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: Martyn Allen
Route: 115 Miles
Maps: 138
Starters: 30
Winners: Trevor Pritchard/Paul Hughes (MG Maestro)
Wolverhampton & South Staffs MC’s Starlight Novices Rally was won by the MG Maestro of Trevor Pritchard/Paul Hughes. The event, designed for novices and beginners, was not open to Expert crews.
The Martyn Billings Automotive backed rally started and finished just to the west of Wolverhampton. The lanes between the club’s hometown and the Welsh border making up the 115 competitive miles. Crews had to content with rain for most of the night, in addition fog affected some sections, visibility on those around Diddlesbury being particularly bad.
The first section around Kinver saw the Ford Focus of Mark Higgott/Dave Williamson take the lead, but they were to drop back when the rally moved towards the petrol halt at Church Stretton. However their fourth place at the Finish was enough to secure the Novice class for them.
Pritchard/Hughes made the most of their experience of the Shropshire lanes to take the lead by the halfway point and, despite having to stop to change a puncture on the cleanable second half, came home the winners with a victory margin of over a minute.
They were followed home by two more Semi-Expert crews, Anthony Ellis/Ian Jarman in a Ford Escort and ‘Deggy’/Martin Penny in a VW Golf.
The winners of the Beginners class were Mark Tudor/Andrew Pierce who finished in fifteenth place overall.
Thirty crews started the rally and twenty-six made it to the Finish. Mark Gamble/Shane Gamble were amongst the finishers despite putting their Peugeot 205 through a hedge at one point.
TOP TEN RESULTS
Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
1 | Trevor Pritchard | Paul Hughes | MG Maestro | 6m 28s | |
2 | Anthony Ellis | Ian Jarman | Ford Escort | 7m 44s | |
3 | 'Deggy | Martin Penny | VW Golf | 8m 32s | |
4 | Mark Higgott | Dave Williamson | Ford Focus | 9m 22s | |
5 | Nick Skidmore | David Broomhall | Peugeot 205 | 9m 58s | |
6 | Andrew Rumble | Alan Walker | Vauxhall Astra | 10m 04s | |
7 | Chris Thompson | Justin Tallboys-Cotton | VW Golf | 10m 37s | |
8 | Stephen Davies | Michael Harrison | Ford Fiesta | 10m 44s | |
9 | Dan Sharp | Allen Hart | Renault Clio | 10m 45s | |
10 | John Morris | Vicki Price | Peugeot 309 | 11m 35s |