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Bovington Targa Rally

Bournemouth & District Car Club

24th August 2024


Bovington Targa Rally 2024
Winners: John Davies/Nick Bloxham (Ford Puma)
Photograph: © M&H Photography

Organiser: Bournemouth & District Car Club

Date: 24th August 2024

Clerk of the Course: Graham Dance

Tests: 12 (38½ Test Miles)

Base: Bovington Army Camp

Starters: 51


Bournemouth & District Car Club used the Bovington Tank Training Ground as the venue for their first Targa rally. They had laid out twelve tests, made up of the four loops of three tests each. This gave a total of 38½ competitive miles.

It was raining heavily as the 51 starters lined up to begin the first test. The list didn't include Dan Morris/Geth Johnson, seeded at 2, who had been unable to get their Puma repaired in time for the event.

The sandy tracks were to prove a tough test as they became rutted; the torrential rain, which continued sporadically throughout the day, adding to the difficulties. Towards the end of the day a number of sections had to be cut as they became impassable.

Test 1, which was 1.68 miles long, included six passage controls, at these checks competitors had to record a code and had to come to a complete halt. Ethan Davies/Sam Treleavan (MG ZR) were one of a number of crews who were penalised for failing to stop at one PC. On the Bovington Targa there was a five minute penalty for this offence, this meant that Davies/Treleavan took a test maximum as their test time plus the line fault pushed them over the maximum. Instead of being third fastest, they were 33rd.

Fastest on the test, by six seconds, were John Davies/Nick Bloxham (Ford Puma), Bradley White/Jamie White (BMW 318Ti) were second, while Zak Linham/Shaun Layland put their 1400cc MG ZR into third.

The second test was the longest of the event, at 4½ miles long; it also used some of the rougher sections. Once again, Davies/Bloxham were fastest, this time by 21 seconds from Davies/Treleavan. This meant that, after just two tests, Davies/Bloxham were over the minute in front of Hatsford Targa winners, Trevor Disney/Aaron Toms (Ford Fiesta ST150). Gary White/Paul Nelson (BMW 318Ti) were in third, only three seconds off second.

While Davies/Bloxham were quickest again on the 3.8 mile Test 3, White/Nelson were six seconds faster than Disney/Aarons, as the latter were penalised ten seconds for a cone fault; this gave the BMW crew second place at the end of the first loop. Davies/Treleavan had been second fastest on Test 3 and had now recovered to sit in ninth place overall.

Three crews failed to make it to the end of the loop, these included Mick Valentine/Zak Valentine (Ford Escort) and Ashlyn Mitchell/Colin Mitchell (Peugeot 206), the latter suffering a broken engine mounting.

The second loop was the same three tests as the first loop run again. Davies/Bloxham continued their perfect day, being fastest on all three and ending the loop with a lead of over three and a half minutes. White/Nelson and Disney/Aarons continued their tight battle, with the former maintaining their advantage, but never by more than a handful of seconds throughout the run. Davies/Treleavan were second quickest on the three tests and were up to fourth by the time that they reached the halfway break.

The Escort of Gavin Rogers/Suze Rogers broke its suspension at the end of Test 5. The crew managed to affect a repair and struggled through Test 6 as they nursed the car and got baulked by slower runners. They dropped from fifth to sixth as a result.

Further back in the field many crews were struggling, either getting stuck, or fighting to get past cars that had become beached. By this point the retirement list had grown to nine cars; these included early front runners, White/White and Tom Brooks/Tony Brooks (Toyota MR2), the MR2 suffering a broken drive shaft on Test 6.

Bovington Targa Rally 2024

On Test 7 Davies/Bloxham's Puma developed a misfire and for the first time in the day they didn't take fastest time, indeed they were only fifth quickest. The best time went to Daves/Treleavan, who were also fastest on Test 8. This moved them into second place; they built this to a 30 second cushion over White/Nelson by the end of the loop.

The leaders' misfire cleared on Test 8 and they were fastest once again on Test 9 to put them over three minutes ahead of the field at the final break of the day. However, not all was well, Davies was struggling with fading rear brakes.

Top seeds, Chris Woolley/Jamie Woolley (BMW E30), who had been in fifth place after Test 7 found their machine starting to fall apart. What seemed like a shock absorber problem developed into a propshaft issue and the pair decided to withdraw. This left 33 cars to contest the final three tests.

Due to the deteriorating state of some parts of the route, sections were cut from Tests 10 and 12, and Test 11 was reduced to one loop rather than two.

White/Nelson closed the gap to Davies/Treleavan to under 30 seconds as the BMW pair took fastest time on Test 10. However, both Davies/Bloxham and Davies/Treleavan beat the bogey on the final two tests to neutralise the battle for the lead - the latter pairing having been 35 seconds faster than the leaders on Test 12, that was 45 seconds under the bogey.

Thus Davies/Bloxham nursed the Puma home to take their second win of the year, finishing 3m28s ahead of Davies/Treleavan, who in turn were 29 seconds ahead of White/Nelson, while Disney/Toms were 45 seconds further back in fourth place.

Rogers/Rogers had been in fifth place with one test remaining, but on Test 12, with a quarter of a mile remaining, the ball joint snapped on their Escort. They managed to make the car moveable with the use of a rachet strap, and, travelling gently, made the finish line. They received a test maximum, which dropped them to tenth in the final standings.

Fifth place was thus taken by Lewis Ayris/Tim Sawyer, who were using Simon Ayris' MG ZR; they won the 1400cc Class win.

There were 33 finishers after what had been a truly tough, but enjoyable, event.


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