Four wins from four events for Mellors and Proton Iriz
Organiser: Furness & District Motor Club When: December 7 Where: Ambleside Championships: ANCC; ANECCC; NHRC Stages: 5 Starters: 57
Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress were fastest on the final stage and took what appeared to be a comfortable win on the Grizedale Stages Rally, the winning margin 45 seconds in their Proton Iriz R5.
But, as is often the case, it wasn’t that straight forward, as Jock Armstrong and Cameron Fair had started the final 18-mile Grizedale test with a seven-second advantage in their Subaru Impreza over the Ford Fiesta RS WRC of Thomas Preston and Carl Williamson.
Mellors and Windress were a further seven seconds back and seemingly unlikely to make it four wins from four in the Iriz.
But, with just three miles remaining, Armstrong’s Impreza touched a bank and spun, forcing him to drive back up the stage to spin the battered Impreza around before continuing.
Worse befell Preston as, having set a brace of fastest times through the two Broughton Moor stages, he then failed to make the final Grizedale stage start owing to an alternator failure that couldn’t be rectified.
Earlier in the day Mellors had been quickest through the first Grizedale nine-miler, but a puncture midway into
Grizedale South that then wiped out a brake pipe dropped him to third. He also had to contend with three-wheel braking through the Broughton Moor tests before the issue could be resolved at service.
That allowed Armstrong to move into top spot with Preston in close contention and it stayed that way up until the finalstage drama.
Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson had a late scare, backing off in the final stage after fearing the rear tyres on their Fiesta RS WRC had lost their effectiveness. Some ominous noises from the rear differential on the final road section suggested that may have been the problem but they made the finish to complete the podium.
Seb Perez and Alex Lee were giving a UK gravel rally debut to M-sport’s new Fiesta R5 Mk2 and, despite collecting a pair of punctures, finished fourth. Alan Carmichael and Claire Williams had to contend with a misting windscreen throughout and, despite a stall at a SS5 hairpin, brought their Impreza home fifth.
More Imprezas followed, headed by Daniel Hiorns and Chris Purvis. They had punctured on stage two and gained three places over the final stage despite the alternator failing. That feat was matched by Gary Tomlinson and Liam Whiteley, who suffered a last-stage halfspin but still claimed seventh place.
The WRC version of Phil and Simon Pickard finished eighth.
It was a tough event for Simon Bowen who had to drive most of the stages ‘as seen’ after co-driver Richard Robinson fell ill and was unable to read any notes after the opening stage. The Fiesta S2000T crew finished ninth, ahead of John Rintoul and Ross Hynd, who survived a couple of excursions in their Skoda Fabia S2500.
Barry Lindsay and Caroline Lodge finished 11th to claim the Class 2 and first two-wheel-drive award in their Peugeot 206, but only after reeling in the Talbot Sunbeam Ti of Mark Shaw and James Coxon on the final stage.
Results
1 Ollie Mellors/ian Windress (Proton Iriz R5) 45m58s; 2 Jock Armstrong/ Cameron Fair (Subaru Impreza) +45s; 3 Stephen Petch/ Michael Wilkinson (Ford Fiesta RS WRC); 4 Seb Perez/alex Lee (Fiesta R5); 5 Alan Carmichael/claire Williams (Impreza); 6 Daniel Hiorns/chris Purvis (Impreza); 7 Gary Tomlinson/liam Whiteley (Impreza); 8 Phillip/simon Pickard (Impreza); 9 Simon Bowen/ Richard Robinson (Fiesta S2000T); 10 John Rintoul/ross Hynd (Skoda Fabia S2500).
Class winners: Pete Gorst/ Phil King (Vauxhall Nova); Barry Lindsay/ Caroline Lodge (Peugeot 206); John Lowe/dave Robson (Ford Escort Mk2); Mike Wolff/mark Twiname (BMW E30); Perez/lee.