Seven out of 10 for West Cumbria MC crews
Last updated 19:27, Thursday, 04 December 2008
THE Grizedale Stages Rally last weekend saw 10 West Cumbria Motorsport Club crews tackling the 41 stage miles and all but three finished.
The day was very cold with the stages damp and slippery in the morning and foggy in the afternoon.
But that didn’t deter Richard Cooke, who was navigating a Ford Focus WRC 03 car, from finishing fifth overall and first in class, after a very smooth but quick ride through the forest.
Next home was Paul Benn/Keith Richardson in the P&R Benn-sponsored Ford Escort Cozy who finished 26th overall despite a puncture on the last stage.
Two places behind him at 28th overall and second in class was Alex Benn in an Escort Mk2.
Alex swapped times all day with two other WCMC crews – at 29th overall just 10 seconds behind Alex after putting in a late entry was Geoff Wilson/Sean O’Neill in the very quick Mk 2.
Wilson struggled in the last two stages when the engine of the Mk 2 started misfiring but kept 14 seconds ahead of club-mates Richard and Edwin Cook in their Sam Clark Bodywork-sponsored Astra.
The father/son duo had a very clean and tidy run in the morning but going into the final two stages Richard upped his game and after going through SS5 he took 14 seconds off his previous time in the morning and went into the final stage leading Alex Benn and Wilson.
But fog descended on the last stage and Cook had to look out of his side window to see where he was going, losing him about 20 seconds and putting him behind Benn and Wilson and into 30th overall.
Dave and Steve Nicholson in their Nova found the going hard in the afternoon and nearly got beached in the ruts on the last two stages but managed to finish 39th overall and second in class.
At 54th overall was the Pug of Andrew and Reg Irving who managed to finish despite tasting the ditches of Grizedale twice, the second time nearly putting it on the roof, and had to do the last two miles of the last stage with a flat front tyre.
Sian Beatty/David Antrobus were 57th overall.
Willie Jarman/Mark Fisher in their Willie Jarman Plant-sponsored Escort Cozy got as far as SS2 when they flipped the Cozy round and landed heavily, forcing them to retire.
Peter Thornton, in a Scooby, also never came out of SS2 when he broke his half shaft and front dif.
Martin Breen/Simon Graham managed to get to SS5 but had to retire with mechanical difficulties.
