NICHOLLS AND BROOM WAIT FOR ONE WIN – AND THEN TWO COME ALONG
Will Nicholls and co-driver Nick Broom took their second rally win in less than a month at the Red Dragon IT Stages.
Staying mechanically trouble-free throughout 10 long, tough stages, the Ford Fiesta R5+ pairing took the lead from early pacesetters Rob Dennis / Andrew Boswell on SS4 and were never headed thereafter.
As Down Ampney’s notoriously slippery surface caused numerous spins and overshoots throughout the field of 75 starters, Nicholls’s only indiscretion was one spin on SS2; he went on to set eight consecutive fastest stage times, pulling clear to win by 1m32s.
Second-placed Dennis set a fierce pace early on, his prototype Skodaru Fabia handling particularly well in the twister parts of the stages.
Having conceded the lead to Nicholls he continued to push hard, fending off the twin challenges of Simon Mansell / Shaun Layland and Stefan Davies / Daniel Petrie.
Despite a time-consuming overshoot on the final stage, he held determinedly on to runner-up spot.
Mansell / Layland drove strongly all day to take third, in their second rally together. Their three-litre, rear-wheel drive Ford Escort Mk4 held off Davies / Petrie’s Ford Escort Mk2 by 29 seconds after a tough scrap for over-two litre class honours.
Results
Red Dragon IT Stages Rally Organiser: EMCOS When: May 29 Where: Down Ampney, Glos Championships: Cotswold MSG Stage Rally, AWMMC Heart of England, WAMC Welsh Tarmacadam Stages: 10 Starters: 77. 1 Will Nicholls/Nick Broom (Ford Fiesta R5+) 1h 23m 31s; 2 Rob Dennis/Andrew Boswell (Skoda Fabia Proto) +1m 32s; 3 Simon Mansell/ Shaun Layland (Ford Escort G4); 4 Stefan Davies/Daniel Petrie (Escort Mk2); 5 Gary Thomas/Linda Thomas (Escort Mk2); 6 Wayne Lloyd/William Lloyd (Escort Mk2); 7 Richard Merriman/Kathryn Curzon (Darrian T90); 8 Tim Freeman/Paul Williams (Escort Mk2); 9 Steve Hopewell/Paul Smith (Escort Mk2); 10 Peter Hedges/ James Hedges (Escort Mk2). Class winners: Stephen Pritchard/Dan Evans (Nova SR); Matt Wood/Val Thompson (Corsa B GSi); Lloyd/Lloyd; Mansell/Layland; Nicholls/Broom.