Round 2 - 2000 Ford Puma Championship

Posted: June 11, 2000 8:19 PM

Ben Briant caught all the crews napping, taking fastest stage time on the opening three stages building a lead of twenty eight seconds from Simon Mauger. Mauger fought back magnificently, taking fastest stage time on the final four stages of day one, reducing Briants advantage to just ten seconds.

Simon Mauger, having discovered a water leak in Parc Ferme on Sunday morning, decided to change the radiator in the first service of the day. As a result he incurred a 90 second penalty dropping him down the leaderboard. Mauger fought back brilliantly taking three more fastest stage times but a slipping clutch allowed Briant to extend a lead he was never to relinquish.

“I am absolutely delighted to win the second round of the Puma Championship, it has been a very tough battle over the last two days between Simon and myself. My Puma ran faultlessly, I am now really looking forward to the rest of the Championship” said Ben.

Third placed Donagh Kelly acquitted himself brilliantly driving for on the second time on a gravel event. Kelly approached the event with caution not taking any chances to finish in a creditable third place overall.

Ian Chadwick braved numerous problems including a broken brake pipe on stage one dropping fifteen minutes in the process. However Ian won the best placed newcomer on an International Rally and fourth place in the Puma Championship.

The Scottish Rally is an all gravel event boasting over 120 miles of gruelling competition on some of Scotland’s roughest forests. All the Ford Puma’s 1400 finished the event dominating Class A5 in the process.

The 2000 Ford Puma Rally Championship is the first one make rally championship to use works specification identically prepared 1400 Ford Puma Kit Cars. The Ford Racing Puma Rally Championship is designed to promote young rallying talent and is part of the Ford Motor Company’s stairway to success, that sees the Ford Motor Company providing young drivers with competitive rally machinery throughout the careers. The Scottish Rally was the second out of five events based in Ireland and the UK.