Rallying - Kirkby crew are kings of the road (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rallying - Kirkby crew are kings of the road

1:26pm Saturday 16th January 2010 in

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AN EXCITING battle ensued for the 2009 Team Northern Construction Road Rally Championship, organised by Kirkby Lonsdale Motor Club, with additional support from Kirkby Lonsdale Cars.

Along the local contenders were loyal supporter James ‘Pete’ Tyson, Managing Director of Team Northern Construction Ltd and navigator Neil Harrison, who came within a point of winning the title last time.

Another local businessman hoping to do well was Alex Willan of Kirkby Londale Cars.

He said before the competitiion started: “I’ve dabbled in the championship for the past two years and I’m planning to do as many rounds as possible.”

He would face stiff competition from Steve Jennings, a relative newcomer to the sport from Burton-In-Kendal, and Tony Harrison, proprietor of A.I. Harrison Motors in Bentham who was navigated by Martyn Taylor from Kendal.

The first two rounds were ‘away’ events, starting with the Shaw Trophy in Northumberland.

With Willan opting to marshal on the event Pete Tyson/Neil Harrison took top points in their Mini Cooper, closely followed by Tony Harrison/Martyn Taylor in their Rover 200.

The second round was the Ryemoor Trophy in East Yorkshire, where last year’s championship winning crew Ady Green (Matlock) and Kevin Wilson (Ilkley) took top score in their Proton.

Willan started his campaign here with Ali Proctor, taking second-place points in another Proton.

The first local event was the Harry & Ivy, in which Willan/Proctor capitalised on local knowledge to take a commanding win. They followed that up with good points hauls on the 061 rally in Derbyshire and the Memorial Rally in north Lancashire to hold a decent lead at the halfway stage, despite failing to finish the Morecambe rally.

In comparison Tyson’s season had gone awry with four retirements in five rallies.

The second half of the season saw a thrilling battle as Steve Jennings swapped his troublesome Peugeot 106 for a Proton. And with Kendal’s Paul Allen navigating, he took three top scores to close right up to long-time leader Willan. However, a retirement on the Illuminations rally brought his impressive fightback to an end, and despite a change of fortune for Tyson/Harrison, no one could stop Willan/Proctor sealing the Drivers and Navigators’ title with one round remaining.

“Its been a really good year,” said a jubilant Alex. “Ali has been great on the maps and the car, prepared by Tot Dixon, hasn’t missed a beat.”

Tony Harrison was pleased with his second overall. “Last year I was third, this year second, next year? We’ll see...”

Second overall navigator was Ulverston’s Bob Hargreaves, who competed with no fewer than three different drivers.

He quipped: “I was planning to have a quiet year, but people keep phoning me up!”

Meanwhile, Kendal-based Pete Gorst & Tom Bush took the Novice award for less experienced crews in their Peugeot 205.