Round eight: Trackrod Historic CupWhile Peter Slights and Joyce Champion won the category, Gareth Lloyd and Ryland clinched the 2006 HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge title during round eight, the Trackrod Historic Cup (7 October).With Slights/Champion not registered for the championship, Lloyd/James emerged from the Yorkshire forests with their seventh maximum score to finally put the championship out of reach and make it three titles in three years.
"The driver is very rusty and out of condition," joked Slights at service, having not rallied since March in his Escort Mk2. Instead, it was Jason Lepley/Howard Pridmore who led by 12s after a storming run through the opening stages. Unfortunately, Lepley's hopes of victory were dashed when mechanical dramas on the final leg of stages put them out.
Slights/Champion took over at the head of the Classics, while Lloyd/James chased. However, knowing that finishing the rally would confirm them as champions, the Welsh crew didn't attack too hard. "We're just trying to be sensible," admitted Lloyd. They finally finished seven seconds down on Slights.A great battle for third in the category raged between Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing and Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby and the place went to Slaughter by less than three seconds, which was about all that split them during the day. "The starter motor packed up, but it's an absolutely mint rally," reckoned Taylor.Rounding out the top six from an excellent Classic field were the Escorts of James Potter/Daniel Mayo and Martin Freestone/Joanne Oakey. However, a lack of power frustrated Freestone, particularly on the long straights of Dalby forest.
Another good battle centred on class D3 as Richard Lane/Frank Richer and Mark Clifford/Brett Clifford chased the class in their Escorts. Clifford got to within 4s of his rival on the penultimate stage in Cropton, but Lane responded in Gale Rigg to take the margin back out to 10 seconds.
Several new cars made their debuts on the event, including the Vauxhall Chevettes of Grahame Standen/Bill Cook and Roger Kilty/Dave Ruddock. Both finished well, with Standen taking a top 10 Classic finish and Kilty climbing a steep learning curve on his first forest rally. Meanwhile, the stunning Opel Ascona of Steve Magson/Geoff Atkinson retired at the end of the opening stage with a detached oil pipe, but will surely soon be going as well as it looks!
