IGOE TAKES THE SPOILS AND THE TITLE

Michael Igoe and Will Atkins returned to Donington Park and made it five event wins in a row in the MGJ Engineering Circuit Rally Championship, to crown them 2023 / 24 Champions.

Feature photo is Michael Igoe & Will Atkins (Citroen C3 Rally2) in the Launch Pad area of the stage with Redgate banking in the background.

It was outgoing Circuit Rally Champions John Griffiths and Emma Morrison Fiesta R5 that was quickest out of the blocks in the wet conditions, taking a three second lead over Igoe. Although Paul Murro / Craig Simkiss’s Fiesta R5 was third, they had a dramatic opener. “I ran wide and off at Coppice, drifted and glanced the tyre wall but came through the gravel and back on,” Murro explained.

<<< John Griffiths / Emma Morrison

A further 13 seconds back was Martin Hodgson and Tony Jones’ powerful Mk 2 Escort, while Daniel Bird and Nigel Barber’s Fiesta R5 and James Garner and Jordain Joines’ Darrian GTR made up the early top six. Sadly, out though was the Josh & Tamsyn Davey Darrian, stuck in sixth gear, while Lee & Cole Hastings’ Subaru Impreza went off into the gravel at the Melbourne Hairpin and stayed there for the duration.

Griffiths managed to add another two seconds to his lead on SS2, as the rain got heavier. However, Murro had more troubles whilst trying to make up time on the leaders. “I missed my braking point, hit a chicane and got a 30 second penalty,” he said. Bird was now up to third, from Hodgson, with Murro down to fifth, while Alasdair Stables & Neil Jones’ Vauxhall Chevette HSR had swapped places for sixth.

“It was getting wetter, but the car felt good,” said Igoe, as he took back Griffiths advantage on stage three, to end the stage tied for the lead. “He’s found his pace now and I got held up,” Griffiths added. Bird was still third (photo >>>) but also lost time, “I missed the line for a hairpin when I let John through,” he explained, as it brought Murro back to within nine seconds of rechallenging for a podium place. Hodgson was back to fifth, “we were on full wets, as you couldn’t risk touching a kerb, but if it dried out we might be struggling with tyres“ he said. Stables was still sixth, but had Ciro Carannante & Simon Coates’ Porsche Cayman closing, after both they and Stephen Sawley / Rob Johnson’s quick Mk2 Escort had demoted Garner.
“Very good so far, I reckon it’s the best I’ve done, so it’s now time to change to slicks,” said Stables.

<<< Alistair Stables / Neil Jones

In contrast “we were losing the brakes on stages 2 and 3…. we think it’s a warped disc, so not sure if we can carry on,” Garner explained.

Tyre choice was to prove critical early into stage four, when Griffiths had gone for a medium compound, but had a straight on into a gate early in the stage, with no heat in the tyres. He quickly got back onto the stage, but it cost him dearly, as despite glancing a tyre stack himself, Igoe was now 18 seconds clear. Bird had responded to Murro’s recovery and opened his cushion to 13 seconds in third place, while behind them Hodgson had consolidated too, but Garner was back on pace to try and close on Stables, having already retaken Sawley and Carannante.

By stage 5 it had turned into a dry and sunny day! “We were flat out as fast as we could, we couldn’t have done more,” said Griffiths, but Igoe still added another second to his lead on the penultimate stage. Bird, Murro and Hodgson continued to hold station, despite Hodgson having a spin, when he tried wets on the front and slicks on the rear. While Stables continued to keep Garner at a safe distance, Sawley was safer in eighth too, after Carannante joined the retirements, which moved Chris White / Graham Capper’s Mk2 Escort and Adam Midghall / Thomas Pidden’s Mitsubishi E9 up to complete the top 10.

Igoe and Griffiths managed to match each other again on the final stage, but that was enough to secure the event win and the Championship title in Igoe’s favour. It was also made it a hat-trick of wins for Igoe and Atkins at the Donington Park venue.
Bird had a good second half to retain third over Murro by 10 seconds, “it came together much better in the afternoon, but I lost too much on those first two stages,” Murro admitted.
In fifth, Hodgson led home the Class C battle from Stables, Garner and Sawley, with Class D winner White ninth. Andrew Turner /Ross Green’s MK2 Escort (photo) snatched 10th on the final stage, at the expense of Class B winner Midghall.

THE CLASSES
Adam Midghall and Thomas Pidden’s Mitsubishi led Class B all day, finally taking the class win by 1m 12s over Sam Gendy and Samantha Bartlett’s Mitsubishi E9. Phil & Katy Burton’s Impreza had held second from the start until their unfortunate last stage retirement. With Ian Jarvis / Harry Walshaw’s blowing the head gasket with a stage to go, the Impreza’s of Stephen Johansen & Harriet Worth and Garry Salmon / Dylan Scott completed the top four.

Class C was dominated by Hodgson’s Escort, but it was close for the other podium places. Just a second split Garner’s Darrian and Stables’ Chevette on the first two stages, but Garner’s brake problems allowed Stables to go clear and secure second. Carannante and Sawley were in the mix too, but Garner managed to reclaim third from stage four, with Sawley settling in fourth after Carannante retired.

<<<< Martin Hodgson / Tony Jones (Mk Escort)

White and Capper (Mk2 Escort) led the up to 2000cc Class D all day, with Anthony Allery and Richard Bonner’s Escort Mk2 heading the pursuit for the first two stages. As Allery fell back, Andrew Turner and Ross Green’s Mk 2 Escort and Nigel Greensall / Graham Wild’s spectacular Toyota GT86 (photo) settled into the podium places and held station to the end, with Alex Stubbs / Rhys Edwards’ Escort in fourth.

Class E up to 1600cc belonged to Ash Davies / Sam Fordham’s in the very potent and great sounding Fiesta. Joe Piggott / John Fellowes’ Saxo managed to match them on stage two to share the lead, but a wrong slot on stage three dropped them out of contention. Joseph & Daniel Duffy’s Lotus Elise ousted Matt Wheeler / Robbie Sandford’s Citroen C2 Max for second on stage four, but Davies still had 32 secs to spare at the end, with Wheeler just holding off ex BTCC racer Paul O’Neill / Colin Stephens’ Mazda MX5 for third.

Andy & Ian Jordan’s Nova was already 29 seconds up in Class F after the opening stage and eventually took the victory spoils by almost three minutes. Chris & Tom Worrall’s Micra (photo) was a clear second all day, while Brian Marquis / Stuart Delf’s Peugeot 107, snatched a late third, from Jon & William Bray’s MG ZR.