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LinksCheviot Keith Knox Stages - 4 Nov 12
Posted: October 3, 2013 7:58 PM - 2679 Hits
Round 9 - 2012 MSA Asphalt Rally Championship
In Car
Posted: October 3, 2013 7:53 PM
John Indri & Steve Hartly (Darrian) Last Stage!
Dave Crozier and Graeme Rumney (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2) SS8
Damian Cole / James Morgan (Ford Focus WRC) SS11
INDRI LEAVES IT LATE!...
Posted: October 3, 2013 7:33 PM
At 8.00am on the Sunday morning, John Indri was all for putting his car back on the trailer and heading home from the UTS Cheviot Keith Knox Stages. Ice had formed overnight on the roads on the Otterburn Military Ranges and he didn’t think they were the place to be in his powerful two-wheel drive Darrian.
Eight hours later Indri and co-driver Steve Hartley were celebrating victory after a late charge to end all late charges! Following a delayed start, the first couple of stages still warranted treatment with respect – Indri was down in 33rd place after SS1 – but then the sun’s rays began to work their magic and speeds increased to the point that, with just the final long stage to go, Indri/Hartley were in 3rd place, 63 seconds behind event leader Simon Chapman in his Metro 6R4. Over the final 14.5 miles, Indri set FTD by a massive 52 seconds from his nearest rival, demoting Chapman to runner-up spot by just four seconds and ending a dismal season on a high! He also gained sufficient points to confirm him as the inaugural Millington Darrian Challenge champion.
Magnanimous in defeat, a stunned Chapman was left to rue what might have been. However, for leading an event of this calibre for the first time, he received the John Horton Motorsport Management ‘Star Performer’ award at Prizegiving in Otterburn.
Peter Taylor’s first Championship outing in his Citroen DS3 R3T netted 4th overall, while other Top 10 finishers included Mark Borthwick whose Mitsubishi Lancer was 7th and, one place behind, the Impreza of Adrian Spencer/Mark Hewitt.
Chris Jones/Ashley Trimble’s cautious approach to the event paid dividends – as the 2012 REIS – Get Connected MSA Asphalt Rally Championship drew to a close, the pair did enough to move up to 3rd in the overall points table in their Ford Focus STI – a fitting end to a season that had started badly with a roll on the Tour of Epynt.
Tim Daltry/Emma Morrison had an excellent run to finish just outside the Top Ten and take another maximum points score in the AB Motorsport Peugeot 205 Challenge, ahead of Craig Jose/Nigel Hewett who have been their main rivals throughout the year.
Richard Felgate/Mark Mason (BMW M3) were confirmed as BTRDA RWD Challenge Champions and, after a trying day, Matt Beebe/Paula Swinscoe (MG ZR 190) did likewise in the FWD Challenge.
Late entry Kevin & Charles Tappin’s nine-hour journey up from Holsworthy proved beneficial as the pair clinched the Millington Escort Challenge with a maximum points score to round off their year.
Season-long rivals for Class B9 honours, Stuart Spyer/Peter Williams (Vauxhall Corsa) and Steve Brown/Paul Stringer (Nissan Micra) were both out for the final time, with the title going to the former crew as they finished less than twenty seconds apart after 90 miles of stages.
Although listed as a retirement on the Cheviot following a roll which saw co-driver Andrew Edwards hospitalised for a short while, mention must be made of Richard Clews whose Impreza led the rally outright, from a start number of 19, after the first couple of stages. Fortunately, in spite of the DNF, Chris Jones’ elevation to 3rd overall sees Richard as Class B13 champion.
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