|
|
 |
|
|
|
News & editorial
November 2003
WHAT A BRILLIANT RESULT - The right one at that.
Petter Solberg drove like a demon to take a very well deserved WRC title with Phil Mills in the office chair. Just as it did two years ago the title fight had its elements thrown into turmoil very early on in the Wales Rally GB. With Richard Burns not even able to start the rally there is now great concern for his health after two blackouts. Carlos Sainz didn't even make it to first service after he was delayed at the start of SS2 and then went off and out on SS3.
Marcus Gronholm lost 15 minutes on SS3 after clouting a rock with his wheel and would have made it back to service, be it not for so charitable a policeman who decided he was going no further.
Ford were also out of luck with Mikko Hirvonen sliding out and Markko Martin retiring on the way to SS4. As the days went on and Stage Times published it really was a 2 Crew fight as this shows:
DAY 1 - STAGE WINNERS - SOLBERG 4 / LOEB 3
SS1 Cardiff Super Sp 1 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS2 Brechfa S LOEB / D ELENA SS3 Trawscoed S LOEB / D ELENA SS4 Rheola 1 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS5 Resolfen 1 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS6 Rheola 2 S LOEB / D ELENA SS7 Cardiff Super Sp 2 P SOLBERG / P MILLS
DAY 2 - STAGE WINNERS - SOLBERG 8 / LOEB 0
SS8 Crychan 1 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS9 Halfway 1 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS10 Crychan 2 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS11 Halfway 2 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS12 Margam Forest P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS13 Margam Park 1 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS14 Resolfen 2 P SOLBERG / P MILLS SS15 Cardiff Super Sp 3 P SOLBERG / P MILLS
DAY 3 - STAGE WINNERS - SOLBERG 1 / LOEB 2
SS16 Rhondda 1 S LOEB / D ELENA SS17 Rhondda 2 S LOEB / D ELENA SS18 Margam Park 2 P SOLBERG / P MILLS
Colin McRae's misfortune after he had a puncture in the final stage lost him his tussle with Tommi Makinen so Tommi went out in style again and will be missed.
Another McRae also seemed to enjoy his rally was Jimmy in Car 106, a Subaru Impreza. He managed to finish an incredible 17th overall. A couple of the better known local crews also fared well with Steve Perez and Jonty Bolsover in Car 27, a Ford Focus World Rally Car, built by M-Sport for the Official Ford World Rally Team and previously driven by Colin McRae on last year's Rally of Great Britain. Steve and Jonty finished a very credible 25th overall but were beaten by 4 places by Gavin Cox in Car 115, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, who came in 21st.
All in all a brilliant finish to the year before the changes for 2004 changing things again - not for the good I believe.
Timely Reminder ………Please note for those of you involved, the next Committee meeting for the 2004 Robin Hood Forest Stages Rally is on Tuesday 18th November commencing at 7.45pm prompt at the Park Hotel on Carr House Road Doncaster.
Last month I mentioned the "Le Jog" and you'll be more than welcome to come along to Morecombe - See Gordon's Gossip. It's a 120 mile trip to the seafront and should take approximately an hour and a quarter tops.
John Sayles
|
|
|
|
