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Team GMF Motor Factors Wyedean Forest Rally 2010
Organised by The Forest of Dean Motor club, and once again based at Chepstow Racecourse, this year’s Wyedean Forest Rally took place on Saturday the 13th of February.
The Rally welcomed new sponsors for this year, GMF Motor Factors, a company that has depots throughout Gloucestershire and South Wales.
The Rally was the opening round of the Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, with over 160 crews taking part in 45 competitive miles in the Forest of Dean and lower Wye Valley.
There was a good turnout in all the categories, Historic, 1400s and Clubman’s, but it’s the Clubman’s that we turn our attention to as 3 Ludlow Castle Motor Club crews contested this section of the event:-
2006 British Trials and Rally Drivers Association Champions, Shaun Gardener / Ben Innes in the TNT Tyres Mitsubishi EVO, Roger Chilman Jnr / Andrew ‘maps’ Sankey, and Adrian Allen / Michael Wilding
Local man Nik Elsmore from the Forest of Dean was out to make this his third win on this event, to equal his father Graham’s hat trick established between 1975-77, but with stiff competition from the likes of Burton, Gardener, Perez and Hunter this was not going to be easy.
An overcast morning with a slight frost after the previous night’s rain greeted competitors on the stages. The ground was wet but in very good condition as this is the only time in the year that these forests are used for motorsport.
First L.C.M.C. members through the stages were Gardener / Innes. After missing most of the 2009 season, Gardener put in good Stage times finishing 6th overall after Stage 1, equalling Damian Cole in a Hyundai World Rally Car. Chilman and Sankey were in 4thplace after Stage 1 and really looked on form for a top ten finish
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Both Chilman and Gardener dropped time on Serridge, the second Stage, while Allen / Wilding had to stop for approx 5 mins with a small under bonnet fire in the Opel Manta caused by a loose heater hose. They made it to the end of the Stage and were able to carry on, albeit way down the leader board. Unfortunately, a broken drive-shaft at the start of Stage 5 put them out of the event
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Both Gardener and Chilman gained positions on Stage 3 and it looked like Gardener had never been away from the wheel, his consistent driving keeping him in the top 5. It looked like a battle was about to start with him and Cole as they were swapping stage times and positions. The other battle going on was at the front of the field with Perez, Hunter and last year’s winner Nik Elsmore running 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. The three maintained these positions from start to finish.
Gardener put in a charge in Speech House, gaining 4th place from Chilman, a position he held going into the final stage in Sallowvallets, only to have it taken back again by Chilman/Sankey.
Final positions were:
1st Steve Perez (Focus WRC)
2nd Hugh Hunter (Focus WRC)
3rd Nick Elsmore Mitsubishi Evo,
4th Roger Chilman Jnr/Andrew ‘maps’ Sankey (Subaru Impreza)
5th Shaun Gardener/Ben Innes 1st in class (Mitsubishi EVO)
Report by Russell Kenhard and Keith Gluyas
Photos by (kentonphotografix)
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