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AB Motorsport Half Night Rally 2003
Matlock Motor Club
12th/13th July 2003
Clerk of the Course: Simon Randall
Route: 115 Miles
Maps: 119 & 120
Starters: 50
Winners: Guy Robinson/Gary Evans (Proton Persona)
Guy Robinson, partnered by Gary Evans, gave his Proton Persona its maiden victory on Matlock MC’s AB Motorsport Half Night Road Rally.
The 115 mile long event was a round of five major championships and attracted a capacity fifty car entry.
Robinson/Evans had built up a lead of thirty five seconds by the halfway halt and extended this by a further twelve by the Finish. Carl Hawkins/Steve Coupland started from the reserve list at Car 25, but they powered through to take the runner up spot, being the only crew within touch of the winners at the end.
There was a tight scrap for third place, with four crews separated by just seven seconds. Event sponsor Andy Baker, with Lee Burgess on the maps, took the position; they had lost ninety seconds early on when they were baulked by a non-competing car.
Tim Tordoff/Ian Frazer were the quickest crew over the second half of the rally but they dropped two minutes in the first half after mistakenly adding a extra loop to their route.
The leading novices were Paul Davis/Mark Wagstaff who brought their Peugeot 309 into tenth place overall.
Nick Toplis/Mick Fern were one of only a few retirements; their Nova GTE suffering a broken gearbox.
The rally was also a round of the HRCR Nocturnal Challenge, the historic event ran separately to the modern event but over exactly the same course. The winners of this section were Terry Pickering/Paul Robinson in their Triumph TR3, this was becoming the car to beat in the category in 2003. Their penalties would have put them in seventh place in the main event.
OVERALL RESULTS
| Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
| 1 | Guy Robinson | Gary Evans | Proton Persona | 1m 00s | |
| 2 | Carl Hawkins | Steve Coupland | Vauxhall Nova | 1m 47s | |
| 3 | Andy Baker | Lee Burgess | Peugeot 205 GTi | 4m 42s | |
| 4 | Jamie Gratton-Smith | Roger Hage | Peugeot 309 GTi | 4m 43s | |
| 5 | Tim Tordoff | Ian Frazer | Vauxhall Nova | 4m 45s | |
| 6 | Steve Webster | John Pickavance | Subaru Impreza | 4m 59s | |
| 7 | Simon Gibson | Alan Ogden | Ford Escort RS | 7m 23s | |
| 8 | Mark Slatcher | Justin Chapman | Vauxhall Astra GTE | 8m 14s | |
| 9 | Pete Gabbitas | Andrew Hughes | Toyota Corolla GT | 11m 33s | |
| 10 | Paul Davis | Mark Wagstaff | Peugeot 309 GTi | 12m 29s | |
| 11 | Mark Whitford | James Savage | Ford Escort | 13m 24s | |
| 12 | Graham Nunn | Paul Nelson | Peugeot 205 GTi | 13m 33s | |
| 13 | David Williams | Richard Booth | Renault Clio | 13m 38s | |
| 14 | Adrian Green | Paul Hudson | Seat Ibiza | 14m 21s | |
| 15 | Tony Michael | Paul Barrett | Honda Civic VTi | 16m 30s | |
| 16 | Andy Stinchcombe | Malcolm Young | Ford Sierra Sapphire | 18m 07s | |
| 17 | Abe Shenker | Steve Brown | Peugeot 205 GTi | 19m 49s | |
| 18 | Geoff Henman | Sam Collis | Peugeot 309 GTi | 20m 58s | |
| 19 | John Ross | Oliver Ross | Subaru Impreza | 21m 05s | |
| 20 | Russ Jones | David Wilson | BL Mini | 23m 15s | |
| 21 | Richard Lumb | Andrew Lumb | Vauxhall Nova | 25m 39s | |
| 22 | Tony Sims | Gavin Ford | Ford Sierra 4x4 | 29m 25s | |
| 23 | Simon Gratton | Ian Beech | Peugeot 205 GTi | 31m 59s | |
| 24 | Bob Wisniewski | Paul Lettington | Vauxhall Nova GTE | 1F 19m 51s | |
| 25 | Nichola Hillier | Dave Broadley | MG Metro | 1F 30m 50s | |
| 26 | Kevin Hardwick | Richard Calcroft | Peugeot 205 GTi | 1F 42m 50s | |
| 27 | Joe Woodward | Simon Tomlinson | Peugeot 309 GTi | 2F 53m 38s | |
| 28 | Nigel Wright | Dan Spittlehouse | Vauxhall Nova GTE | 4F 52m 15s | |
| 29 | Adrian Ancliffe | John Chadwick | Ford Escort RS | 5F 42m 12s | |
| 30 | Jonathan Byard | Glyn Byard | Peugeot 205 GTi | 6F 88m 19s | |
| 31 | Dave McHaffie | Craig Winter | Rover Metro | 8F 88m 36s | |
| 32 | Dave Leadbetter | Jenny Casey | Ford Sierra | 10F 128m 39s |
AB MOTORSPORT HISTORIC RALLY RESULTS
| Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
| 1 | Terry Pickering | Paul Robinson | Triumph TR3 | 5m 49s | |
| 2 | Roger Hunt | Graham Dance | Ford Escort Mexico | 9m 55s | |
| 3 | Worth Birkill | Dave Harris | Mini 1275 GT | 16m 00s | |
| 4 | Noel Hughes | Gwawr Hughes | Saab 96 V4 | 27m 06s | |
| 5 | Tony Brooks | Shon Gosling | Austin 1300 | 33m 07s | |
| 6 | Brian Cope | Simon Appleton | Mini Cooper S | 33m 35s | |
| 7 | Wes Massam | Peter Blackett | Volvo PV544 | 38m 34s | |
| 8 | David York | Geoff Rogers | Sunbeam Rapier S2 | 40m 28s | |
| 9 | Michael Hunter | Howard Wilcock | Triumph TR4A | 42m 59s | |
| 10 | Keith Jenkins | Andy Gibson | Saab 96 V4 | 3F 68m 50s | |
| 11 | Robin Shackleton | Ralph Lodge | Sunbeam Rapier H120 | 11F 98m 36s | |
| 12 | Gordon Winter | Christopher Winter | Hillman Imp | 16F 145m 48s |