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Maximum Points for Dodd on Severn Valley Rally |
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Sunday, 03 June 2007 |
Marcus Dodd claimed maximum points in round four of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship, the Severn Valley National Rally, earlier today as Andy Burton took the overall win.
Burton and co-driver Shelley Rogerson brought home their Peugeot Cosworth 4.5 seconds ahead of the Hyundai Accent WRC of Dodd and Andrew Bargery on the Builth Wells based event despite suffering with brake problems later on.
Dodd and Bargery finished 8.3 seconds ahead of series leaders Steve
Perez and co driver Claire Mole to take their second Gravel
Championship win of the season.
Perez and Mole clinched 22 points in the series to maintain their lead
as they ended up third overall in their VK Vodka Kick 03 Ford Focus WRC
while brothers Phillip and Simon Morrow were fourth, taking 20 points
as well as being first in the Production Cup and winners of the
Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge.
“We’ve just gone steady today because we wanted to beat Steve, as long as we beat him that’s what matters,” Dodd said.
“It’s been very hot but other than that nothing very exciting has
happened. The result is brilliant for our championship but we could
have done with someone finishing between me and Steve to score points
as it’s becoming a bit of a two-horse race, but it’s been a good event.”
Jock Armstrong and Kirsty Riddick finished fifth and took the honours
in the Subaru Group N Trophy. Sebastian Ling and Aled Rees were sixth
and third Group N in their Mitsubishi Evo 9. They lost time earlier in
the day in the Radnor stage after catching Bob Ceen, who was struggling
with a puncture, and despite their best efforts could not make up the
time.
Julian Reynolds and Patrick Walsh were eighth in their Mitsubishi Evo 9
behind Nigel Griffiths and Andrew Owens. Nik Elsmore/Vicky Allen and
Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson rounded-up the top 10 in their
Mitsubishi Evos.
Winner of the previous round on the Isle of Man, Roger Duckworth, was
an early casualty across the 63 miles of forest gravel stages as he and
co-driver Mark Broomfield retired after stage three whilst in fourth
spot with an engine problem on their Subaru Impreza.
Kevin Wills and Lorna Hill won the VK 1400 Challenge in their Nissan
Micra kit car whilst Rod Bennett and Henry Richardson in their Fiat
Stilo took the HPM Motorsport 2WD Challenge.
In the Hankook Forest Rally Challenge Dave Brick and Rob Woodhouse
clinched full points as they finished third overall in the Severn
Valley Clubman Rally in their Mk2 Ford Escort. Tom Walster and Tim
Sturla were second in their Ford Fiesta ST.
The battle recommences when competitors return to Wales next month for
the Swansea Bay National Rally which takes place Saturday July 21st.
Final results:
1, Andrew Burton/Shelley Rogerson (Peugeot Cosworth) 1:01:41.5
2, Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent) 1:01:46.0
3, Steve Perez/Claire Mole (Ford Focus) 1:01:54.3
4, Phillip Morrow/Simon Morrow (Mitsubishi Evo 0) 1:03:26.7
5, Jock Armstrong/Kirsty Riddick (Subaru Impreza) 1:04:03.5
6, Sebastian Ling/Aled Rees (Mitsubishi Evo 9) 1:04:08.0
7, Nigel Griffiths/Andrew Owens (Subaru Impreza) 1:04:54.5
8, Julian Reynolds/Patrick Walsh (Mitsubishi Evo 9) 1:05:01.8
9, Nik Elsmore/Vicky Allen (Mitsubishi Evo 9) 1:05:21.7
10, Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson (Mitsubishi Evo 9) 1:05:22.2
2007 MSA Gravel Rally Championship Standings (Provisional):
1, Steve Perez 89 points
2, Marcus Dodd 72 points
3, Sebastian Ling 68 points
4, Phillip Morrow 67 points
5, Jock Armstrong 61 points
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