Hertfordshire’s Rob Swann and co-driver Steve McNulty put in a committed drive to take the top spot on the podium at yesterday’s Island Stages Rally, an event which has been hailed a huge success by organisers.
Swann/McNulty took victory in their ex-Ott Tänak Ford Fiesta WRC by an impressive 18 seconds over Richard Weaver/Dylan Thomas in their Fiesta R5, who not only secured 2nd place overall but lifted the Mike Davidson Memorial Trophy as the best-placed Island crew – something that Richard says means the world to him.
James Labey from Jersey – and his co-driver Robbie Hannah – rounded off the podium in 3rd place in their Fiesta R5, 16 seconds behind Weaver/Thomas.
The inaugural closed-road event proved to be a huge hit with competitors and spectators alike, with over 1,000 people descending on the dedicated spectator zone at Havenstreet – and the surrounding areas – to enjoy a day of fast-paced rallying, some reigniting their love for the sport after decades away.
It bodes well for the future of rallying on the Isle of Wight, with a clear appetitive for motorsport action locally. Discussions are already thought to be underway for 2025…
There was drama on SS1 when Tom Jones and Andy Conibear in their Subaru Impreza went into a tightening right-hand bend on Rowlands Lane with too much speed, ending up rolling the car onto its roof and coming to rest in a hedge. Thankfully, the crew were uninjured and the special stage was able to continue before the vehicle was recovered back to service.
The same can’t be said for Special Stage 4, which after just a few competitive runs was cancelled by organisers due to the presence of drones in the skies above Havenstreet. Although the drone operators were legally allowed to fly, Motorsport UK regulations prohibit the use of drones forcing organisers to stop the stage.
Delays at the start of the day which saw the stage start shortened by 100m, the recovery of Car 22 from Rowlands and the drama surrounding the use of drones led to significant knock-on delays, which unfortunately meant that Special Stage 8 – the last of the day – was cancelled as time simply ran out.
A total of 39 competitors successfully finished the rally, including a strong cohort of Isle of Wight crews – save for John Peck/Jon Barrett, who were sadly forced to retire with an engine fault on their Mitsubishi Evo. Will Nicholls/Nick Broom (Fiesta R5) secured 5th overall ahead of Dean Long/James Moles (Subaru Impreza), who improved on their seeding to finish 9th overall. Wayne Hole/Chris Wilson (Ford Escort Mk1) finished 13th.
Simon Verstraeten/Pauling Whittington finished 23rd in their Talbot Sunbeam, despite a slight misfire, and Ian Thomas/Gerald Wilby drove their Austin Healey 3000 home in 27th place. Andy Williams/Harry Samuel – in their first-ever rally – finished 29th just ahead of Heidi Peck/Andy Tomlinson in 32nd. The much-loved Austin Mini of Kevin Richardson/Katrin Herold finished 38th.
A total of 10 retirements were recorded with rally control with reasons varying from failed mountings to rear diff failure.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Car Club has said:
“An amazing first running. The Isle of Wight Car Club would like to thank everyone involved for making it a successful event, especially the orange army”.
PHOTOS:
