PERFECT WEEKEND FOR ROSKELL ON THE CHEVIOT STAGES CHALLENGE
Neil Roskell and Andrew Roughead completed a perfect weekend by winning the Cheviot Stages Rally on Sunday over the daunting Otterburn Ranges.
Immediately before the event the organiser pulled off a minor miracle to salvage all but five miles of the planned route after permission to use certain roads was withdrawn in the week before the rally.
Fresh from victory in Scotland on Saturday, Roskell and Roughead enjoyed a day long contest with the fellow Ford Fiesta R5 crew of Gordon Morrison and Hannah McKillop and it was nip and tuck all day with the gap never bigger than 10 seconds.
Ultimately, Roskell edged it by just six seconds despite a stage-two puncture and a big moment on the grass on stage nine.
Morrison was happy enough with a productive test ahead of Mull and finished nearly a minute clear of Daniel Harper and Chris Campbell in their Mini WRC.
Jonathan Mounsey and Richard Wardle ran forth in their Fiesta Rall2 with Wardle one of several co-drivers out fresh from competing on the previous day’s Trackrod Rally.
Greg McKnight and Harry Marchbank topped the two-wheel-drive field in their Ford Escort Mk2, while notable class winners included Otterburn ace Barry Lindsey with Caroline Lodge on the notes in his Peugeot 106 GTI. Results
Organiser: Whickham and District Motor Club and Hadrian Motor Sports Club When: September 25 Where: Otterburn Championship: North of England Tarmac, Northern Historics, HRCR Mini Cup Starters: 51 Stages: 11.
1 Neil Roskell/Andrew Roughead (Ford Fiesta R5) 37m41s; 2 Gordon Morrison/Hannah McKillop (Ford Fiesta R5) +6s; 3 Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell (MINI WRC); 4 Jonathan Mounsey/Richard Wardle (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 5 Richard Slinger/Stuart Walker (Mitsubishi Lancer E6); 6 Greg McKnight/ Harry Marchbank (Ford Escort Mk2); 7 Michael Glendinning/ Emily Easton-Page (Subaru Impreza); 8 George Mackey/Mark Mason (Subaru Impreza); 9 Mark Borthwick/Harrison Malin (Ford Escort Mk2); 10 Ricky Wheeler/Tony Walker (Ford Escort Mk2). Class winners: Roskell/Roughead; Slinger/Walker; McKnight/Marchbank; Wheeler/Walker; Barry Linsday/ Caroline Lodge (Peugeot 106GTi); Nicky Cowperthwaite/Helen Hall (Opel Corsa); Clive King/Anton Bird (Austin Mini Cooper S).