ARMSTRONG CONQUERS ALL ON GRIZEDALE
Jock Armstrong and Cameron Fair took their Subaru Impreza to a mightily impressive Grizedale victory finishing 50 seconds ahead of the VW Polo GTi R5 of Brendan Cumiskey and Martin Connolly.
The rally started on Friday night with a five-mile test in Grizedale East, a venue that had not had stage rally action for more than 25 years. Niall McCullagh and Ryan McCloskey were quickest, their Ford Fiesta Rally2 stopping the clocks five seconds up on the similar car of Elliot Payne/ Patrick Walsh whose time was matched by the Armstrong/ Fair Impreza.
Once Armstrong took hold of the lead on Saturday’s opening 8.5 miles of Grizedale North he didn’t loosen his grip despite a puncture on the following Grizedale South test where closest challenger Payne, who had an off in SS2, set fastest time. Heading into service it was the Skoda Fabia R5 of Arron Newby/
Jamie Edwards that held third, and with the leading trio separated by just 15s the final 18.55-mile Grizedale West stage promised to be decisive.
Having to stop and change punctures ruined both Payne and Newby’s days as Armstrong secured his first Grizedale victory having finished second twice before. He said: “I attacked it like it was only a three or four miler, keeping the pace on through the corners, going wide maybe 20 times, but that was one of my best day’s rallying in the last five years.”
Cumiskey moved up the order to second as Russ Thompson/ Stephen Link switched to harder tyres to help seal third in their Mitsubishi Lancer E9. Angus Lawrie/Paul Gribben survived a spin and stall in SS3 to bring their E9 home fourth while Vivian Hamill/Lorcan Moore (Polo GTi R5) completed the top five. Alan Carmichael/Arthur Kierans (Hyundai R5) had been in that mix before collecting two last-stage punctures.
Charles Payne/Carl Williamson got away with a brief excursion to take sixth place in their Fiesta Rally2 after holding off a close challenge from the sensational Honda-powered Lada Riva of Shane McGirr/ Denver Rafferty who finished three seconds behind.
Demisting issues slowed Phil Pickard/Simon Pickard’s Fiesta S2000T on Friday night before brake problems on Saturday and they finished eighth.
Results
Organisers: Furness & District Motor Club. When: December 2/3 Where: Ambleside
Championships: ANECCC; Motorsport UK English Rally Championship. Stages: 4
Starters: 83.
1 Jock Armstrong/Cameron Fair (Subaru Impreza) 47m39s; 2 Brendan Cumiskey/Martin Connolly (VW Polo GTi R5) +50s; 3 Russ Thompson/Stephen Link (Mitsubishi Lancer E9); 4 Angus Lawrie/Paul Gribben (Mitsubishi Lancer E9); 5 Vivian Hamill/Lorcan Moore (Polo GTi R5); 6 Charles Payne/Carl Williamson (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 7 Shane McGirr/Denver Rafferty (Lada Riva); 8 Phil Pickard/Simon Pickard (Fiesta S2000T); 9 Matthew Robinson/Sam Collis (Ford Escort Mk2); 10 Mark McCulloch/John McCulloch (Escort Mk2). Class winners: Pete Gorst/Mark Twiname (Vauxhall Nova); Robert Proudlock/ Steven Brown (Opel Adam); Robinson/Collis; McGirr/Rafferty; Lawrie/Gribben.