Welford beats the conditions to reign supreme at York-based event

11:55am Friday 16th May 2008

IN his first outing for a couple of months, Masham butcher Richard Welford overcame the dry and dusty conditions to win his class on last Sunday's John Overend Memorial Stages Rally held at Melbourne Airfield near York.

Along with co-driver Roy Barwick, Welford survived an encounter with the scenery in his Busby Stoop Garage-sponsored Ford Escort RS200 to finish in 18th place overall and with it, took the class victory.

Also winning his class was Brompton teenager Paul Atkinson who, along with Northallerton co-driver Dan Loveday, brought their Robinson Site Services of Bedale-sponsored Vauxhall Nova home in 32nd place overall to win the 1400cc category.

Northallerton's Darren Grimston, along with Ripon co-driver Charlotte Banner, were placed 29th overall and fourth in class at the finish after they beached their Electrocare Ford Escort on some tyres on the opening stage, losing two minutes in the process. Colin Stockil and Sarah Craven, from Ripon, were also out in their Peugeot 205 and secured 38th place overall and sixth in class.

Three local crews, however, didn't see the finish including West Rounton drivers Chris Blake (Ford Escort Cosworth) and Nigel Keen (Ford Escort Mk2) who, along with their respective co-drivers Tony Walker and Mark Casey, went out before the lunch halt.

Blake suffered a suspected head gasket problem and Keen broke a driveshaft. Also retiring in the morning was the Barnard Castle pairing of Mark Thompson and Giles Dykes in their Peugeot 206 as they lost a wheel on SS4.

● JUST five days after a hectic meeting at Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday, the British Superbike reconvened at Brands Hatch in Kent last weekend for the rescheduled races that were snowed off in early April.

With grid positions already set, the region's competitors enjoyed a free practice day on Saturday before getting down to the business of racing on Sunday, which again proved a mixed blessing for those that had made the long trip south again.

Newcastle rider Jonathan Dickson came out best of all with a battling 11th place in Superstock 600 race aboard his Ian Bell Yamaha and in the British Supersport race, Middlesbrough's Paul Veazey brought his Astro Kawasaki home in 22nd place overall, picking up a seventh in the Cup class to net his first points of the season.

It wasn't such good news for the other locals as Hartburn 125cc ace Jamie Ferguson could only manage 21st place on his TFR Honda and Darlington schoolteacher, Jonathan Harrison, was going well in the Supersport race on his HBR Yamaha when he crashed out uninjured on lap five. Whitby rider Ashley Jones finished with a best result of 15th in the guest MRO Superteen class, but failed to finish in the points in his three other races over the weekend.

Teesside-based Hydrex Bike Animal Honda rider James Ellison recorded a best result of sixth on the Shaun Muir Racing Honda Fireblade in the opening British Superbike Championship race and the 27-year-old Cumbrian followed that up with eighth in race two to move into fifth in the title chase.

The next BSB action is at Donington Park next Monday.

● HAMSTERLEY rally driver Stephen Petch overcame the treacherously slippery lanes of the Isle of Man to post a 12th place finish on last weekend's RBS International Manx Rally.

Driving the SGP Motorsport Hyundai Accent WRC, along with Tow Law co-driver Michael Wilkinson, the pair came home in 12th pace overall and fifth in class after the two-day event and as a result, have moved into third place in their class.

Also in action on round three of the 2008 Pirelli MSA Rally Championship was Bishop Auckland's Tristan Pye and codriver Kirsty Riddick, who finished 18th overall and seventh in class in their JPM Subaru Impreza, while the Bedale pairing of Tommi Graham and Mike Bailey brought their MSR Motorsport- prepared Mitsubishi Lancer home in 29th overall and ninth in class.

Miles Johnston, from Boroughbridge, finished 34th overall and tenth in class in his Mitsubishi Lancer to keep up his hopes in the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge, where he currently lies in eighth place.

Ripon co-driver Henry Richardson guided driver Rod Bennett to 59th place overall and fourth in class in their Walkers Garage-sponsored Fiat Punto, but it was bad news for the Middlesbrough pairing of Geoff Glover and Charlie Taylor, who retired their Vauxhall Astra with gearbox problems.

● DARLINGTON and District Motor Club makes the short trip down the A167 to Croft Circuit this weekend for the first of their Club Championship Car Race Meetings.

As usual, the local club has attracted a quality field for their own Northern Saloon & Sports Car Championship with a massive 56 car entry. Split into two races, the more powerful Class A cars include two Lamborghini Gallardo five-litre sports cars driven by Maltby's Paul Gibson and Dumbarton's Ian Donaldson, both of which were originally built to contest this year's British GT Championship.

Up against them will be the massively powerful Ford Focus of Andrew Gallagher and the Escort Cosworth of Robert Drummond, while Stewart Whyte returns to Croft in the ex TOCA Honda Accord and, not to be discounted, will be the Ford RS200 of Kingsley Ingram. Included in this race will be the always competitive Kit Cars with ex-champion Phil Morris keen to score maximum points, although another ex-champion Duncan Marshall might just be looking to upset the apple cart.

The heavier, less powerful classes B to D should feature a close-fought race between Darlington businessman Dave Cox in the Peugeot 205, Stephen Ferguson's Nissan Pulsar, Mike Cutt's BMW M3 and Andrew Morrison's SEAT Leon Cupra.

The second of the Group B rally cars appears for the first time in the hands of Middlesbrough's Ken Hall. Converted from a rally car, the Metro 6R4 is an unknown quantity as this will be Ken's first circuit race.

Reigning champion, Paul Moss, from Darlington, has developed the Citroen Saxo over the winter and will be looking to set up two in a row, although Hartlepool pairing Gavin Lee and a returning Mick Starkey both in Fiesta XR2 might just have a say in preventing Paul's ambition.

The historics feature local drivers Malcolm Dearnley in his Morgan and Malcolm Turnbull's TR6 respectively.

With visiting championships from Scotland for the Mini Cooper Cup and XR2s featuring closely fought grids, the remaining action leads up nicely to the feature races of the weekend.

The Uniroyal Fun Cup returns for two, three hour races.

The VW Beetle bodies sit on purpose-built space frame chassis and run on Uniroyal tyres. Each car has up to four drivers and will also require refuelling during the race. Frequently requiring Safety Car intervention during the race, the winning margin will be measured in seconds.

Practice starts tomorrow at 9.30 with racing getting under way at 1pm. On Sunday racing will commence at 12.30pm and admission will be £10 per person with accompanied children under 15 admitted free, and there will be free admission to the Paddock areas too.

● Any motorsport news?

Email larry@cartersport.com