MOFFETT WINS IN GR IZEDALE
Josh Moffett and Keith Moriarty stormed through the final stage almost a minute quicker than anyone else to snatch a dramatic late victory in their Ford Fiesta R5.
In doing so they demoted the Fiesta RS WRC of long-term leaders Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson into second place while John Wink and John Forrest completed the podium places in their Hyundai i20 R5.
As competitors started the opening 17.3-mile Grizedale stage, it had all but stopped raining but the earlier weather had already left its mark with the sodden forest tracks slippery in the extreme. Not that it seemed to bother Petch who stopped the clocks eight seconds up on the Subaru Impreza of Grizedale newcomers Jock Armstrong and Cameron Fair. Moffett was third at this point, 10 seconds adrift of Armstrong but eight better than the Hyundai i20 R5 of Wink and Forrest. Despite collecting a puncture, Thomas Preston and Carl Williamson completed the early top five in their Skoda Fabia R5.
Having survived an off into the undergrowth, Russ Thompson and Andy Murphy were only a second behind Preston in their Mitsubishi Lancer E9 but enjoyed a 12-second advantage over the seventh-placed Focus WRC06 of Peter Stephenson and Patrick Walsh. Late entrants Ian Bainbridge and Giles Dykes held eighth in their Impreza while Martin Scott/daniel Forsyth (Mitsubishi Lancer E9) and Alan Carmichael/ivor Lamont (i20 R5) completed the top 10.
A pair of Lancer E9s wouldn’t go any further, Michael Binnie and Claire Mole’s example suffering driveshaft failure and suspension issues forcing retirement for Richard Sykes and Simon Taylor.
Ahead of two runs through the 2.5 miles of Broughton Moor crews gained some respite in the form of a service break at Skelwith Fold and no one was more relieved with this than Armstrong. A burst sensor pipe was causing his Impreza to over boost, and with no spare, his service crew busied themselves trying to find a fix. A solution was ultimately found but from now on in he’d be running late on the road and suffer from the worsening weather conditions that began to develop.
Petch increased his lead to 15 seconds through the two short tests, despite Moffett setting a brace of fastest times to edge two seconds ahead of Armstrong in what was the only change to the top 10 order. With worsening weather conditions a second visit to Grizedale was all that remained.
Moffett mastered the conditions to take a remarkable win ahead of Petch – who was 59s slower on the last test – while Wink, who survived a spin at this point, acknowledged the help and advice he’d had from British champion Matt Edwards in helping to achieve his podium finish.
Armstrong was denied a top three finish when his visibility was impaired as a result of his heated screen failing two miles after the stage start and he slipped down the order finishing behind Preston, Thompson and Stephenson. An altercation with a bridge meant Scott slipped to 13th promoting Carmichael to ninth and allowing Bruce Mccombie and Michael Coutts to claim 10th despite putting their Focus WRC off in both Grizedale tests on their debut in the car.
Gary Tomlinson and Andy Murphy missed out on a top 10 finish when their Impreza spun, stalled and was reluctant to restart on the last stage.
Having their first outing since their accident on the Pirelli International Rally, Alan Walker and John Connor survived a final stage moment to bring their Escort home 11th overall and first in Class 3. Mark Shaw and James Coxon survived a first stage visit to a ditch to finish a fine 14th overall and take top Class 2 honours in their Sunbeam.
Results
1 Josh Moffett/ Keith Moriarty (Ford Fiesta R5) 44m46s; 2 Stephen Petch/ Michael Wilkinson (Ford Fiesta WRC) +44s; 3 John Wink/ John Forrest (Hyundai i20 R5); 4 Thomas Preston/ Carl Williamson (Skoda Fabia R5); 5 Russ Thompson/andy Murphy (Mitsubishi Lancer E9); 6 Peter Stephenson/ Patrick Walsh (Ford Focus WRC06); 7 Jock Armstrong/ Cameron Fair (Subaru Impreza); 8 Ian Bainbridge/ Giles Dykes (Impreza); 9 Alan Carmichael/ Ivor Lamont (i20 R5); 10 Bruce Mccombie/ Michael Coutts (Focus WRC).
Class winners: Eliot Retallick/ Emily Retallick (Peugeot 205); Mark Shaw/james Coxon (Talbot Sunbeam Ti); Alan Walker/john Connor (Escort RS1800); Andy Turner/ Steve Harris (Impreza RWD); Preston/ Williamson.