Rallying - Top seeds take Morecambe prize (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rallying - Top seeds take Morecambe prize

11:01am Monday 3rd August 2009 in

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STEVE Retchless and Iain Tullie lived up to their seeding by claiming a decisive win on the Morecambe Road Rally.

Starting at car one, the pair finished the 120-mile long event over four minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, Tim and Leigh Powley.

Retchless and Tullie, driving a Ford Escort, steered clear of the early time penalties that affected many of the 35-car field.

Third place went to Terry Martin and Paul Taylor, despite losing a minute when they spun their Proton Satria on the fast approach to Woodacre Ford.

Early frontrunners Alex Willan and Ali Proctor took the fastest time on the Wray white section, but then retired after hitting a gatepost at Gunnerthwaite.

The infamous 'white' - unsurfaced road - also claimed several other crews, including ANWCC 1400cc championship front-runners Paul Buckel and Steve Butler, who lost argument with a wall and severely damaged their Vauxhall Nova.

Garth Jones and Gruff Parry made the long trip from North Wales worthwhile by finishing an excellent fourth overall in their Nissan Micra, just three seconds ahead of Roger Powley and Max Freeman's Proton Satria.

They had to be content with fifth place instead of second after incurring early time penalties.

Organiser Ashley Hodge and his team from Morecambe Car Club laid on an excellent 120-mile route through North Lancashire and Cumbria, starting and finishing at the Punch Bowl Inn at Low Bentham.

Thanks to to co-operation of local farmers and landowners, the rally also included a selection of well-known 'whites' including Wray, Gunnerthwaite and Woodacre.

"We are very grateful to them for allowing us to use their land," explained Ashley.

"As some crews found out, the roads are very demanding but give the Morecambe Road Rally its unique flavour. We are also indebted to all the marshals and our sponsors, Mitchells of Lancaster, York Brewery, Timber Jack, Lime Tree Garage of Halton, A.I. Harrisons of Bentham, C&M Motors and Armstrong Builders, Bentham, without whom the event simply wouldn't run."

Results: 1: Steve Retchless/Iain Tullie (Ford Escort) 2m 37s; 2: Tim Powley/Leigh Powley (Proton Satria) 6m 52s; 3: Terry Martin/Paul Taylor (Proton) 8m 31s; 4: Garth Jones/Gruff Parry (Nissan Micra) 10m 47s; 5: Roger Powley/Max Freeman (Proton Coupe) 10m 50s.

Class winners: Paul Brereton/Chris Williams (Semi Experts), Thomas Byrne/Phil Martin (Novices) Fastest Wray White Award: Alex Willan/Ali Proctor.

Best Marshal Award: Sue Murgatroyd.