HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL FOR WEETON CAMP VICTORY
Julian Hope and Reg Smith set a string of fastest stage times to bring their Proton Iriz R5 to victory on the Heroes
Stages Rally, finishing more than a minute ahead of the Ford Escort Cosworth of husband -and-wife pairing Keith and Jackie Richardson.
It was a day of firsts for Hope at Weeton, his first rally of the year, his first with co-driver Smith and his first ever outright rally win. Heading the standings throughout the Proton crew set fastest time on all but one stage, conceding SS3 to the Richardsons by a solitary second. Mike Taylor and Louise Gilks completed the podium places despite ending the final stage with their Sunbeam Lotus suffering some steering issues after an anti-roll bar snapped.
Steven Ormond-Smith and debutant co-driver Lucy Ward had been on course for a fourthplace finish before a last-stage altercation with a kerb left their Mitsubishi Lancer E9 minus a wheel. That allowed Dave Hornbrook and Ann Forster to move their Lancer E7 up the order as did Steve Hopewell and Mike Smith (Ford Escort Mk2).
Class 2 winners Adam Philpotts and Sion Rowland brought their
Nissan Micra home sixth, despite steering issues, ahead of the Class 4-winning Renault Clio 182 of David Gratrix and Iain Reece. There were also class wins for Peugeot 106 pairing Louis Baines and Kris Coombes and the Nissan Micra of Stephen and David Terry who finished eighth and ninth respectively. David Cluckie and Ealish Baxter found their BMW 325 to be down on power but still completed the top 10 while Mick Smith and Paul Stringer were the best of the Mini crews securing the 2022 Mini Cooper Challenge series in the process.
Max Speed and Alan Gilbert took the Junior Rally victory bring their Peugeot 107 home 16 seconds clear of the Citroen C1 of David Burden and Peter Williams.
Results
Organisers: Pendle & District Motor Club; Garstang & Preston Motor Club. When: August 7. Where: Weeton Camp, Nr. Blackpool. Stages: 8 Starters: 58.
1 Julian Hope/Reg Smith (Proton Iriz R5) 50m43s; 2 Keith Richardson/Jackie Richardson (Ford Escort Cosworth) +1m05s; 3 Mike Taylor/ Louise Gilks (Talbot Sunbeam Lotus); 4 Dave Hornbrook/Ann Forster (Mitsubishi Lancer E7); 5 Steve Hopewell/Mike Smith (Ford Escort Mk2); 6 Adam Philpotts/Sion Rowlands (Nissan Micra); 7 David Gratrix/Iain Reece (Renault Clio 182); 8 Louis Baines/Kris Coombes (Peugeot 106); 9 Stephen Terry/David Terry (Nissan Micra); 10 David Cluckie/Ealish Baxter (BMW 325). Class winners: David Clucas/Jess Quirk (Nissan Micra); Philpotts/Rowlands; Baines/Coombes; Gratrix/ Reece; Taylor/Gilks; Richardson/Richardson; Max Speed/Alan Gilbert (Peugeot 107).