A daunting 17-mille opening stage in Radnor set the pattern for the rest of the Seven Valley Historic Rally, round three of the 2007 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship on Saturday (2 June).
Richard Tuthill/John Bennie led both category 2 and the overall event from start to finish in their Porsche 911 to score an overdue first win of the season. Meanwhile, Jimmy McRae/Andy Richardson (Ford Escort Mk2) and Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) were never headed on the way to victory in their respective categories.Category 1‘Brilliant’ was Nutt’s first word after pulling out a 34-second lead over Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies (Sunbeam Tiger) in the opening stage in Radnor. “It just wasn’t a Tiger stage, there were too many chicanes and 90s for us,” said Watts.
Philip Atkinson/Simon Coates led fellow Lotus Cortina crew Jonathan/Graham Gale, with Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson hot on their heels. It was fortunate for Gale that it was hot and dry, “I checked the oil before the start and the bonnet flew off 100 yards into the start, so we had to carry on without it,” he explained.
Stage three in Halfway had a dramatic effect on the leader board. “We got a puncture with four miles to go, drove to the finish and then changed, but the spare was only 22psi,” Nutt explained. However, Watts was unable to capitalise on his rival’s misfortune, as he went off and out of the rally. Suddenly Nutt’s previously unassailable lead was down to just 11s over Atkinson, with two stages left in the Epynt region.
Nutt held onto a well-deserved victory, however. “I went better in the afternoon, but still couldn’t catch Dessie. In the morning we had been in reverse four times, with chicanes and hairpins,” said Atkinson, after winning class B4. Stuart Rolt/Richard Pomfret (Porsche 911) pipped Gale for third on the final stage. “I was so off the pace on the first stage, but then got going and started to trade some top times. I mustn’t have six months off again,” said Rolt on his first rally since November. The Lotus Cortinas of Calvert/Cookson and Bob Bean/Colin Thompson completed the top six.
In class B2 Clive King and Bob Ward attacked the stages with typical gusto to dominate in their Mini Cooper S. “We were down on power on the first stage, then changed the plugs and it was fine,” said King. Terry Cree/Richard Shores (Mini Cooper S) had an early battle with the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton, before Stait retired in Halfway.
The Saab 92 of Nick Pinkett/Alex Lucking ran solo in class B3, and despite fuel pressure and overheating problems, they made it back to the finish in Builth Wells.Category 2Tuthill/Bennie established themselves at the top of the stage times from the start, and despite being held up on the opening stage, they still had a lead of 11s over fellow Porsche crew Sean Lockyear/Chris Wood after the Radnor test. “It was a messy stage for us,” said Tuthill. “No problem, after about two or three miles I really got to grips with it,” Lockyear replied.Although Nick Whale and Sally Wood were third in their Porsche 911, Nick was far from happy. “That was slow, I psyched myself out a bit, it was more meow at the start than grrr, when the green light went,” he reckoned. Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon made a flying start in their C3 Escort Mk1 to hold fourth, from fellow Escort crew Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard.
Tuthill was never seriously threatened again, after Lockyear punctured on stage two, but still retained a strong second. “They were good stages. It was good fun and we got a result,” said the victorious Tuthill.
David Stokes/Guy Weaver (Ford Escort Mk1) took third in the category and first in C5 after Whale went off on the Epynt R60 stage. “It was a double caution and a right-hander which I thought we’d done, so we were flat and went off backwards a long way,” Whale explained.
Although Whale got going again and fought back on the last stage, Stokes still held the place by less than a second to add another strong result to his championship campaign. “I was a bit slow out of the blocks this morning, so had to fight for it,” said Stokes. Graham Samuel/Tony Phillips followed Stokes home in C5 in their Escort Mk1.
Morgan/Kenyon held onto a superb fifth place and a resounding C3 win, while Phil Rogers/Steve Weston were pipped for second in C3 by Neal James/Kevin Jones on the final stage. “We hit a gate post in Radnor when I grabbed the handbrake too hard at a hairpin, and then lost the brakes on the last stage,” said Morgan.
In C2 Vince Bristow/Dean Mitchell (Escort Mk1) reigned supreme. “Apart from a bit of ditch hooking and a few slides, it went well,” said Bristow. “We just couldn’t match Vince’s times,” replied second place John Worthing/Bill Robertson, while Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes rolled out of the rally in their Escort Mexico.Category 3McRae/Richardson had a faultless drive to dominate category 3. “We caught Stokes towards the end of Radnor; well that’s our excuse,” said McRae, after their Escort pulled out a first stage lead of 12s over Martin McCormack/Liam Moynihan. “I had to get into the flow with the tight hairpins, and then it was okay,” said McCormack on his first rally in Wales. Only three seconds initially covered the next three Escorts of Steven Smith/John Nichols, Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James and James Potter/Steve Smallbone, before Lloyd upped his pace on stage two to snatch second from McCormack. “I’m always a slow starter, so today was better than usual,” admitted Lloyd.
McCormack kept the pressure on and snatched the place back on the final stage. “I had a half spin on Epynt and that made me push harder on the last stage,” said McCormack. “I just didn’t expect Martin to come back like that. He’s becoming a nuisance,” reckoned Lloyd. Smith and Potter held station behind, with Jason Lepley/Howard Pridmore completing the top six in their Escort.
Richard Perry and Clive Townend (Talbot Sunbeam) were unchallenged in D2, while Simon Hawthorn and Steve McPhee (Ford Escort Mk2) were never headed in D3. “A misfire on stage one and the diff leaked all day, and it was noisy,” said Hawthorn of their rally. Richard Lane/Frank Richer (Escort Mk2) chased Hawthorn until they went off on Epynt. “We were bit late at a 90 right, then I didn’t see the ditch as we tried to get back on,” explained Lane. Despite their gearbox being ‘on its last legs’, Stuart Thomas/Mark Keherin claimed second in D3.
