August 2006

BILL GWYNNE RALLYSCHOOL AND MOTORSPORT STAGES RALLY 2006

Despite torrential rain driven by heavy winds throughout the day (a repeat of 2005 !), the sun was shining on last year’s winner, Shaun Gardener, who won this event by over a minute.
Gardener was partnered by his usual BTRDA co-driver, Ben Innes, who until this event had not won a rally. The nearest the pair had got to an outright win together was on last month’s Quinton Stages when they were pushed into second place O/A by the talented young Norwegian, Andrea Mikkelsen.
With Jon Ingram finding it very difficult to adapt to his right-hand drive Subaru Impreza the rally became a four horse race.
Apart from this problem for Ingram, co-driven by Ian Allsop, this was his first time in two years that he had driven competitively with a manual gear box. To add even further to their problems, when the service crew replaced a broken anti-roll bar after the first stage, the handling of the Impreza deteriorated.
The other front-runners weren’t without their problems.
The first stage was very close with two seconds separating Gardener, Ian Gwynne co-driven by Tim Sturia and Michael O’Brien co-driven by Matthew Pearce. Nick Kenny and Darren Garrod filled the fourth spot, just four seconds behind O’Brien.
Gwynne, out for the first time in the WRC Skoda Octavia, broke a prop shaft on the second run. In spite of this he still managed to finish just five seconds behind the stage winner, Gardener.
Gardener’s TNT Tyres (Ludlow) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 had suffered with broken drive-shafts on this year’s BTRDA rounds and this event proved no exception.
Gardener’s second drive-shaft of the day broke on the start line of the third stage, resulting in Ian Gwynne taking twenty two seconds out of him, in spite of being hampered himself with power steering failure on the Octavia.
O’Brien had his share of problems on this stage with the Impreza slipping out of gear due to a broken gear linkage. In spite of this he finished two seconds behind Gwynne, with the young Kenny a further two seconds behind.
Undaunted by this set back Gardener and Innes were to show their supremacy on the next stage, at twelve miles long the longest of the day.
The fourth stage contained a deep ford which Gardener approached with caution.
This paid off as he won the stage by an amazing thirty five seconds, leaving the rest of the field wondering how to cope with him. This stage result put Gardener and Innes back into the lead by sixteen seconds.
Attacking the ford at speed did not help Gwynne and O’Brien who both suffered with loss of vision due to steamed up windows as a result.
After this Gardener and Innes took control of the event and seemed to win three of the remaining four stages with ease.
Not taking any risks they shared the penultimate stage lead with Gwynne, O’Brien and Kenny.
A very mature performance by Gardener produced his third win on this event and gave Innes his first rally win.
Talking of maturity, the combined age of the event sponsor, Bill Gwynne, and his co-driver, Ryland James, was one hundred and eighteen years. That must warrant some award !
Gwynne and James had a trouble free run in the Impreza to finish in sixth position overall.
This was the first rally that Gwynne Snr had done in three years and the first event ever in a GPn car.
Jamie Burton and Sam Collis took Class A despite their Mark 2 Escort drowning out on the ford on the fourth stage.
Kevin and Charles Tappin won Class B in their unusual 1498cc powered Mark 2 Escort.
The local crew of Tim Jones and Don James took Class C in another Mark 2 Escort.
Nick Kenny and Darren Garrod fought hard to get into the top three all day and finished a well deserved fourth O/A and first Class E. Kenny also was the first under twenty one driver, with Sam Collis first under twenty one co-driver.
Class F went to Ingram and Allsop.
Two questions remain.
Will the weather improve for next year’s event and who is going to stop Shaun Gardener’s dominance of this event?

REPORT by KEITH GLUYAS

HARRY FLATTERS RALLY

Chris Ridge was the only Ludlow Castle Motor Club member to take part in the recent Harry Flatters Rally over the Epynt military ranges near Sennybridge, South Wales.

The roads over the military ranges always produce some very fast action, catching out even the most experienced dirvers.

The Harry Flatters Rally was no exception and claimed a few more victims, including some of the front runners.

Out of the 88 crews who started the event only 49 made it to the finish after a gruelling 100 miles of competitive action over 18 special stages.

The eventual winners were Nigel Morrish and Phil Dennis in a Mercury RS200.

Chris, co-driving for Mansfield’s Tom Walster, survived the day in spite of a few problems.

They hit a chicane on the 10th stage and their M-Sport Fiesta ST suffered a broken drive shaft near the end of the 18th stage.

They managed to finish the event in 14th O/A position and 5th in class, an excellent result having started in 53rd position.

REPORT by KEITH GLUYAS
PHOTO by RALLY ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY