206 Winter Cup - Round 2 - Red Kite Stages - 5 Jan 02

Posted: January 7, 2003 11:22 AM

So icy was Stage 1 in places, that youngster Stuart Jones with Andrew Morgan alongside were comparing loops with Torvill and Dean, after four spins dropping some 48 seconds to stage winner Olly Marshall.   Only one second behind that was Midlander Richard Sykes, with Leon Pesticcio claiming third place a further 7 seconds behind that having given the ice too much respect.  

Stage 2 was Sykes though, as he upped the pace and declared after Stage 3 that Epynt stages were absolutely brilliant, Im having a great time!   Marshall wasnt so happy after Stage 3, having knocked the back wheel and damaged the suspension after sliding into a log pile.   Championship leader coming to this event Philip Morrow wasnt happy either, having been too quick into a bend and spent some 40 seconds in the ditch on Stage 3.   The repairs at service however sent the crew over lateness and therefore into retirement and the brothers contested the Trophy Rally at the end of the field as a small consolation.  They were leading this, but slid off at the exact same corner later in the day! Jones however, was not fazed by his spins on Stage 1, and put fastest time on the board for Stage 3 the only other runner to dent the Pesticcio/Sykes domination at the front of the field.  Martin Evans was too cautious but still setting some consistent times, while Irishman Shane McCarthy had a spin on Stage 3, but was enjoying himself as the smooth stages were akin to his more familiar asphalt surface.  Tim Cowper had recovered from his pre-event testing dramas when he replaced the engine overnight following an excursion into the Sweet Lamb ford, but was giving his mechanics more work after he missed a gear into a corner and bent the front left wishbone. 

Sebastian Ling, front runner in Galloway, was not in the front running after finding his car was down on power and no brakes, but this was repaired at service.  

Rodney Wilton, from Ireland, newcomer to the series, unfortunately put the back end of his car into a ditch after carrying too much speed into a corner, but he was getting to grips with the car later.   The only other newcomer, Bajan Ian Warren, was coping better than I thought I would and started to relax. Stage 4 saw the start of the Pesticcio comeback, as he took the next four stages on the trot.  He had said he was trying to be  smooth and quick while realising that he was still changing gear too much, but he moved to close the gap to 2 seconds of Sykes.  Sykes had a puncture on Stage 6 which dropped him a few valuable seconds. 

However, he stormed back on Stage 8 to take seven seconds off Pesticcio and hence have a nine second cushion going into the last stage.   Olly Marshall was content to leave the two to their own battle, and take a comfortable third.   Stuart Jones though, had Martin Evans in his sights, and was determined to move from fifth to fourth.  

And so to the final stage, the 6.55 miles of Halfway.  Richard Sykes slid off on a corner into a log pile and thought it was all over, but spectators pushed him back on, and he dropped a precious 15 seconds to Pesticcio.  This was enough to clinch the victory for the Welshman, a scant 6 seconds ahead, but well deserved.  He was carrying Number 1 on the door as he won the event last time out, so to win the 206 Winter Cup was most appropriate.  

Jones put in his charge as promised, and the margin of 7 seconds was enough to take him into fourth place despite being covered in mud following an excursion at an icy hairpin.  Evans reckoned he was lucky to survive a huge moment on the last stage and just avoided landing on their side.    McCarthy took 6th place ahead of Ling, despite going into the same slippy corner and losing time extricating their car.  Ling had replaced the exhaust in an effort to improve their power situation. 

Ian Warren was delighted to pick up the Best Improvement Award from Motorsport News and finish one ahead of Devonian Jon Tucker, who had felt slow all day, but put that down to slippy stages. Tim Cowper was relieved to have finished today, following his testing problems. Tim Hookway, the mechanic for Jon Tucker, was awarded with the Snap On Toolbox for helping the other crew replace the engine.   Rodney Wilton rounded off the Peugeot runners in 11th place, having dropped so much time earlier.

But the champagne and the laurels went to Leon Pesticcio with fellow Welshman Howard Davies alongside, and the battle will continue in Bournemouth on the 22nd February, as both he and Sykes have 50 points in the 206 Winter Cup championship.

Pos Driver/Co Driver Total Time
 1 Leon Pesticcio/Howard Davies 52:34
 2 Richard Sykes/Craig Parry  52:40
 3 Olly Marshall/Richard Edwards 53:49
 4 Stuart Jones/Andy Morgan  54:18
 5 Martin Evans/Shaun OGorman 54:25
 6 Shane McCarthy/Tony Mulcahy 55:22
 7 Sebastian Ling/James Phillips  55:39 
 8 Ian Warren/Ian Bevan 56:25
 9 Jon Tucker/Scott Cleverdon 56:35
10 Tim Cowper/Ashley Fowler 57:56
11 Rodney Wilton/Peter Leahy 65:41

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