Windermere's Tomlinson is top South Lakeland challenger in action packed Grizedale Stages Rally

Scottish duo Jock Armstrong and Cameron Fair started the final 18 mile Grizedale stage as leaders but with just three miles remaining their Subaru Impreza clipped a bank and spun.

The car came to a halt facing the wrong way forcing Armstrong to drive back up the stage to spin the battered Impreza around before continuing, but their lead had gone and they had to settle for second place.

Victory went to Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress in their Proton Iriz R5, a repeat of their 2017 success.

Their day wasn’t without its troubles as driving on a puncture through the second stage resulted in damage to a brake pipe that limited the car’s stopping power to three wheels.

The issue was finally resolved before the final stage allowing the Mellors to drive the Proton to its maximum capacity. Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson, winners in 2016, completed the podium in their Fiesta WRC.

Top result by a local competitor came from Winderemere’s Gary Tomlinson and his Isle of Man based co-driver Liam Whiteley, who survived a last stage half spin to finish seventh in the Kankku Subaru Impreza.

Former Kirkby-in-Furness resident Caroline Lodge won two awards after finishing 11th as co-driver to Carlisle’s Barry Lindsay in his Peugeot 206.

The pair collected the 1st Two-Wheel Drive and Class 2 awards following a close contest with the Talbot Sunbeam Ti of Penrith duo Mark Shaw and James Coxon.

Kendal’s Pete Gorst and Phil King eventually claiming the top prize in the Class 1 awards after resolving electrical issues with their Vauxhall Nova.

And having escaped a visit to a Dunnerdale ditch Hawkshead’s David Barr and Neil Mitchell-Hunter from Kendal finished runners-up in their Volkswagen Polo.

Grasmere’s Phil Lilley and John Ellwood brought their Austin Mini Cooper S home third after escaping unscathed from a close encounter with the new steel bridge in Dunnerdale.