Bowen/robinson ease to victory in tricky conditions aboard Ford Fiesta S2000T
Heroes Stages Rally
Organiser: Pendle & District Motor Club; Garstang & Preston Motor Club. When: September 22 Where: Weeton Camp, nr Blackpool. Championships: ANWCC; ANCC; SD34; F1000 Junior; Junior 1000 Ecosse Stages: 9 Starters: 56.
Simon Bowen and Richard Robinson mastered the slippery conditions to bring their Ford Fiesta S2000T to victory, finishing almost two minutes ahead of the Ford Escort
Mk2 of Paul Murro and Callum Cross.
Wes Simpson and Joe Ford, fresh from their win on the Promenade Stages, were quickest from the off after surviving an overshoot in their Proton Satria Millington.
Tying for second place, four seconds behind, were Bowen and the Subaru Impreza of Neil and Daniel Roskell. Already out were Martin Farrar and Andy Ward after their Impreza suffered a head gasket failure.
Bowen snatched a lead he wasn’t to relinquish on stage two when Simpson suffered a spin, and worse was to come for Roskell who was forced to retire after clattering a kerb. Simpson’s rally ended on stage four when he came upon a water barrel lying across the stage and, in taking evasive action, he smashed a wheel on a kerb and elected to retire.
Murro now settled into second place with the Mitsubishi Lancer E4 of Dave Hornbrook and Ann Forster taking hold of third and making a top-three order that wouldn’t change.
Propshaft failure ended Ryan Simpson and Georgina Smith’s run, which promoted fellow Escort Mk2 incumbents Andrew Morris and Chloe Thomas to fourth. Brandon Smith and Catrin Jones were content with fifth as their Darrian T90 GTR was suffering from a slipping clutch.
John Deegan and Pauline Merrills survived a fourth-stage trip into the undergrowth to bring their Subaru Justy home sixth. James Ford and Ryan Griffiths drove their Escort
Mk2 straight from the Clitheronian Road Rally, in which they finished second, to take seventh place.
David Gratrix and Iain Reece’s Renault Clio 182 was plagued by bottom ball joints constantly working loose but they still finished eighth. On the final stage, Adam Williams and Rachael Atherton grabbed ninth place, edging their Impreza ahead of the Peugeot 205 GTI of Andy
Evans and Neville Boulds.
Lewis Hooper and Sam Bilham took the top Junior honours in their Nissan Micra after early leaders Rob Wilson and Martin Haggett inflicted extensive damage on their Citroen C1 following a stage-seven excursion.
Results
1 Simon Bowen/richard Robinson (Ford Fiesta S2000T) 1hr01m31s; 2 Paul Murro/callum Cross (Ford Escort Mk2) +1m54s; 3 Dave Hornbrook/ann Forster (Mitsubishi Lancer E4); 4 Andrew Morris/chloe Thomas (Escort Mk2); 5 Brandon Smith/catrin Jones (Darrian T9); 6 John Deegan/pauline Merrills (Subaru Justy); 7 James Ford/ryan Griffiths (Escort Mk2); 8 David Gratrix/iain Reece (Renault Clio 182); 9 Adam Williams/rachael Atherton (Subaru Impreza); 10 Andy Evans/ Neville Boulds (Peugeot 205GTI).
Class winners: Phil Shaw/paul Stringer (Nissan Micra); Deegan/merrills; Morris/thomas; Murro/cross; Ford/griffiths; Lewis Hooper/sam Bilham (Nissan Micra).