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Classic Lanes Rally 2003

Sponsored by Border Mobile Catering Services

Welsh Border Car Club

11th/12th October 2003



Clerk of the Course: Chris Rowlands

Route: 120 Miles

Maps: 117 125 & 126

Starters: 75

Winners: Glyn Price/Huw Jones (Ford Escort)




Glyn Price/Huw Jones took victory by just one second from Mark Price/Paul Middleton on Welsh Border Car Club’s Classic Lanes Road Rally.

Classic Lanes Rally 2003

The popular event took crews on a 120 mile clockwise loop around the rally’s base at Oswestry. It was a round of the Welsh, North Western and West Midlands Championships and attracted a capacity 75 car entry.

The battle for the win was decided on the opening two sections, which made up the first half of the rally. Competitive motoring started near Arddleen and used the lanes between there are the Meifod main road. Price/Middleton were two minutes faster than Price/Jones to the finish control here.

The long second section had eleven intermediate time controls; it started on Glan Frogan Hill and ran all the way to Chirk. Both the leading crews dropped a minute at ITC2B, just by Mynydd Mawr. Price/Middleton were then minute late at ITC2F at Wenallt, to cut their lead in half.

The decisive section was to ITC2H at Pentrecefn. Price/Middleton they hit a bank after sliding in a slurry covered farmyard and bent their Escort's steering. They were 4m 06s late at the time control, while Price/Jones dropped 3m 05s, giving them a one second lead.

Both crews cleaned the second half of the rally, which used the lanes to the north-east of Oswestry, and so an Escort 1-2 was gained by the narrowest of margins.

Jamie Turner/Graham Raeburn survived a slipping clutch on their Metro to take third, while Byron Jones/Matthew Maidment were just behind in fourth, with a similar narrow margin to Iwan Wyn Griffiths/Robin Williams in fifth. These three crews secured top positions from starting positions outside the top twenty-five.

The last car on the road, Daniel Williams/John Tomley, stormed through the field to take twelfth place overall and a dominant win in the Novice category. The leading Semi-Expert crew were Roger Powley/Jon Smith, who were twenty-second overall.

Classic Lanes Rally 2003
Winners: Glyn Price/Huw Jones (Ford Escort)
Photograph: M&H Photography

There were a number of notable retirements; Huw Evans/Patrick Walsh (Ford Escort) and Phil Turner/Owen Dodd (VW Golf) both withdrew after being delayed on the same white, in the former crews case the cause of the delay was two punctures and the car falling off its jack. Dennis Quinn/Pat Gadsby hit a bank in their Escort, while Dave Jones/Baz Green bent a strut on their Impreza.

Brynli Thomas/Roger Evans were slowed throughout the night as the alternator on their Peugeot 205 GTi played up; they completed the route in 11th place. Steve Head/Alan Pemberton (Vauxhall Nova) would have finished in third place, but gained a fail for booking in early at the start of the fourth section.

A broken driveshaft on their Astra put Andy Sheppard/Justin Brookes out and ended their hopes of taking the Welsh Championship. Meanwhile a half shaft snapped on teh Escort of first time pairing Shaun Hardy/Gwawr Hughes

Two local crews, who had hoped to do well on their home event, failed to make the Finish; these were Gareth Jones/Iwan Jones (Vauxhall Astra - stuck on white) and Martin Lloyd/Steve Herbert (Ford Escort - broken wheel).

The Classic Lanes was a round of the Welsh Championship for the first time. Series front runners Gerwyn Jones/Ceri Davies (Ford Escort) suffered two punctures on the same white and came home on 19th place. However it had been a bad night for their nearest challengers, notably Marc James/Anthony Davies, who failed to make the Finish. The outcome left only three crews still in the running for the series win; one of these was Gary Jones/Andy Oakes (Toyota Corolla) who finished in 13th position.

John Davies was a non-starter as he was still without a car, but he remained in the title race. Davies' regular navigator, Neil Bevan, found a seat alongside Ian Lloyd in his Corolla and they took eighth place; this gave Bevan a chance of still taking the WAMC title.



OVERALL RESULTS

Pos Driver Navigator Car Penalty
1 Glyn Price Huw Jones Ford Escort 8m 05s
2 Mark Price Paul Middleton Ford Escort 8m 06s
3 Jamie Turner Graham Raeburn Rover Metrort 11m 37s
4 Byron Jones Matthew Maidment Honda Civic VTi 11m 42s
5 Iwan Wyn Griffith Robin Williams Peugeot 205 GTi 11m 54s
6 Paul Hughes Chris Ware Citroen AX GT 12m 36s
7 Ian Carter Jon Stobbs Subaru Impreza 13m 13s
8 Ian Lloyd Neil Bevan Toyota Corolla 14m 36s
9 Islwyn Watkins Alun Probert Vauxhall Astra 15m 07s
10 Steve Price Cyril Jones Toyota Corolla 16m 25s
11 Brynli Thomas Roger Evans Peugeot 205 GTi 17m 15s
12 Daniel Williams John Tomley Vauxhall Nova 18m 08s
13 Gary Jones Andy Oakes Toyota Corolla 18m 12s
14 Steve Wynn Chris Wynn Ford Escort 18m 19s
15 Dewi John Williams Derwyn Roberts Peugeot 205 GTi 18m 42s
16 Owen Turner Andrew Dadswell Rover Metro 19m 05s
17 Delwyn Price Steve Price Ford Escort 20m 31s
18 Jason Hardy Alan Jôs VW Golf GTi 21m 00s
19 Gerwyn Jones Ceri Davies Ford Escort 22m 30s
20 Iwan Williams Gwion Pryderi Ford Escort 23m 17s
21 Bob Gush Keith Warlow Vauxhall Astra GTE 25m 57s
22 Roger Powley Jon Smith Toyota Corolla 27m 09s
23 Steve Head Alan Pemberton Vauxhall Nova 1F 11m 16s
24 Adrian Hodgson Chris Lightburn Renault 18TS 1F 11m 57s
25 Alastair Hunter Dave Skinner Peugeot 205 GTi 1F 22m 33s
26 Chris Thompson Justin Talboys-Cotton VW Golf 1F 25m 36s
27 Mark Davies Simon Cartwright Vauxhall Astra 1F 38m 46s
28 Eifion Wynn Davies Richard Jackson Peugeot 205 GTi 2F 33m 50s
29 Mal Acott Phil Clarke Ford Ecort 6F 10m 25s
30 Lee Heywood Mark Hamilton Peugeot 205 GTi 6F 31m 10s
31 Keith Gush Lynn Gush Vauxhall Nova 10F 30m 45s
32 Mike Cartwright Steve Warrington Vauxhall Astra 11F 21m 38s
33 Tony Watkin Medwyn Evans Vauxhall Nova 12F 50m 00s
34 Ian Furniss John Furniss Peugeot 205 GTi 13F 09m 00s
35 John Broadhurst Gareth Williams Ford Escort 14F 09m 00s
36 Gary Jenkins Eric Tong Peugeot 205 GTi 15F 10m 00s