Unless otherwise clearly indicated, results on this site have been declared final and are therefore not subject to query or protest
Clerk of the Course: Adam Roper
Route: 130 Miles
Maps: 98 99 & 104
Starters: 54
Winners: Carl Hawkins/Iain Tullie (Vauxhall Nova)
Ripon MSC’s St Wilfrids Road Rally saw another victory go to the Nova of Carl Hawkins/Iain Tullie (Vauxhall Nopva), however the pair had to fight hard for the win as Jon Lawson/Chris Pringle (Subaru Legacy) put up a strong challenge.
There were 54 starters for this 120 mile North Yorkshire event. It was a round of five major championships including the HRCR.
Top seeds Owen Turner/Graham Raeburn (Rover Metro) were fastest over the first section; they were two seconds faster than Lawson/Pringle, with Hawkins/Tullie a further nine seconds behind. Terry Martin/Simon Bentley (Peugeot 205 GTi) were fourth; they were to complete the rally in third place, their first clear since their win on the G&P Memorial in March.
Turner/Raeburn's event came to an end on the section near Appletreewick. Raeburn: "On a 90 Right the car just drifted wide onto the grass and into the ditch .... a tree stopped us dead. Both OK and the car wasn't too bad, a holed radioator and a new bonnet needed".
This left Lawson/Pringle with a lead that they maintained until the final section, which used private tracks in the Lightwater Valley Park.
Hawkins/Tullie, who were nine seconds down on the leaders at that point, decided to throw caution to the wind and, despite a spin, ended the section and the rally twelve seconds ahead.
A single code board had a significant effect on the results as around half the runners missed it. The offending board was PC11A and it was located between a Time Control, at which a route hand out was issued, and the first slot of the section. There should have been more than a mile between the TC and the slot, however the control had to be moved, due to a PR complaint, a few days before the start. This meant that the control, board and slot were all within a couple of hundred metres of each other. Many crews charged away from the control and didn't realise their error until the next TC.
HRCR front runners Terry Pickering/Paul Robinson (Triumph TR3) would have finished sixth overall and taken another historic category win, but picked up a fail for missing PC11A and dropped to 24th place at a result.
This allowed the Mini of Pete Valentine/John Thornley to take the category win on what was the driver's first visit to Yorkshire since the 1969 Seven Dales and the navigator’s first night rally for six years.
Roger Hunt/Graham Dance (Ford Escort Mexico) were another of the crews to miss PC11A, but had already lost over two minutes on the first section with a puncture. They were also badly affected by dust from other cars in Lightwater and finished in 30th position. Peter Noad/Dave Kirkham (Audi 80 GT) also missed the controversial board and were classified in 26th place.
There were a number of significant retirements. Guy Robinson/Charlie Wheeldon withdrew before Petrol with a damaged exhaust on their Proton Persona. Jon Richardson/John Upham struggled from the opening section with a slipping clutch on their Golf and they retired at Petrol. Engine problems stranded the Vauxhall Viva of Ray Heathcote/Pat Gadsby. John Haden/Steve Porter (Subaru Impreza) were forced out by a leaking petrol tank.
Tony Sims/Gavin Ford (Ford Sierra) took the Novice class award and finished thirteenth overall, three minutes ahead of their nearest class rivals.
OVERALL RESULTS (Positions in bold indicate an Historic Rally contender)
Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
1 | Carl Hawkins | Iain Tullie | Vauxhall Nova | 2m 50s | |
2 | Jon lawson | Chris Pringle | Subaru Legacy | 3m 02s | |
3 | Terry Martin | Simon Bentley | Peugeot 205 GTi | 3m 29s | |
4 | Dave Chapman | David Taylor | Peugeot 205 GTi | 4m 06s | |
5 | Paul Schatz | Jerry Hettrick | Peugeot 309 GTi | 4m 32s | |
6 | Nick Toplis | Mick Fern | Vauxhall Nova GTE | 5m 00s | |
7 | Malcolm Holdsworth | Richard Holdsworth | Toyota Corolla | 5m 36s | |
8 | Steve Featherstone | Mike Ogram | Ford Sierra | 5m 39s | |
9 | Dave Tubman | John Tubman | Peugeot 205 GTi | 6m 09s | |
10 | John Dimbleby | David Dimbleby | Ford Fiesta XR2 | 6m 30s | |
11 | Peter Valentine | John Thornley | Mini Cooper S | 6m 37s | |
12 | Richard Chown | Mark Wagstaff | Peugeot 205 GTi | 6m 44s | |
13 | Tony Sims | Gavin Ford | Ford Sierra | 9m 30s | |
14 | Andy Beaumont | Mike Petch | Proton Satria | 10m 10s | |
15 | Cameron Collis | Matty Fox | Honda CRX | 10m 13s | |
16 | Martin Langley | John Thornton | Ford Escort | 12m 53s | |
17 | Frank Evans | Dan Spittlehouse | Toyota Corolla GT | 13m 15s | |
18 | G Wilcox | D Harper | TBA | 15m 38s | |
19 | Simon Gratton | Ian Beech | Peugeot 205 GTi | 16m 01s | |
20 | Len Smith | C Edwards | Mini Cooper S | 17m 09s | |
21 | Paul Metcalfe | Simon Cartwright | Mini Sprite | 17m 51s | |
22 | Anette Pashley | Steve Pashley | Vauxhall Nova GTE | 17m 56s | |
23 | Wes Massam | Shon Gosling | Volvo PV444 | 25m 236s | |
24 | Terry Pickering | Paul Robinson | Triumph TR3 | 1F 4m 34s | |
25 | Tom Wilcox | Ed Dentiss | Toyota Corolla | 1F 6m 53s | |
26 | Peter Noad | Dave Kirkham | Audi 80 GT | 1F 6m 55s | |
27 | Bill Chadwick | Alan Edwards | Peugeot 205 GTi | 1F 7m 57s | |
28 | John Ross | Oliver Ross | Subaru Impreza | 1F 9m 30s | |
29 | Brian Cope | Stan Appleton | Mini Cooper S | 1F 9m 42s | |
30 | Roger Hunt | Graham Dance | Ford Escort Mexico | 1F 10m 01s | |
31 | Bob Wisniewski | Paul Lettington | Nissan Micra | 1F 12m 37s | |
32 | S Powell | W D Wilson | Ford Escort RS2000 | 1F 18m 57s | |
33 | Antony Baren | G Franks | Peugeot 205 GTi | 1F 34m 39s | |
34 | Richard Lumb | A Lumb | Vauxhall Nova | 1F 36m 11s | |
35 | Sandie Taylor | Paul Taylor | Peugeot 205 GTi | 2F 05m 08s | |
36 | Curly Haigh | Sally Peacock | Ford Escort Van | 2F 20m 10s | |
37 | Tony Brooks | A Hudson | Morris 1300 | 2F 25m 52s | |
38 | Simon Byard | Glyn Byard | Peugeot 205 GTi | 4F 57m 31s | |
39 | Jean Appleton | Heather Appleton | Austin A40 | 11F 55m 45s | |
40 | M Judson | D Lewin | Vauxhall Astra | 14F 66m 00s | |
41 | Glyn Casey | Mark Casey | Vauxhall Nova | 27F 67m 31s |