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Bill Gwynne Motorsport Stages 2003

Sponsored by Bill Gwynne Motorsport + Bill Gwynne Rally School

Kidderminster Motor Club

22nd November 2003



Clerk of the Course: Simon Rogers

Stages: 9 (45 Stage Miles)

Venue: Sweet Lamb

Starters: 33

Winners: Bill Gwynne/Paul Howarth (Subaru Impreza)




Kidderminster MC’s Bill Gwynne Motorsport Stages was won, appropriately enough, by the Subaru Impreza of event sponsor Bill Gwynne. The ex-MN Road Rally Champion, who was partnered by Paul Howarth, finished just one second ahead of the Greenergy Impreza of Nigel Griffiths/Caroline Samuels after nine stages at the Sweet Lamb Rally Complex.

Bill Gwynne Motorsport Stages 2003

After seven stages it appeared that Dave Weston/Neil Shanks (Ford Escort WRC) had the rally sewn up, sitting as they were on a 21 second lead. However they rolled out of the rally on the penultimate stage. This left Gwynne/Howarth with a slender lead. Griffiths/Samuels pulled back one second on the last test but it wasn’t quite enough to snatch the win.

Dorian Davies/Patrick Walsh (Subaru Impreza WRX) held fourth place for much of the day, with Weston’s retirement they were promoted to third. They finished twenty seconds down on the leaders and twenty seconds ahead of fourth placed Will Nicholls/Nick Broom (Subaru Impreza WRC).

There had been a tight battle for the first half of the day between the Mitsubishi Evos of Tim Freeman/Daryl Savage and Paul Jackson/Andrew Sankey. Freeman opened up a gap on SS5 when Jackson was slowed by a broken fuel pump switch, which caused the car to cut out. However this became immaterial two stages later when Freeman stopped with engine maladies. This allowed Jackson/Sankey to take fifth spot at the Finish.

Sixth place was taken by Bob Morgan/Dave Saunders; on what was only their second outing in their Lancer Evo5. They were pleased to survive as the clutch on their Evo just about survived to the end. Andy Kenny/Garry Kenny finished in seventh having been slowed on SS3 by a severe misfire on their Evo3.

The leading two wheel drive car and Class B winners were Dave Brick/Phil Clarke, they brought their Escort into eighth overall. Geraint Mills/Jonny Evans had led the class in their Opel Manta after two stages, but fell back during the day to finish a minute down. Tim Jones/Don James would have been in the fight as well, but their newly acquired Escort suffered engine problems on SS1, which persisted and they withdrew after SS3.

Ian Gwynne/Calvin Cooledge put in one of the drives of the day to bring their Nissan Micra into eleventh place overall and were the clear winners of Class A. Class B was won by the Peugeot 206 XSi of Michael O’Brien/Simon Coates, who finished just ten seconds ahead of the Peugeot 106 of John Moffatt/Hannah Curry.

Paul Standen/Eryl Evans had an unhappy event, their Impreza broke a bottom arm on SS1. Also out on the opening test were Gareth Hockley/Richard Bennett, their Nova's engine expired after just two miles. Nigel Perera/Shaun O'Gorman lasted until SS2, then the gearbox in their Impreza failed.



OVERALL RESULTS

Pos Driver Navigator Car Penalty
1 Bill Gwynne Paul Howarth Subaru Impreza 54m 16s
2 Nigel Griffiths Caroline Samuals Subaru Impreza 54m 17s
3 Dorian Rees Patrick Walsh Subaru Impreza WRX 54m 44s
4 Will Nicholls Nick Broom Subaru Impreza WRC 55m 01s
5 Paul Jackson Andrew Sankey Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 56m 23s
6 Bob Morgan Dave Saunders Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 56m 33s
7 Andy Kenny Gary Kenny Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 56m 45s
8 Dave Brick Phil Clarke Ford Escort 57m 33s
9 Geraint Mills Jonny 'Tad' Evans Opel Manta 58m 33s
10 Tim Griffiths Alan Russell Subaru Impreza 59m 31s
11 Ian Gwynne Calvin Cooledge Nissan Micra 1h 00m 05s
12 Varnbus Charalambous Lee Caster Subaru Impreza 1h 00m 15s
13 Lynsey Hansford Graham Roberts Ford Escort 1h 01m 18s
14 Glwyn Owen-Newell Dylan Williams Ford Sierra Cosworth 1h 01m 30s
15 Andrew Brown Barry Sheridan Peugeot 205 GTi 1h 01m 31s
16 Tony McWhirter Steve Green Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 1h 01m 40s
17 Chris Gittins Stuart Humphreys Ford Escort 1h 03m 35s
18 Joe Curran Mark McNally Subaru Impreza 1h 05m 08s
19 Bob Hart Ian Galloway Ford Escort 1h 06m 38s
20 Michael O'Brien Simon Coates Peugeot 206 XSi 1h 06m 56s
21 John Moffat Hannah Curry Peugeot 106 GTi 1h 07m 07s
22 Emyr Morgan Alan Lloyd Daihatsu Cuore 1h 07m 15s
23 Ross Daniels Paul Mankin Subaru Impreza 1h 07m 41s
24 Roger Taylor John Jarrett Ford Escort 1h 17m 43s