Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Chris Browne and Ali Cornwell scored a fine victory in round seven of the 2006 Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Historic Tour of Flanders (9/10 September).As ever, two days of asphalt rallying on the lanes of Belgium was a tough test for the crews, but the Browne/Cornwell Escort Mk1 came though superbly to win by 26s from the similar car of Jeremy Easson/Den Golding.
In the historic category, Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies strengthened their bid for the overall BHRC title with a cracking victory in their Sunbeam Tiger.Historic (category 1)Watts/Davies were mighty in the Tiger to dominate category 1, finally winning by over three minutes from the Porsche 911 of Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride. "That was a long, hard rally that really sorted the men from the boys," reckoned Watts. "The Tiger's brakes were certainly better than on the Isle of Man!"Behind Nutt/McBride, third in category 1 went to the Ford Mustang of Geoff Crabtree/Bob Stokoe, while a great fourth overall and class B2 win went to the Mini Cooper S of Clive King/Bob Ward. They finished with around 10 minutes in hand over the second in class crew of Phil Foster/Tracey Wood (Ford Anglia). Out of luck once more in B2 were Mike Barratt and Jody Watson, with a holed piston on SS4 in their Mini Cooper.
Victory in B1 went to the Hillman Imp of Mike Smith/Keith Edwards, from the Mini Cooper of Gordon Cameron/Sheila Grimshaw.Post-historic (category 2)A fine battle raged for much of the event for category 2 victory as Browne/Cornwell tussled with the Escort Mk1 of Craig Salter/Preston Ayres. Only in the final loop of stages was the result settled when Salter/Ayres lost time with a trip into a field and Browne/Cornwell were secure as winners.The time lost by Salter/Ayres allowed Easson/Golding through to second, but third place for Salter was still a good reward for one of his best ever performances.
Although road penalties incurred after a gearbox change at service cost David Stokes/Guy Weaver a shot at victory, they still took fourth overall in post-historics to keep their title bid running strongly. Neil and Chris Parsons laid the memory of a big shunt a year earlier to rest by taking seventh overall after a good event in their Escort Mk1.
A fine C5 class victory went to Graham Wilson/Keith Fellowes (Porsche 911) as the class pacesetters hit trouble. Jimmy McRae/Campbell Roy put their Porsche 911 into a ditch late on the first day and retired, while Steven Smith/John Nichols battled through a catalogue of problems to finish well down, but still second in class.
"On the first loop of stages the pedal box started to work loose," said Smith. Despite all sorts of brake dramas and several moments, they challenged for the lead until more pedal problems cost them 12 minutes on Sunday. Smith was going to retire, but then they realised that they could still finish second in class, so they carried on.
A mighty C2 victory went to Vince Bristow/Dean Mitchell (Escort Mk1) from Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes, while the other major class contending Escort of John Worthing/Bill Robertson went out with oil pressure woes and then a spin into a concrete post. Class C3 went to Mark Creswell/Rachel Brockington (Escort Mk1), from Jonathan Ford/Peter Thomas (Escort).Classic (category 3)The rigours of Flanders took its toll on the category 3 cars competing in the HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge as Mark and Brett Clifford took maximum point in their class D3 Escort Mk2.Out of the event went Martin Freestone/Ryland James with an engine problem and Terry Brown/Paul Willetts with a diff failure on the same SS17. The opening day claimed the Escorts of Richard Lane/Frank Richer and Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood.
