STAR OF THE RALLY

The enormity of Mat Smith’s achievement last weekend should not be overlooked.the former 1400 class driver had barely tested the Ford Fiesta R5, let alone rallied in it. Smith was on the pace from the start and arguably had enough pace in hand to finish ahead of Petch and Hunter by the end despite the latter pair’s mishaps. His trio of stage wins, and composure to defeat Payne on the final stage, were remarkable.