Young Wilson wins Colin McRae memorial event
Last updated 10:31, Friday, 03 October 2008
WEST Cumbria Motorsport Club’s Matthew Wilson and co-driver Scott Martin won the Colin McRae Stages Rally at Dunns, Scotland.
Wilson, in a World Rally Ford Focus, not only won but also set fastest time on every stages.
The event was a Ford Escort heaven with the Mk1 and 2s making up the majority of the field.
The club was well represented and along with the usual crews of Peter Foy, who was going for a good position in the overall category as he was lying third overall leading his class in the Saab Scottish Rally Championship going into this round.
He didn’t falter, coming in sixth overall and third in class after a scare when he got a puncture.
Edwin Cook had not only swapped cars but also drivers for this rally and was sitting alongside the 1990 FIA Ladies World Rally Champion and MBE, Louise Aitken Walker.
Cook and Walker, in a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, held their own and with a clean run came home 43rd overall.
There was also club president Malcolm Wilson, taking time out of his busy World Rally schedule to go and have a play in the forest in his recently built Mk2, and his son Matthew Wilson in a Focus WRC, competing.
These were not the only big names taking part in honour of Colin McRae. There was also his long-time navigator, Nicky Grist, who sat alongside Hannu Mikkola in a Mk2. They finished 21st and fourth in class.
McRae’s brother Alister, also in a Mk2 and was first away at car two – they didn’t run a car one in honour of McRae. Alister came home fourth overall and won his class.
Ari Vatanen/Dave Richards, also in a Mk2, came in at 30th overall and fifth in class. Dereck Ringer, in a Mk1, finished 36th overall and seventh in class.
Malcolm Wilson, who was navigated by Peter Martin, came in 64th overall and 13th in class after recovering from a puncture on the last stage.
