 Resolution Rally 1997 |  Kent Rally 1997 |
Resolution Rally 1997 | Kent Rally 1997 |
The event was much the same as in previous years, but with a few detail changes. 150 miles of twisty South Holland Fen Roads, with all tulip navigation. This year the entire route was given out at the start in a road book, with the route tulips randomly strung together. At each control the marshals simply indicated the tulip to start plotting from. With almost all of the 55 (!) TCs manned, and a host of PCs the short sections were to prove very demanding, but without being ridiculously taxing on the novices.
The field was lead away by last year's winners Tony Michael/Paul Barrett. They were destined to retire with a broken driveshaft. Next Escort away, was that of Guy Robinson/Charles Wheeldon. They too succumbed to mechanical maladies - loosing a wheel after about ten sections. They were the second of the four retirements - a nasty ice patch had already deposited Sean & Pat Gadsby in a field.
The first section to really penalise people was up to STC6. With two PCs the short section managed to take a minute or two off the top crews. This started to shake down the field. The next few sections saw the screw being turned, with the route taking to the whites. Many drivers remarked that there was more grip on the whites than on the tarmac, but despite this by STC9 everybody had dropped some time. Four cars were vying for top position: Biss/Woodman, Colin Rodger/Martin Smith, Michael/Barrett and Paul Wright/Mark Goodman.
By the end of the first time card these four had become two: driveshaft failure had sidelined Michael/Barrett and Wright/Goodman had slipped a minute. From the rejoin point, just north of Holbeach, the route struck out across the very fast roads on Holbeach Marsh, before crossing the Welland at Fosdyke. The intricate section East of the A16 penalised a few, leaving the standings at the first Boston petrol halt as:
1= Biss/Woodman 2 1= Rodger/Smith 2 3= Mark Turner/Tim Cork 5 3= Rodgers/Fearon 5 5= Orford/PRAR 6 5= Reg Marratt/C. Richard Booth 6 5= Alan Wakeman/Ian Perry 6
With the standings so close it was all still to play for, especially as there were three more legs to run. The second leg was a loop around Bennington and Butterwick. Despite the close proximity of the sea the ice was not as treacherous as earlier and many crews escaped unscathed. Not so lucky were Rodger/Smith, a puncture on the penultimate section cost them six minutes, a lifetime on this event. Marratt/Booth also dropped a minute, struggling with a tricky All Roads section. Andy Watson/Stefan Arndt didn't quite complete this loop. An icy corner saw them unceremoniously deposited at the foot of a deep, but fortunately dry, dyke. The course closing car was eventually able to retrieve them, and they soldiered on having dropped 330 minutes worth of penalties. This was not sufficient to put them in last place however! All this left the positions back at petrol 2 in Boston thus:
1 Biss/Woodman 2 2= Rodgers/Fearon 5 2= Turner/Cork 5 4= Orford/PRAR 6 4= Wakeman/Perry 6
First section of the next leg gave the drivers something to think about. The twisty lane alongside Old Hammond Beck managed to catch Biss/Woodman for a minute, but proved cleanable by almost a third of the field. This was however the last penalty to find it's way onto their timecards. In their wake the chase for second was hotting up with both Turner/Cork and Wakeman/Perry cleaning the section. Rodgers/Fearon and Orford/PRAR were the wrong side of their minutes, and slipped a bit. Good times across the rest of Kirton Meeres were placed by all these crews, although STC38 saw Rodgers/Fearon slip another minute. By the time the third, and final, petrol halt had been reached the standings read:
1 Biss/Woodman 3 2 Turner/Cork 5 3= Rodgers/Fearon 7 3= Orford/PRAR 7 3= Wakeman/Perry 7 3= Marratt/Booth 7
The final leg saw clean sheets for both Biss/Woodman and Orford/PRAR, leaving the result down to who dropped what and where. STC42 saw a minute creep onto Marratt/Booth's timecards, but worse was to come. A nightmare of a wrong slot cost them five minutes at the next STC and put paid to their good run. Next to slip were Rodgers/Fearon, a stray minute at STC44 saw them drop a place. Turner/Cork also managed to blot their copybooks, a massive 9 minute penalty at STC51 cost them ten places, and catapulted Orford/PRAR and Wakeman/Perry into second spot. Time, however, ran out for Wakeman/Perry at the final control, this minute splitting the tie.
Returning to breakfast at Springfield of Spalding it emerged how tight it had been all night, with second place only decided upon the final section. Furthest cleanest had to be used to resolve a number of ties, but everyone was satisfied with a fine rally (and a fine rally breakfast!).
On the night only Rodger/Smith could challenge Biss/Woodman, and they saw their chances dashed by a flat tyre. Rallies are won through consistency, but a times a little luck goes along way!
