Adgespeed Stages victory and Three Sisters title for Williams and Atherton
Adgespeed Stages
Organiser: Wigan & District Motor Club When: October 13 Where: Three Sisters Race Circuit, Wigan Championships: ANWCC; SD34; AWMMC; 6r4.com Three Sisters Rally Challenge Stages: 12 Starters: 50
Adam Williams and Rachael Atherton recorded their inaugural rally win when they took the Three Sisters Rally Challenge title in perfect fashion.
Aboard their Subaru Impreza, they finished seven seconds clear of Matt Pierce and Brad Sowerby’s Ford Escort Mk2 in second.
Peter Jackson and Craig Simkiss set the early pace, taking the fastest time on the opening pair of stages, but their Escort Mk2 was forced out on stage three with clutch issues. Pierce then took over at the head of proceedings and held it until stage nine, at which point Williams took the lead and didn’t relinquish it. Neil and Daniel Roskell took third place following stage five and, after changing the tyres on their Impreza, that’s where they finished.
Greg Williams, brother of the winning driver, and Richard Edwards brought their Impreza home fourth. Brandon Smith and Catrin Jones were next up in their Darrian T90 GTR as just one second separated them and the next two cars. Paul Murro and Callum Cross claimed sixth by virtue of their faster stage-one time, leaving fellow Ford Escort Mk2 incumbents John Richardson and Eric Wilcockson to settle for seventh.
Dave Roberts and Jonathan Kennedy had to complete the final three stages with no third gear but brought their Impreza home in eighth ahead of the Escort Mk2 of Andrew Morris and Chloe Thomas. Mike and Lewis English completed the top 10 despite gearbox problems with their Escort Mk2.
Matt and Adrian Walk recorded their first ever class win after finishing 16th overall to secure class B honours in their Ford Fiesta. Richard and Adam Kay claimed the class C prizes after finishing 12th in their Vauxhall Corsa.
Results
1 Adam Williams/ Rachael Atherton (Subaru Impreza) 29m48s; 2 Matt Pierce/ Brad Sowerby (Ford Escort Mk2) +7s; 3 Neil/ Daniel Roskell (Impreza); 4 Greg Williams/richard Edwards (Impreza); 5 Brandon Smith/catrin Jones (Darrian T90 GTR); 6 Paul Murro/ Callum Cross (Escort Mk2); 7 John Richardson/eric Wilcockson (Escort Mk2); 8 Dave Roberts/jonathan Kennedy (Impreza); 9 Andrew Morris/chloe Thomas (Escort Mk2); 10 Mike/lewis English (Escort Mk2).
Class winners: Mark Livesey/ Graham Brown (Nissan Micra); Matt/adrian Walk (Ford Fiesta); Richard/adam Kay (Vauxhall Corsa); Richardson/wilcockson; Williams/edwards.