ATKINSON BAGS ASPHALT RALLY CLASS SUCCESS
Darren Atkinson won the hotly contested class B13 on the
Asphalt Rally Championship after a final decider on the Isle of Man.
The honour of being the highestscoring two-wheel-drive car in the overall standings also fell to the Lancaster driver in his Ford Escort Mk2, who swept ahead in B13 when arch-rival Brad Cole retired after alternator failure in the challenging conditions.
It was not plain sailing for Atkinson as he hit a bank on the second stage and bent the Escort’s steering. He was able to borrow tools from the closely following Dave Willett at the end of the stage and carry on and finish the leg. After a fierce battle to be the best of the two-wheel drives, Atkinson said: “Brad has done a brilliant job all year.”
Atkinson’s co-driver on the Chris Kelly Memorial Rally was veteran
Phil Sandham, 73, who was concerned about his ability to keep delivering the notes on the demanding event.
“We kept telling Phil to stay alert,” admitted Atkinson before confessing that the team had been adding caffeine into Sandham’s water bottle on a regular basis to help keep him on his toes. They only let Sandham in on the secret at the finish.