STONE POUNDS HIS RIVALS FOR GLORY
John and Alex Stone set the pace from the off and 11 quickest stage times from the 12 tests ensured the VW Polo GTi R5 crew finished with a 28-second winning margin over Jason and Lee Wilson’s Darrian T90 GTR.
For much of the day it was the Darrian of Mark Smith and Tim Nunn who posed the biggest challenge but once they crashed out on stage nine that left the way clear for the Wilson example to take second place.
Completing the podium places were Jonathan Mousey and Richard Wardle who were testing anti-roll bar and suspension settings on their Ford Fiesta Rally2 ahead of the Jim Clark Rally.
Having had a frantic day moving up and down the standings as they tried different tyre compounds, Kevin Furber and Colin Blunt claimed the Class E awards after finishing fourth in their Peugeot 208 R5.
Mark Jasper and Don Whyatt, following their early retirement at Leconfield the previous week, had a trouble-free run in their Ford Escort Mk2 to take fifth place ahead of the Subaru Impreza of Adam Williams and Rachael Atherton.
Berwyn Evans and Iwan Pritchard, who survived a stage-three spin in their Escort Mk2, finished on equal time to the Class D-winning Darrian T9 of Mike Gilman and Jonathan Needham. The Escort crew claimed seventh place by virtue of their better stage-one time.
More Escorts completed the top 10 with Three Sisters debutants Gareth Hughes and Ifan Devine finishing ninth ahead of Bertie Morton and Mark Walker. Brandon Smith and his rookie co-driver, 15-year-old Joshua Howard, made a gallant effort to claim a top-10 finish with their Darrian T90 suffering a slipping clutch throughout before finishing 11th.
Results
Organisers: Wigan & District Motor Club When: May 8 Where: Three Sisters Race Circuit, Wigan Championships: ANWCC; SD34. Stages: 12 Starters: 50.
1 John Stone/Alex Stone (VW Polo GTi R5) 26m19s; 2 Jason Wilson/Lee Wilson (Darrian T90 GTR) +28s; 3 Jonathan Mounsey/Richard Wardle (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 4 Kevin Furber/ Colin Blunt (Peugeot 208 R5); 5 Mark Jasper/ Don Whyatt (Ford Escort Mk2); 6 Adam Williams/Rachael Atherton (Subaru Impreza); 7 Berwyn Evans/Iwan Pritchard (Ford Escort Mk2); 8 Michael Gilman/Jonathan Needham (Darrian T9); 9 Gareth Hughes/Ifan Devine (Ford Escort Mk2); 10 Bertie Morton/Mark Walker (Ford Escort Mk2). Class winners: Gareth Roberts/Sarah Hughes (Citroen AX GTI); Richard Kay/Adam Kay (Vauxhall Corsa); D Gilman/Needham; E: Furber/Blunt.