Report by Phil James
The action packed day got underway in glorious sunshine with Chris Wise and co-driver Tracey Taylor-West from Thirsk fastest on stage one in their MG Metro 6R4. Unfortunately for them their rally ended prematurely on the following test when their Metro landed on the bonnet of the chasing Ford Escort of Welshman Mark Ellis and co-driver Chris Jones forcing both cars out of the rally.
This left the way for last year’s rally winner, Scotsman Bob Grant, together with his co-driver Pete Carstairs to take the lead in their Subaru Impreza. Hot on their heels were Fleetwood’s Mark Holmes and Tony Lindsay in their recently acquired MG Metro 6R4, despite centre differential problems rendering the four-wheel drive system ineffective with the car in rear wheel drive only.
A wrong slot on SS1 cost Mark Jasper and Don Whyatt a stage maximum and despite setting fastest time on all of the remaining eleven stages the Metro 6R4 crew would finish no higher than seventh.
Holmes meanwhile stuck doggedly to the task of hounding Grant until his good run ended on SS10 with broken suspension. Head gasket trouble accounted for the Escort Mk2 of Nigel Worswick and Amy Cadman allowing Brett Mitton and Derek Blyth, who had been slowed on SS2 by a puncture, to move their similar car into second place.
With Holmes out it was left to Richard Banks and Phil Peak to uphold South Shore honours finishing a fine third despite dropping 30 seconds on SS1 after scattering the marshals with their Impreza.
Peter Tattersall and Stephen Riley suffered brake problems with their Escort Mk2 and were going through tyres at an alarming rate but still finished a comfortable fourth ahead of Trevor Smith and Claire Rigg in another Escort Mk2.
Kevin Jeffray and Joe Parsons slotted their Impreza into sixth ahead of Jasper with the Fiesta of Howard MacPherson and Derek Schofield heading a trio of Class 3 contenders ahead of the Escort Mk1 of Malcolm Davey and Paul Slingsby and
the Datsun Violet of Dave Blackburn and Irvine Holtom. It was an extra hot day for the Violet crew as aside from the heat from the sun they had an under bonnet fire to contend with!
The pressure was really on Kirkham Carr Hill High School teacher Garry Houghton as he had two of his pupils competing against him! He needn’t have worried though as, together with co-driver Ian Wroe, he completed the rally in 19th place in the Peugeot 205. Finishing fifteen places behind him were final year pupils Adam Taylor and Matthew Berry in another 205, but unlike their teacher’s, their run had been a little more dramatic. Putting the car off the road on stage eight cost them over two minutes as they required the services of a posse of marshals to, first manhandle the car back onto the track, then push it to get it started again.
Steven Brown and Paul Stringer dominated the F1000s from the outset eventually finishing 41 seconds ahead of a second Nissan Micra in the hands of Stephen Johnson and David Barratt. Steven Crowther and David Batley headed Class 2 standings throughout in their Peugeot 205.
Amongst those who failed to finish were Ian Sibbert and Chris Thomas who retired their Escort Cosworth with rear driveshaft trouble, a wayward rear axle accounted for the Escort Mk2 of William Owen and Aled Edwards, whilst it was the clutch plate that finished off the MG ZR of Martin Farrar and Andy Ward. The Nova of Pete Gibson and Fiona Douglas fell victim to one of Weeton’s infamous kerbs.
South Shore’s Andy Leech and Alan Davies had been expected to be amongst the forerunners in the two-wheel drive cars. It wasn’t to be however as a faulty fuel pump sidelined their BMW M3 after stage seven. Already out at this point were Greenhalgh’s James and Chris Ford with turbo trouble on their Subaru Impreza.
Only 48 of the 75 cars that started the event made it to the finish, showing once again that when it comes to organising tough rallies Blackpool South Shore Motor Club certainly know how to do it!