Mighty Subaru Impreza duo Morrison and Macpherson win at Warcop
Organiser: Kirkby Lonsdale MC, Eden Valley MC & Northallerton Automobile Club When: August 26 Where: Warcop, Cumbria Championships: STRC; NETRC; ANWCC; ANCC; STRC; NHMSC; KLMC; BECC Stages: 7 Starters: 83.
Gordon Morrison and Calum Macpherson took a well-earned victory in their Subaru Impreza WRC after surviving a fifth-stage excursion to regain the lead from the Ford Escort Mk2 of runners-up Rob Snowden and Mark Fisher.
After being forced to tackle the final stage with no antilag as a result of a cracked exhaust manifold, Morrison finished with an 18-second winning margin over Snowden who said he was frustrated by being baulked by slower cars.
Barry Groundwater and Neil Shanks completed the podium places in their Mitsubishi Lancer E10 despite dropping time on the penultimate stage undertaking a multi-point turning exercise following a half-spin on a narrow section of track.
A pair of Subaru Impreza WRCS fought over fourth place. Chris Ford and Neil Colman got the upper hand after they out-paced Brian Watson/sean Donnelly on the final stage.
Class 2 winners Donald Bowness and Paul Gribben took seventh place, despite putting their Vauxhall Nova off on stages one and seven, ultimately finishing two seconds ahead of James Gibb and Charley Sayer-payne’s Mitsubishi Lancer E8.
Completing the top 10 were Colin Gemmell and Derek Keir’s Escort Mk2 and the Impreza of Murray and Mark Grierson who dropped time on stage four with a throttle issue.
The event was briefly halted on stage three for Martin and Sarah Payne’s crash. Martin was kept in hospital for observation.
Results
1 Gordon Morrison/ Calum Macpherson (Subaru Impreza) 1hr06m53s; 2 Rob Snowden/ Mark Fisher (Ford Escort Mk2) +0m18s; 3 Barry Groundwater/ Neil Shanks (Mitsubishi Lancer E10); 4 Chris Ford/ Neil Colman (Subaru Impreza WRC); 5 Brian Watson/ Sean Donnelly (Impreza WRC); 6 Ian Paterson/ Harry Marchbank (Impreza); 7 Donald Bowness/ Paul Gribben (Vauxhall Nova); 8 James Gibb/ Charley Sayer-payne (Lancer E8); 9 Colin Gemmell/ Derek Keir (Escort Mk2); 10 Murray Grierson/ Mark Grierson (Impreza).
Class winners: Stephen Bethwaite/ann Forster (Vauxhall Nova); Bowness/ Gribben; Kenny Moore/ Richard Wardle (Hillman Avenger); Gemmell/ Keir; Ford/ Colman.