Somerset - 24 Apr 10

Posted: April 26, 2010 1:16 PM - 4961 Hits

Round 3 - 2010 BTRDA Rally Championship
Round 3 - 2010 English Rally Championship

PEREZ FALLS JUST SHORT IN SOMERSET

Posted: April 26, 2010 1:16 PM

Kick Energy rally driver Steve Perez saw his 100% winning run in the Silverstone Tyres Gold Star BTRDA Rally Series come to an end as he fell just short with a close second place on today's BETTA Somerset Stages Rally.

Perez from Chesterfield and Welsh co-driver Paul Spooner were contesting the third round of the series in their ex-Marcus Gronholm Ford Focus World Rally Car and after setting fastest time on SS1 they suffered a problem when the fly-by-wire motor failed, dropping them over half a minute when the car stalled no less than four times.

A further problem with a broken turbo pipe hampered their progress but towards the end the former British Historic and National Rally Champion upped the pace and at the finish he was just ten seconds shy of winner Andy Burton's Peugeot Cosworth. However Perez did gain some consolation by setting fastest time on the famous Porlock Toll Road stage where he went up the hill ten seconds faster than anybody else ever had done.

After winning February's Wyedean Rally only to be disqualified due to a technicality regarding championship decals and then taking victory on last month's Malcolm Wilson Rally, the result keeps Perez in contention for the BTRDA title.

"It's ironic that the day Andy has no problems is the day we encounter lots so it's been quite frustrating. That said, it's been great to come here and have a good scrap with a guy who has won this event so many times. It's not really the result we came for but I'm happy enough with second place considering the problems we've had." said Perez.

The next outing for the Kick Energy Rally Team will be the Plains Rally on Saturday 15th May.

Results

Posted: April 26, 2010 1:15 PM

1 Andrew Burton/Robin Kellard (Peugeot Cosworth) 0:41:40
2 Steve Perez/Paul Spooner (Ford Focus WRC) 0:41:50
3 David Wright/Michael Wilkinson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) 0:42:58
4 Roger Chilman Jnr/Andrew Sankey (Subaru Impreza) 0:43:16
5 Shaun Gardener/Ben Innes (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) 0:43:45

Full Results and Times