It was nip and tuck for most of the day on the Zone Systems Dukeries Rally at Donington Park between Circuit Rally Championship title contenders John Griffiths / Emma Morrison’s Skoda Fabia R5 and Michael Igoe / Kirsty Riddick’s Citroen C3 Rally 2.  (See featured image above)    98 crews started the popular event which was the 66th running of the Dukeries Rally.

It was former Champion Griffiths that set the pace on the opening stage, heading defending champion Igoe by just two seconds, before a further six seconds gap to John Stone / John Cope’s VW Polo R5.  Rally sponsor Dan Bird was fourth quickest with debutant navigator Malcolm Bates alongside, two seconds off Stone and one up on Alfie Threlfall / Patrick Cross (Mitsubishi Evo), while Phil Hopkins / Craig Fleming’s Mitsubishi Mirage completed the initial top six.

It was honours even between Griffiths (pictured left) and Igoe on stage two, so the gap stayed at two seconds, with Stone losing a further two in third. “It’s good so far, I’ve just got to keep him behind me now,” said Griffiths. “We stiffened it up between stages,” Stone added.   Hopkins was up to fourth, a second up on Bird and Threlfall was sixth, but had Stuart Maloney /Steve McNulty’s Skoda Fabia R5 closing in. “I’m just getting back into the speed of it, but felt more confident on the second stage,” said Bird.

Mark Jasper and Don Whyatt’s Mk2 Escort, Tom Stockdale / Neil Chambers’ BMW Compact 3 V6 and Rhys Yates / Jon Green’s Renault Clio made up the rest of the top 10, after Josh & Tamsyn Davey’s Darrian T90 had pulled off on stage two. “We had the wrong tyres for the first stage and the engine just wasn’t right, so we parked it,” Davey explained.

Igoe just had the edge on the third stage to pull the gap back to a solitary second, “we ran soft tyres from the start and they were good. We had a great slide on stage three though,” he said.  Stone was still in third, but Bird was back into fourth from Hopkins. “We broke a gearbox bracket and had to weld it up. I don’t think it really affected us though,” said Hopkins.

Threlfall had responded to Maloney too, while behind them Stockdale was now up to eighth, with the Escort’s of Jasper and Bradley Carroll / Gareth Short now rounding off the top 10.

The lead finally changed on SS4 with Igoe coming out of the stage two seconds clear of Griffiths, but it rained part way through the stage and there was still all to play for.  Stone continued to consolidate third, but Hopkins was level with Bird in fourth. “I came to a gateway too fast, so had to grab the handbrake and spin,” Bird admitted.

Maloney was back to just a second off sixth placed Threlfall, while in eighth just a second split Stockdale and Jasper, while Carroll held onto 10th.

                                                                                                                               Dan Bird and Malcolm Bates (Skoda Rally 2 Evo) >>>>>

Griffiths fought back again on the next stage to halve the lead again, with Maloney demoting Hopkins and Thelfall to move up to fifth.  Jasper lost out and slipped out of the top 10 as both Carroll and Phil House / Nick Beaumont’s beautiful Aston Martin Vantage GT4 moved up, but more rain was on its way.

Between stages five and six the track had become considerably wetter. Igoe opted to stay on slicks, but Griffiths went for wets. The stage proved to be decisive, “I over pivoted my normal approach to a corner too much, spun and had to reverse up a bank to back on stage,” Griffiths admitted.  It was enough to give Igoe a six second lead, which was increased to a rally winning 10 seconds on the final test, “job done,” he said after receiving the victory spoils.

