Last weekends Event Signs Woodpecker Stages saw a very
mixed bag of results for local crews.
The event based at the beautiful Ludlow racecourse
attracted a quality entry of 135 cars mainly due to the new MSA directive of
running 2wd cars first on the road, offered 45 miles of Radnor, Haye Park and
Wigmore.
Once again both BTRDA and Welsh championships came
together to provide a competitive day of competition in all classes. One of the
drives of the event came from husband and wife team Nigel & Karen Jenkins
in the NJ Autos 16v 1400 Nova up against
a strong local BTRDA 1400 line up they soon settled into a strong 3rd place
behind locals Neil Weaver and Dave Brick, but on the penultimate test in Radnor
forest disaster struck when the duo clipped a bale at a chicane and burst the
radiator and brought instant retirement and to rub salt into the wound, 1400
leader Weaver retired on the final stage, which meant a certain 2nd place was
on the cards.
"We are gutted, Nigel just out braked himself and
clipped the bale but it was enough for the radiator to go "said Karen
"I am thinking of getting him a bale for the garden he seems to like
them, its the second one he's hit this year" she laughed. So it was Ross on
Wye based Geoff Phelps/ Pete Wilson who took the local honours in the Dave
Jenkins Motorsport run Escort RS1800 finishing 30th overall & 5th in class.
Jason Gardner & Graham Cox in the Brecon View
Plumbing Escort RS1800 took 33rd
overall & 6th in class.
Scott Partridge & Chris Ridge were 70th & 14th in
class in the Belfry Inn Subaru Impreza Charles Hopkinson & Gavin Haycock
finished 73rd & 11th in class in there Escort RS But amongst the high
number of retirements were Bob Morgan / Ade Williams in the Winner Garage Skoda
holding 14th overall after stage 2, but fuel pressure problems led to there
retirement on the next test Ross on Wye's Tim Phelps with Elwyn Manuel on the
notes, had a very short event with a split fuel pipe brought the 2.2 Escort to
a halt on the opening stage. Rich Cole and Abi Haycock had the engine let go on
stage 4 in the Cole Contracting 1400 Escort Steve Black reunited with Paul
Morris in SBG 1400 Suzuki Swift retired with alternator failure on stage 3
James Dunkley & Colin Jenkins retired on stage 6 with a broken shaft in the
Dunkley Autos Vauxhall Corsa.
Keith and Joshua Bounds were out in a hired VW Lupo and
with results showing them 85th and 1st in class at the end but they were sadly
OTL.
Yet again it was Matt Edwards & Darron Garrod who took another victory and with it wrapped up the BTRDA title in the Swift Group Fiesta R5.
Paul Willetts Motorsport Media
