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Perez Wins The Border Counties |
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Saturday, 24 March 2007 |
After four years of trying, VK Vodka Kick rally driver Steve Perez took his maiden National 'A' victory after a superb drive on today's Jedburgh based Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally.
In the Ford Focus WRC and along with Berwickshire co-driver Claire Mole, the Chesterfield driver traded early blows with the Hyundai of Marcus Dodd until the winner of Rallye Sunseeker crashed out on SS5 and from thereon in Perez defended his lead to head home fellow Hankook GRC contenders Roger Duckworth and Paul Bird.
As a result Perez and Mole move to the head of the Championship that
they last won back in 2004 and celebrated in style at the finish.
"At last! I've been trying for years to win one of these events and
I've finished second so many times, I'm absolutely over the moon. Me
and Marcus were having a good battle and then when he crashed out I had
a good lead over the rest, but I was scared stiff in case I got a
puncture and I ended up driving like my Grandma! I'm really looking
forward to the Manx as leader of the Championship and there might be
life in the old dog yet!" said Perez who paid tribute to his co-driver
and his team on the finish ramp.
The VK Ford Focus team will be in action next weekend on the Wold
Construction North Humberside Rally before getting down to the serious
business of defending their ANCRO Championship lead when the RBS
International Manx Rally takes place in May.
Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally Results
1 Steve Perez/Claire Mole (Ford Focus WRC) – 0:53:43.4
2 Roger Duckworth/Ian Allsop (Subaru Impreza) - 0:54:29.5
3 Paul Bird/Andy Richardson (Subaru Impreza WRC) – 0:55:02.9
4 Dave Weston/Neil Shanks (Ford Focus WRC) - 0:55:03.0
5 Phillip Morrow/Simon Morrow (Mitsubishi EVO 9) – 0:55:12.3
6 Sebastian Ling/Aled Rees (Mitsubishi EVO 9) – 0:55:12.4
7 Julian Reynolds/Patrick Walsh (Mitsubishi EVO 9) – 0:55:13.2
8 Jimmy Girvan/Mike Ramsay (Subaru Impreza) - 0:55:29.2
9 David Bogie/Rob Fagg (Mitsubishi EVO 9GT) - 0:55:40.4
10 Nik Elsmore/Vicky Allen (Mitsubishi EVO 9) - 0:55:53.3
2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship Positions
1 Steve Perez 47pts
2 Paul Bird 40pts
3 Phillip Morrow 38pts
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