Graham and Kellard scoop Belgian winErnie Graham and Robin Kellard claimed another victory on round five of the HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge, the Historic Tour of Flanders over the weekend (11/12 September).The Classic Challenge ran alongside the Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship for the 82-mile event on the tarmac lanes of the Belgian countryside, in a route contained within seven miles of the rally base in Roeselare.The Belgian win has taken Graham/Kellard (Mk1 Escort) ever closer to the HRCR Classic title, but with two rounds still to run in Yorkshire and mid-Wales it is not over yet.Flanders dealt a crushing blow to Gareth Lloyd and Ryland James in the Mk2 Escort from West Wales Rally Spares. The Holbay-engined car was leading the event securely heading into the final stage at Passendale, when an engine rattle that had worried them throughout the second day suddenly worsened. Fearing a dropped valve, Lloyd parked up rather than risk further engine damage. It was a cruel end to a fine performance.Graham sportingly acknowledged that it had been Lloyd's rally. "I'm so sorry for Gareth, he really deserved the win," said Graham after moving through to take victory on that fateful last stage. The result left Graham/Kellard with maximum points for the third event in a row.Fresh from winning the Classic award a week earlier on the Ulster Rally, Martin Freestone tackled the Belgian event in his Mk2 Escort with Mark Ellison on the pace notes.Despite a slight problem when the gearbox started jumping out of fifth gear, Freestone/Ellison had an excellent run to finish second, only half a minute down on Graham/Kellard.The HRCR Classic Challenge now heads to Yorkshire for round six, the Trackrod Rally on 2 October when a strong Classic entry is expected.