulation 1 from Crammond/vokes and Peter Engel/ Mark Dunkerley (Golf GTI). This led to a brilliant test at Mostyn Hall, where Carnegie/bodset powered their way ahead of Gareth Hockridge/rob Henchoz (Volvo 121S) and John Haygarth/ David Taylor (Kadette Rallye).
Regulation 2 and two tests remained before coffee, the test was a 47-minute Jogularity (where competitors follow the instructions not the map – which is fine so long as the drivers are going the right way). Crammond/vokes dropped only eight seconds and won easily from the Bricknells. The tests around Ruthin Auction Mart were taken again by Carnegie/bodset, this time from Howard Warren/paul Crosby (Porsche 911) and Isherwood/bloxham. At coffee, the top three were Crammond/vokes, the Bricknells and Isherwood/bloxham separated by 23 seconds.
Reguation 3 ran south of Ruthin to Gwyddelwern. Johnson/boyes dropped eight marks with a gaggle of cars including Paul Wignall/mark Appleton (Giulietta) and Paul Dyas/ Martyn Taylor (Volvo 121S) following.
The regular quarry tests at Wern Ddu were next, run downhill. Clive and Anji Martin (Escort Sport) were bravest from Darrell and Nicky Staniforth (Cooper S) and Harvey Steele/martin Pitt (Volvo 144), while the Bricknells retired here with engine problems.
Regulation 4 took the crews back to Ruthin for more tests at the market. Johnson/boyes took the win while Carnegie/bodset and Isherwood/ Bloxham shared the tests. This meant that Isherwood/bloxham held a two-second advantage over Crammond/vokes at the halfway point.
A really well-thought out regulation 5, the Vale of Clwyd has some of the best rally roads in the country and
Andy Darlington and the Clwyd Vale team really excelled, finishing with a descriptive plot ‘n’ bash section using private land. Crammond/vokes won from Ted Gaffney/bob Hargreaves (Golf GTI) and Crammond/vokes were quickest again on the next, this time shared with Wignall/appleton.
Two more tests won by Johnson/ Boyes from Isherwood/bloxham preceded the last regulation, where three cars – Crammond/vokes, Wignall/appleton and Darren Everitt/ Susan Dixon (Triumph 2000) – all tied.
A final dash round the Auction Mart was won by Carnegie/bodset from the Staniforths.
Results
1 Ian Crammond/matt Vokes (Mercedes 280SL) 20m59s; 2 Dermot Carnegie/paul Bodset (Escort RS 2000) 21m52s; 3 Richard Isherwood/ Nick Bloxham (Golf GTI); 4 Ted Gaffney/ Bob Hargreaves (Golf GTI); 5 Paul Dyas/ Martyn Taylor (Volvo 121S); 6 Harvey
Steele/ Martin Pitt (Volvo 144); 7 Darrell Staniforth/ Nicky Staniforth (Cooper S); 8 Paul Wignall/ Mark Appleton (Giulietta); 9 Stephen Owens/ Richard Lambley (Porsche 911); 10 Peter Engel/ Mark Dunkerley (Golf GTI). Class winners: Expert: Engel/ Dunkerley Novice: Paul Bloxidge/james Bloxidge (Golf GTI). Final standings, drivers: 1 Isherwood 83; 2 Staniforth 75; 3 Steele 64; 4 Crammond 57; 5 Bricknell 54. Navigators: 1 Vokes 77; 2 Staniforth 75; 3 Pitt 64; 4 Bricknell 62; 5 Ian Canavan 48.