Double delight as Henderson takes another victory
David Henderson and Sion Cunniff made it two successive wins in the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship, with fastest times on all seven stages of the Dukeries Motor Club’s Donington Rally in their Ford Fiesta R5.
Points leaders Neil Roskell and Andrew Roughead headed the pursuers until stage four. “I had upped my game and was flying on the first lap, but on the Craner Curves the red light came on,” explained Roskell. “I had snapped a belt idler pulley and it had punctured the radiator.” Henderson was left with an ever-increasing lead.
The Darrian of former champions Barry Morris and Tom Hutchings had managed to close on John Griffiths and Nigel Wetton (Fiesta R5). They ended stage three tied, before Morris then went ahead and then, following Roskell’s retirement, he was 38 seconds off Henderson at the end.
Griffiths tried to close on Morris again, but a mistake on the penultimate test cost him another 4s. He retained third but was only 2s up on Andy Scott and Laura Connell (Fiesta S2000T).
The Hyundai R5 of Ollie O’donovan and Ashleigh Morris was fifth and, despite doing the second half of the rally in two-wheel drive after the front diff failed, Mark Jasper and Don Whyatt completed the top six in their Metro 6R4.
The final round of the championship is at Cadwell Park on 3 April.