<<<  John Stone / John Cope (VW Polo R5) who came 3rd overall

Stone had gone for wet tyres at the end too as he held onto a solid third, but fourth went down to the wire, after Bird picked up a 30 second chicane penalty. He finished tied with Maloney, but retained the place on a tie break. Hopkins completed the top six, with Stockdale seventh, after he had demoted Threlfall on stage six. “It was much harder in the wet on SS6, but we lost loads on SS5 as we were still on soft tyres,” said Hopkins.  “It spat a bit of water out but the temperature remained OK, then I was just hearing things,” Stockdale admitted. Threlfall was still eighth, “we had a flat shift issue, so I backed off a bit just to bring it home,” he added.  “We had a big moment on SS6, aquaplaning on standing water, but other wise it was faultless all day,” said Carroll after retaining ninth, with seven seconds in hand over the recovering Jasper.

 

CLASSES

Hopkins led Class 2 from the second stage of the day after Threlfall led initially. The Mitsubishi Evo driver had stayed within four seconds of the lead, but stayed on slicks in the wet, backed off and was 19 seconds back at the end.  Martin Farrar and Andy Ward’s Impreza was third all day on their 100th event together. “We aquaplaned at the Old Hairpin on stage six, but otherwise it was fine,” said Farrar.  Gordon Davies & Jack Morris retained a daylong fourth in their Impreza, but any hopes of progress for them were dashed being on the wrong tyres when it rained.

Barely a second separated Jasper and Stockdale for the first four stages in Class 3. But Jasper lost out in the wet and Stockdale sealed the class win, Carroll came through to take second, from the recovering Jasper, with House’s Aston Martin fourth. Leicester crews Alasdair Stables / Neil Jones and James Garner / Jack Cuttill completed the class top six, their respective Vauxhall Chevette HSR and Darrian.

The Davey’s Darrian had set the quickest time in Class 5 on the opening stage, four seconds up on Yates. But their retirement left Yates well clear and set for a possible top 10 overall. “Then I broke rear suspension on the last stage. I hit the edge as we went off track, I did the first time through and then did it again, so it was my own fault,” he admitted.

So having sat in second since SS2 Jamie McBain / Jordine Crooks in the Peugeot 205 Maxi took the class win, despite starting the first stage on the wrong tyres and having a spin on stage five.  Joe/Daniel Duffy’s Lotus Elise had been third for most of the day, but had trouble selecting first gear, losing them time at the hairpins. Yates’ retirement still left them third, but lost out to Chris Woodhouse/Lucy Wilding’s Peugeot 208 R4 on stage six.  Chris and Steve Grundy’s Escort moved up to claim fourth at the end, with Mick and Ben Jowers’ Mk2 Escort and Mark & Jo Young’s Peugeot 205 Gti the rest of the top six.

Dale and Andrew Lawson’s MG ZR led Class 8 throughout, from Paul Sheard / Charlie Stephens’ Mazda MX-5. “It went better than expected and we went for wet tyres from SS5,” said Lawson. “It just didn’t suit us today,” Sheard added.  Ian Dove and Emma Taylor’s Nova ousted Adrian Wilson / Rhys Griffin’s similar car for third on the last stage, with Stephen Pritchard / Emma Clarke’s Nova settling in fifth after being in the top three over the first three stages.  Richard Kay / Ryan Witty’s Corsa had also been in the top three, until they holed the diff housing in SS4.

No one got near Jonathan Hudson / Paul Hall’s Micra again in Class 9, “One bad stage on SS4, when we were caught in the queue on slicks and it rained,” said Hudson, after taking the class by well over two minutes.  Kay Thompson / Jordan Joines’ Micra was second, “we had brake problems all day intermittently, “said Thompson, after an early dual with Jon Bray / Darren Styles’ MG Z. Kay went onto wet tyres on SS4, before us and was 30 seconds quicker, we changed a stage later but it was too late,” said Bray, who was still almost four minutes ahead of fourth placed Kieran Belcher / Craig Blakemore’s Peugeot 205 Rallye.

Chris Cockrell & Stephen Moyses’ Mini Cooper R50 was the Class 10 winner, after Owen Cule / Matt Walk‘s  similar car bent three wheels in one incident and took a stage maximum.

Report courtsey of Peter Scherer.

Images by Malcolm Almond & Peter Scherer