The Festival Rally
The Revival of the Festival rally –
February 4/5th 2012
RESULTS, ENTRY
LIST and PHOTOS
By
Ian Mills
Organiser: Bath Motor Club Date: February 4/5 Where: Somerset Championships:
ASWMC Route: 130 Miles Starters: 31.
The
Semi-Expert crew of Chris Elkins/George Mullins overcame difficult conditions
to take their Citroen AX to a win the Bath
Festival Rally.
This
was the first running of the rally in 24 years but just an hour before the
intended start time it appeared that, due to the weather, the event might have
to be abandoned. However the organisers held their nerve and as the snow turned
to rain the roads, which looked like they would be impassable, became simply
treacherous.
Dhiren Solanki/Wayne Lander led after the
opening two tests, but a missed code board and an off saw them fall to 22nd
at the Finish. Elkins/Mullins had been in second after the tests, they then
cleaned the first third of the night rally to take lead they weren’t to lose.
For
Michael Pedley/David Pedley
it was an achievement to make it from their Manchester home to the start of
rally having had to contend with the snow affected motorways. Their rally got
off to a bad start as they missed the first code board of the event, this added five minutes to their total. They came
back strongly, dropping least time on the night leg and finishing in second
place.
1
Chris Elkins/George Mullins (Citroen AX GTi) 17m05s;
2 Michael Pedley/David Pedley
(Ford Escort Mk1) 19m23s; 3 Will Rutherford/Bob Rutherford (Vauxhall Astra) 29m56s; 4 Phil Harris/Liam Burns (Daihatsu Sirion) 34m21s; 5 Steve Conner/Mark Milton (Peugeot 205 Rallye) 41m44s; 6 Andrew Lees/Simon Lassam
(Vauxhall Nova) 42m34s; 7 David Axford/David Thorpe
(Vauxhall Nova SR) 43m37s; 8 Chris Foxley/Graeme Williamson (BMW 318i Compact)
47m18s; 9 Alan Holly/James Holly (Vauxhall Corsa
Sport) 1h02m58s; 10 Steve Hart/Mike Aldridge (Peugeot 205 GTi)
1h04m14s. Class Winners: Semi-Experts: Rutherford/Rutherford; Novices:
Holly/Holly; Beginners: Foxley/Williamson.