CLASS ROUND-UP
David Mcmullan and Marc Melhuish (Vauxhall Nova) were denied the chance to continue an exciting scrap with Aaron Rix in MN Class A after the latter crashed. The two were rarely separated by more than a second, until Rix clipped a hay bale and rolled his Ford Ka on SS4. He was unhurt but unable to continue.
Andrew Chandler was 10 places below Mcmullan overall, but took second in the event’s Class 2 behind Mcmullan. Chandler was reunited with former co-driver Linda Ashman and the Ford Escort. Patrick Homan/dane Chapman’s Ford Puma was third in class, just five seconds behind Chandler.
Dale and Andrew Lawson were fourth in their MG ZR, which was enough to give them points for second in Class A in the MN Championship as neither Chandler or Homan were registered. Rounding out the top five in Class 2 – and third in MN Class A – were Craig Aston/nick Baker (Toyota).
Class B had a smaller field, but still plenty of drama. Paul Sheard, driving his Mazda MX-5 used by British Touring Car race winner Paul O’neill at Oulton Park for the opening round of the series, only just filed his championship registration in time for his class victory to count. He had built up a sizeable lead when he crashed on SS7, crunching both front wings. The damage was visible but mainly cosmetic. Sheard and co-driver Bruce Lindsay’s final class lead was still 57 seconds to Ken Sturdy’s Suzuki Swift.
Sturdy was hoping for his first full-length outing in the car, having crashed on the first stage at Oulton Park and damaged the car extensively. He made it to the end this time, thanks to a loan of a welder, which was used to repair a broken engine mount between stages six and seven.
Below Sturdy, Tony Read dropped two overall and class places on the last stage of the event, but it didn’t affect his MN Class B bid as he still took top three points.
Joshua Davey claimed MN Class C honours after finishing just outside the top three overall, despite a broken windscreen (see main report).
Ryan Connolly looked set to challenge for second, but a weakened steering arm left over from a crash at Oulton Park snapped on SS4.
It was Yorkshireman Dane Walker who took the spot. He was disappointed not to have made the top 10 overall, but was impressive nevertheless, as he had sat out the past two seasons then damaged his Ford Escort’s front wing on his comeback at Oulton. He was just in front of Benjamin Smith’s Renault Clio. Smith had been quick on the frosty opening stages, as befits a competitive downhill skier.
Tom Rawlings/alan Gilbert were never headed in Saturday’s Cadwell Park Junior Rally, the penultimate round of the Junior Formula 1000 Rally Championship.
Their Citroen C1 was quickest on six of the eight stages to head home James Hall/ Simon Bradley’s similar car by 31 seconds.
Robert Wilson/martin Haggett’s Peugeot 107 was third throughout, despite hitting a chicane. Steven Jones/ Christopher Brierley’s Nissan Micra completed the top four after Elliot Payne/ Simon John Rogers blew their Citroen C1’s engine. Eddie Lewis/sam Billam broke the steering and a driveshaft on stage four after hitting a chicane.