Escort ace Ross Le Noa wins first ever closed-road rally on Guernsey
Guernsey Rally By Ian Harden Organiser: Guernsey Kart and Motor Cycle Club When: February 24 Where: Guernsey, Channel Islands Stages: 16 Starters: 25
A faultless display of mistakefree driving over roads never used for rallying before gave Ross Le Noa/domonic Volante victory at the first-ever Guernsey Rally.
The Ford Escort Mk2 pairing led from SS1 and set 12 consecutive fastest times to beat fellow Jersey pairing Jeremy Baudains/james Ollivro (Escort Mk2) by 20.8 seconds.
Guernsey’s inaugural closed-road rally consisted of four loops of four stages, and with each test around one-mile long the lead battle stayed close all day.
Dry, sunny conditions made for a constant high pace and Baudains sat right on Le Noa’s tail. Even with a mid-rally alternator problem he never dropped below third fastest on any stage. But, the narrow lanes also claimed two potential frontrunners; Kevin Rumens/ Kay Taylor (Escort Mk2) ended the rally in a field after an overshoot and Guernsey crew Karl Robert/christian Pommier (Peugeot 205) hit a wall.
Third-placed Simon Le Noa/ Katie Le Blancq (Ford Anglia 2300) ran neck and neck throughout the rally with Darryl Morris/ollie Duquemin (Escort Mk2). Simon Le Noa eventually broke the stalemate by going overall fastest on SS13 and 14, allowing him to hold Morris’s late-rally charge at bay by 1.4 seconds. Dale Crowsley/ John Vaudain (Mazda MX-5) challenged for third early on but an eighth-stage spin cost them 10 seconds and dropped them to fifth.
Nissan Micra driver David Ginn made the long journey from Cambridge and, partnered by Guernsey co-driver Michael Timms, they overcame two overshoots and a minor gearbox problem to finish 15th overall and first in class. Results 1 Ross Le Noa/ Domonic Volante (Ford Escort Mk2) 19m3.1s; 2 Jeremy Baudains/james Ollivro (Escort Mk2) + 20.8s; 3 Simon Le Noa/ Katie Le Blancq (Ford Anglia 2300); 4 Darryl Morris/ Ollie Duquemin (Escort Mk2); 5 Dale Crowsley/john Vaudain (Mazda MX-5); 6 Mark Syvret/ Chris Fox (Escort Mk1); 7 Dave Oliviera/ Kevin Irving (Escort Mk2); 8 Neil Cotillard/ Helier Le Brun (Subaru Impreza); 9=Matthew Leggett/ Garry Toy (Escort Mk2); 9=Paul Trebert/ Will Rutherford (Peugeot 206).
Class winners: David Ginn/ Michael Timms (Nissan Micra); Trebert/ Rutherford; Morris/ Duquemin; Le Noa/ Volante; Cotillard/ Le Brun; Craig Robert/ Karl Marshall (Honda Civic).