Somerset Stages Rally

How many times, in recent history, has the number 1 car on the Somerset Stages Rally dominated the event? Will Nicholls & Nick Broom broke the run of wins for Andy Burton last year and headed the field this year. They pretty much dominated the event going fastest on 6 of the 9 stages run, including the first 5, in their Impreza WRC. The victory margin over the Focus WRC of Hugh Hunter & Andy Marchbank being 35 seconds. Back in third was Burton, co-driven by Shelley Rogerson, a further 34 seconds back in the Peugeot Cosworth.

Pirelli Rally

Stunning weather up North once again, this time for the Pirelli Rally. The headlines will be taken by Keith Cronin & Greg Shinnors, who took their Lancer Evo IX to a last stage victory over the Impreza N11 of Mark Higgins & Bryan Thomas, in a repeat of what happened on the Bulldog Rally.  Completing the podium places was the Evo X of David Bogie & Kevin Rae.

However the rally looked like a dream debut for the Proton Satria Neo S2000 of Guy Wilks & Phil Pugh but an off, and subsequent fire, put paid to his chances of a hat-trick of wins on the Pirelli. Further back Craig Breen & Gareth Roberts took the honours in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy whilst Martin McCormack & Phil Clarke won the C2R2 cup with Richard Sykes & Simon Taylor taking top honours in the Swift Cup.