GRIFFITHS CHARGES TO HIS FIRST RALLY WIN AT CADWELL PARK
John Griffiths and Emma Morrison kept their Ford Fiesta R5 ahead of the pack to score an impressive victory at Cadwell Park in the second round of the MN-supported Circuit Rally Championship.
On the opening stage Griffiths was three seconds down on the similar car of Paul Murro/ Callum Cross, before turning his deficit into a four-second lead at the second attempt. “We lost some time though as we were on the rev limiter on the straights,” said Griffiths.
Josh Payton/Jamie Vaughan (Ford Escort Mk2) had been only a second off Griffiths’ time on the opening stage but had to give best to Andy Scott/Laura Connell (Fiesta S2000T). “I was still cautious though, as we had been warned there was oil down,” Scott added. Ollie O’Donovan/Ashleigh Morris (Hyundai R5) was a further six seconds down in fifth after the second stage, with Kiaran Hankin/James Swallow (Peugeot 208 T16 R5) sixth.
While Griffiths trebled his lead on stage three, Murro was still five seconds clear of third. O’Donovan and Hankin held fifth and sixth, but behind them it was a tie for seventh, between the Escorts of Martin Hodgson/Tony Jones and Steve/Jack Tilburn, with Andy Corner/Ade Camp (Peugeot 205 GTi) and Nick Whale/Callum Young (Ford Fiesta Proto) filling the rest of the top 10.
There was one more stage before a long lunch break, which gave most of the crews plenty of time to question their tyre choice for the afternoon stages as the track continued to dry.
Griffiths was quicker again on SS4 before lunch, but only one second up on Murro and both Scott and O’Donovan outpaced Payton. Scott was back into third, while O’Donovan was joint fourth. “I was on old wets from the start and didn’t see any point in changing,” said O’Donovan, with Scott following suit. Hankin consolidated sixth, with seventhplaced Hodgson pulling a six-second gap over class rival Tilburn.
While his rivals stayed on wet tyres, Murro opted to try super softs for SS5, but Griffiths, Scott, Payton and O’Donovan were all quicker. “They felt OK but then I saw my time,” said Murro, with
Former GT racer John Griffiths won at Cadwell Park
Scott now only four seconds off second place. “I will be pushing on now, as we are not here to make up the numbers,” Scott admitted, before reducing the gap on stage six. Having climbed to ninth, Whale retired on SS6, sliding off and hitting the barriers head on at Coppice.
It was starting to look safe for Griffiths as the battle for second intensified, but the last two stages were ran the dark. Scott had beaten Murro’s time, but then stage seven was cancelled after Payton rolled spectacularly on the steep drop down to the pitlane and so it was straight into the final stage.
Although O’Donovan was quickest, Griffiths took his first win with 28 seconds in hand over Scott, with Murro losing out by just three seconds as he slipped to third. O’Donovan and Hankin were fourth and fifth respectively and Tilburn claimed a late sixth, when Hodgson suffered alternator problems and retired on the last stage.
The late retirements brought Tony Robinson/Paul Spooner (Skoda Fabia R5) up to take seventh, from class winners Corner and Paul Walker/Liam
Whiteley (Mitsubishi Lancer E9), while Paul Kirtley/David Jones (Subaru Impreza WRC) rounded off the top 10.
In Class 1 Charlie Barlow/ Tommi Meadows (Nissan Micra 1400S) turned a 55s stage-one lead into a six-minute victory over Kay Thompson/Charlotte Wainwright (Micra). Ian Barnes/ Jason Cutter (Ford Ka) had been second on stage one but hit a gatepost on the paddock exit on stage two and retired.
After playing second fiddle to the Vauxhall Nova of William and Alex Routledge at the start, Daniel Poole/Alex Irvine Holtom (Vauxhall Corsa S1600) eased away to win Class 2. Payton had had kept Corner at a safe distance in Class 3 until he rolled out on SS7. So Corner took the class.
Hodgson eased away from Tilburn in the Class 4 Escort duel but Tilburn took the spoils when the final stage claimed his rival, while Alasdair Stables/ Neil Jones (Vauxhall Chevette HSR) came home second. Walker was a dominant Class 5 winner, having headed Nathan Bolton/Jason McTear (Lancer E9) car all day.