‘Giantkiller Reynolds wins with a Deepcut’
Organisers: Sutton and Cheam MC/ Craven MC When: December 29 Where: Deepcut Barracks, Surrey Stages: 8 Starters: 38 Jordan Reynolds and co-driver Peredur Davies put their Ford Fiesta R2T’S nimble handling to good use to win the Mini Tempest Rally against a host of higherpowered machinery.
Deepcut’s asphalt surface was dry but with muddy patches, which soon caught out frontrunner Pete Rayner; he hugely overshot a hairpin left on SS1. This handed the lead to Reynolds and the Fiesta driver worked hard to extend his advantage. He went fastest on six stages in a row and marshals reported he looked noticeably quicker than anyone else, particularly exiting tight corners.
By contrast, Rayner often had to fight his Escort’s wayward back end and lost further time. By SS5 the stage surface had cleared properly and speeds rose. But Reynolds cemented victory with a flourish on SS8, setting his seventh fastest time of the day.
Rayner suffered further minor overshoots but was rewarded with the runner-up spot and the Shawn Rayner Trophy as the top Ford Escort driver. Guy Wigley, third, drove sensibly throughout but had grip problems, particularly on a downhill section to a mid-stage hairpin-right. He remained ahead of a massive scrap for Class B honours between Matthew Ockendon/vicky Barry (Peugeot 205) and Neville Hudd/ Adam Quinn (Vauxhall Nova). Never more than five seconds apart, Ockendon overhauled his rival on SS5 and took fourth place by four seconds.
Results
1 Jordan Reynolds/ Peredur Davies (Ford Fiesta R2T) 36m10s; 2 Pete Rayner/aron Rayner (Ford Escort Mk2) +18s; 3 Guy Wigley/ Shaun Layland (Escort Mk2); 4 Matthew Ockendon/ Vicky Barry (Peugeot 205); 5 Neville Hudd/adam Quinn (Vauxhall Nova); 6 Darrell Taylor/ Steve Mcnulty (Mitsubishi Lancer E10); 7 Anthony Green/ Mike Wilcox (Escort Mk2); 8 David Edmunds/ Dom Jeans (Lancer E5); 9 Wayne Larbalestier/ Sarah Parrish (Lancer E3); 10 Ian Mundell/ Dale Gordon (Citroen C2).
Class winners: Matt Endean/ Suze Endean (Nissan Micra), Ockendon/ Barry, Kevin Hall/ Nick Taylor (Escort Mk2), Green/ Wilcox, Taylor/ Mcnulty.