Rally tests organisers but they come through
Last updated 19:44, Thursday, 17 July 2008
WEST Cumbria Motorsport Club's new forest rally, the Greystoke Stages ran last weekend, with a entry of 56 cars but only 41 finished in a fraught day for the organisers.
But despite the difficulties which caused significant delays to schedule the local club's event, which attracted entries from all over the country, was hailed a success.
The first stage saw early incidents to test the officials to the limit in what West Cumbria Motor Sport Club's first attempt at a Forest event.
Car 1 and first seed, Steve Petch went out of the event after his prop shaft broke free from his Mitsubishi Evo 9 and punctured his fuel tank, resulting in a small fire. Then there was big crash when a MK 2 Escort went over the flying finish upside down.
The next stage saw a few cars into ditches, again testing the recovery crews who performed so well throughout that they won the event's Spirit of the Rally Award.
But it was stage three that really tested them, and it was again the flying finish that caused one of the problems when a yellow Forth Engineering sponsored Scooby driven by one of our WCMC's, David Jackson crossed the flying finish upside down, rolling three times and resulting in the navigator Nicola Smith being taken to hospital for a checkup, but she back in the service park and okay by the end of the day.
The marshalls had just got that cleaned up when a Peugeot 205 went off and was then hit by another car, totally blocking the stage and causing the cancellation Stages Three and Four on safety grounds.
Things quietened down in the afternoon and with no major problems other than minor offs, the organisers could relax a little.
To their credit the organisers managed to add and extra stage to make up for those cancelled event despatched messengers to Penrith to get the paperwork printed.
Only two club members didn't finish the rally, David Jackson/Nicola Smith was one and Willie Jarman/Mark Fisher who, blew the differential on their Cosworth on Stage Three.
First WCMC member home was navigator Richard Millener fourth overall and Alex Benn was four places behind him, eighth overall despite doing the last three stages with broken suspension; the husband and wife pairing of Keith and Jacqueline Richardson received the highest WCMC placed crew award and 23rd overall and 26th overall were Kevin Charles/Anthony Jevons.
Whitehaven's Peter Thornton had a good rally, having been out for two years, finishing 28th overall. He had been in the top 10 but an excursion into the geography saw him get stuck and lose valuable minutes.
Then there were four WCMC crews close together, 33rd Mitch McGrath (Frizington)/ driving his Peugeot 205 Rallye and with only a couple of spins he had a good day. Next was the ever-reliable Zetec-engined Green Mk1 Escort of David Mitchinson/Ryan Winthrop despite broken rear suspension being broke but that makes it more fun so we might leave it in, and in only their second rally Martin Breen (Gt Clifton)/Simon Graham (Workington), were 36th, after a trouble-free day in their Peugeot 106. The father/son duo of Reg and Andrew Irving (Peugeot 205) were 26th having had a trouble free day and at 37th was Steve Palmer (Nissan Micra).
WCMC put on a excellent event despite all the incidents and as a competitor I would thank everyone involved, particularly the volunteer marshals. It was all very encouraging for the future of forest events.
