Unless otherwise clearly indicated, results on this site have been declared final and are therefore not subject to query or protest
Clerk of the Course: Matt Fowle
Route: 170 Miles
Maps: 197 & 198
Starters: 27
Winners: Mike Biss/Cath Woodman (Vauxhall Astra Estate)
Mike Biss/Cath Woodman followed up their recent success on the Pheasant Plucker by taking victory on the Nightwatchman Rally.
The Central Sussex MC event used a 170 mile route chiefly in Hampshire. It was the penultimate round of the ACSMC/ASEMC Rally 2003 Championship.
Biss/Woodman dropped time on just one section and finished the event well clear of second placed Steve Cole/Bob Blows. However, earlier on, the winners had been challenged for first place by Andy Coshan/Phil Kendal. The latter pairing had been tied for the lead when they holed the sump on their Renault 19 and were forced out.
With Coshan/Kendal’s retirement, their second place secured the Rally 2003 Championship title for Cole and Blows.
Doug Kingsley/Ben Greenfield would have finished second but a wrong depart from a control gave them a fail and dropped them well down the order.
Third place could have been taken by a number of crews but for errors. Roy Gillingham/Paul Hollingham missed a code board, which added twenty minutes to their total, while Olly Smith/David Coles were given a similar penalty for incorrectly recording a code. Both crews thus finished on thirty-four minutes penalty and were split by the furthest clean decider in Gillingham/Hollongham’s favour.
Ken Pape/John Stringer, returning after an eleven month lay off, lost third after missing two boards and had to be content with eighth; their Escort have struggled with a misfire throughout the first half.
Third was eventually taken by Ian Mepham/Ian Collings who also won the Semi-Expert Class. Graham Yates/Richard Arnold won the Clubmans Rally in their 205.
Carl Gibbs/Lizzie Pope had to cut route after their 205 XS developed gearbox problems, they were classied in 21st position. Toby Jeffries/Nick Clarke failed to make the finish after their Nova SR suffered a holed radiator.
OVERALL RESULTS
Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
1 | Mike Biss | Cath Woodman | Vauxhall Astra Estate | 01m 00s | |
2 | Steve Coles | Bob Blows | Peugeot 205 GTi | 06m 00s | |
3 | Ian Mepham | Ian Collings | Peugeot 205 GTi | 31m 00s | |
4 | Roy Gillingham | Paul Hollingham | Rover 416 GTi | 34m 00s | |
5 | Olly Smith | David Coles | Peugeot 309 GTi | 34m 00s | |
6 | Jonathan Zerihan | Jonah Nuttgens | Toyota MR2 | 35m 00s | |
7 | Tim Warburton | John Upham | VW Golf | 44m 00s | |
8 | Ken Pape | John Stringer | Ford Escort | 54m 00s | |
9 | Allan Sayers | Bob Stokoe | Ford Fiesta | 55m 00s | |
10 | Graham Yates | Richard Arnold | Peugeot 205 GTi | 65m 00s | |
11 | Phil Collings | Mark Collings | Peugeot 205 GTi | 77m 00s | |
12 | Paul Wright | Malcolm Barber | Ford Escort | 83m 00s | |
13 | TBA | TBA | TBA | 95m 00s | |
14 | Mark Holding | Heather Baker | Peugeot 205 GTi | 195m 00s | |
15 | Chin | Graham Child | Opel Manta | 318m 00s | |
16 | Doug Kinsley | Ben Greenfield | Peugeot 205 GTi | 1F 05m 00s | |
17 | Andy Stephens | Ed Butler | Peugeot 205 | 2F 42m 00s | |
18 | David Bushby | Steve Bubb | Peugeot 205 GTi | 3F 126m 00s | |
19 | Roger Purr | Simon Weir | Mitsubishi Lancer E2 | 3F 247m 00s | |
20 | Tim Daltry | Paul Fillis | Peugeot 205 GTi | 4F 203m 00s | |
21 | Carl Gibbs | Lizzie Pope | Peugeot 205 XS | 6F 248m 00s | |
22 | Colin Hiscock | Chris Foxley | Ford Fiesta | 10F 328m 00s | |
23 | Steve Monk | Pip Clode | Toyota Corolla GT | 13F 372m 00s |