WEAVER TAKES THE SPOILS AS MEE SHOWS HIS FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE PACE
GET IT SIDEWAYS RALLY: DOWN AMPNEY APRIL 2
Subaru Impreza driver Nigel Mee topped the time charts at Down Ampney but, with his four-wheel-drive machine not eligible for overall awards, victory went to Ford Escort Mk2-mounted Neil Weaver.
Weaver beat venue first-timer Paul Morgan (Honda Civic) by five seconds with Steve Harkness, (Escort Mk2) third, one second behind.
On-stage conditions proved treacherously slippery early on as competitors contended with the aftermath of freezing overnight temperatures. Weaver spun and stalled twice on the opening test and languished in 21st place as a battle for the lead raged between Mee, Harkness, Lee Kedward (Mitsubishi Lancer E3) and Andy Corner (Peugeot 205 GTi).
Speeds rose as the course dried but near-misses and retirements were plentiful; Corner clouted a tree driving round a wrecked chicane, Mee had to reattach a broken exhaust manifold that sheared mid-stage and second seeds Ian and Oliver Hucklebridge retired after beaching their Escort Mk2 on a trackside bank.
Stage six proved pivotal, Kedward retired with a blown engine and Corner lost 2m30s when his Peugeot jammed in first gear. Weaver, meanwhile, set fastest times on stages six and seven and then went second fastest on stage eight to claim victory.
Second-placed Morgan starred on only his fourth-ever rally, changing tyres from slicks to wets and back again at just the right moment, anticipating a rain shower on stage seven where he was second fastest.
Harkness took third after a mechanically faultless drive, even though co-driver Paul Sanders had only one-and-a-half hours’sleep beforehand after travelling from Dublin. Fourthplaced Wayne and Will Lloyd suffered with an early lack of grip, but changing to soft compound slicks on the rear of their Escort improved things steadily and they won Class C.
Corner took fifth, setting a ferocious pace in the closing miles to regain most of the earlier lost time. He stayed ahead of Aled Wyn Morgan, who softened his Escort’s suspension several times during the day, which improved the handling noticeably.
Results
Organiser: Cheltenham Motor Club When: April 2 Where: Down Ampney, Wiltshire Championships: AWMMC Heart of England, Cotswold MSG.
Starters: 68. Stages: 10.
1 Neil Weaver/James Bailey (Ford Escort Mk2) 1h0m13s; 2 Paul Morgan/San Stafford (Honda Civic) +5s; 3 Steve Harkness/Paul Sanders (Escort Mk2); 4 Wayne Lloyd/William Lloyd (Escort Mk2); 5 Andy Corner/Ade Campo (Peugeot 205 GTi); 6 Aled Wyn Morgans/Rhys Jones (Escort Mk2); 7 Mark Lennox/Claire Lennox (Escort Mk2); 8 Chris White/Jason Harris (Escort Mk2); 9 Rex Ireland/Adrian Scadding (Escort mk2); 10 Chris Woodhouse/Alan Gilbert (Escort Mk2). 10 Chris Wheeler/Shaun Layland (Citroen DS3 R3T Max). Class winners: Stephen Pritchard/Jemma Taylor (Vauxhall Nova), Scott Barnes/Andy Hall (Peugeot 106 Rallye), Lloyd/Lloyd, Weaver/Bailey, Nigel Mee/John Fellowes (Subaru Impreza),
Rex Ireland/Adrian Scadding (Escort Mk2).