MTC PC STC NTC PC PC PC STC PC PC STC PC PC STC PC STC PC PC STC PC STC PC STC PC PC STC NTC PC PC STC MTC NTC STC STC PC STC STC PC STC STC PC STC PC MTC PC STC PC STC PC PC STC PC PC STC PC STC PC PC STC PC STC STC PC MTC PC STC PC STC PC PC STC PC PC STC STC PC STC PC STC STC PC PC STC PC STC PC STC PC STC PC STC PC STC PC STC PC PC STC PC STC PC PC STC PC STC PC STC STC
P CP Driver/Navigator Car m 1 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 11 12 13 13 13 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 26 27 27 27 28 28 29 29 29 30 30 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 35 36 36 36 37 38 38 39 39 40 41 42 42 43 43 44 44 45 45 46 46 47 47 48 48 49 49 49 50 50 51 51 51 52 52 53 53 54
1 E 1 Mike Biss/Cath Woodman Nova 3 1 1 1
2 E 2 Ian Orford/PRAR Dihatsu Charade 7 2 1 1 1 1 1
3 SE1 Jeremy/Rodgers/Mark Fearon Mastro 8 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
4 SE2 Alan Wakeman/Ian Perry 205 GTi 8 2 2 1 1 1 1
5 E 3 Colin Roger/Martin Smith 205 GTi 9 1 1 6 1
6 SE3 John Harmer/Sarah Harmer Maestro 9 1 1 6 1
7 SE4 Roger Ashmead/Alex Hoult 205 GTi 10 5 1 1 1 1 1
8 E 4 Michael Monaghan/David Campbell 205 11 1 1 1 8
9 N 1 Jason Stone/Daniel Stone Corolla 12 4 3 1 1 1 1 1
10 SE5 Reg Marratt/C. Richard Booth Escort 13 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 5
11 E 5 Mark Turner/Tim Cork 205 GTi 14 1 2 2 9
12 E 6 Paul Wright/Mark Goodman Escort 15 1 1 1 10 1 1
13 E 7 Mark Whitford/Mick Fern Corolla 15 1 2 5 1 2 2 1 1
14 E 8 Carl Hawkins/Steve Coupland Nova 19 1 1 4 1 1 3 1 2 5
15 N 2 Nik Kershaw/Jez Pole Astra 22 3 3 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 1
16 N 3 Graham Marshall/Dave Oliver Astra 23 1 3 4 2 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
17 E 9 Hazel Payne/Martin Payne Audi 80 25 1 2 2 1 2 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1
18 N 4 Dave Brown/Lee Burgess Escort 29 3 2 1 3 4 3 6 1 5 1
19 SE6 Peter Cook/Simon Gudgeon Nova 37 1 2 1 2 2 7 4 3 11 1 1 1 1
20 SE7 Steve Ritchies/Steve Porter Astra GTE 42 1 10 1 1 2 1 10 1 2 7 6
21 N 5 Rick Chapman/Maggie Chapman 309 GTi 71 4 3 2 1 3 3 1 1 30 2 1 1 1 1 3 2 1 6 4 1
22 E10 Martin Self/Derek Ogden Corolla 72 30 2 1 7 1 30 1
23 SE8 Russ Jones/Richard Hage Mini 77 1 7 3 5 3 1 1 30 9 1 1 4 11
24 N 6 Dave Steggles/Tony Macnamara Nova 123 1 7 3 3 1 4 4 2 30 30 30 1 1 1 1 1 3
25 N 7 Tony Smith/Chris Thorley Nova 130 1 2 4 2 2 2 1 2 2 30 30 30 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 1
26 E11 Andy Watson/Stefan Arndt 405 Estate 341 3 2 1 1 1 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 1 1 1
27 N 8 Keith Astley/Mick Bell Astra GTE 619 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 8 30 3 4 30 30 30 1 1 3 30 1 1 30 30 1 2 1 1 30 3 1 2 30 1 1 5 3 30 3 2 1
28 N 9 Colin Hiscock/Vincent Hopkins Chevette 901 3 1 5 3 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 6 30 4 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 1 2 5 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 1 30 30 30 30 30
29 N10 David Leckie/Stuart Olef Lada Riva 1345 1 30 30 6 30 4 2 30 30 30 2 30 30 30 30 1 2 1 30 30 30 30 30 3 30 1 4 2 5 3 1 8 3 2 30 30 30 30 4 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30
Ret Tony Michael/Paul Barrett Escort 1 1 Retired - Driveshaft
Ret Gavin Rogers/Carrie Parsons Escort 2 1 1 1 Retired - OTL
Ret Guy Robinson/Charles Wheeldon Escort Retired - Lost wheel
Ret Sean Gadsby/Pat Gadsby Nova Retired - In field
