rally results service
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G&P Memorial Rally 2003
Sponsored by Legend Fires
Garstang & Preston Car Club
8th/9th March 2003
Clerk of the Course: Chris Astley
Route: 128 Miles
Maps: 102 103 & 109
Starters: 21
Winners: Terry Martin/Simon Bentley (Peugeot 205 GTi)
Terry Martin/Simon Bentley emerged from a three way battle for the lead and very wet conditions to win the Memorial Rally.
Winners: Terry Martin/Simon Bentley (Peugeot 205)
Photograph: M&H Photography
The Garstang and Preston MC road rally, which was sponsored by Legend Fires, was a round of both the North Western and SD34MSG Championships. It used a 130 mile route in Northern Lancashire, starting and finishing in Preston.
By the first petrol halt Martin/Bentley had scratched out a lead of 17 seconds in their Peugeot 205, but a wrong slot meant that by the second fuel break Malcolm Grisdale/Bob Hargreaves had taken the lead and were twenty seconds in front. However Martin/Bentley emerged from the final sections, which used the lanes to the north of Preston, with a forty-seven second victory margin.
It had been a traumatic night for Martin/Bentley; they had side swiped a stag on the Roman Road White, then, on final section through Rimington Pike, they narrowly missed three more deer. They also had a bearing on their Peugeot's front suspension fail towards the end of the event.
Sandie Taylor/Paul Taylor had been within stricking distance of the two leading two crews all night but had to be content with third place and the Expert Class award at the Finish.
Top seeds Chris Day/Ric Chalmers got no further than the first section, their Mini suffering a failed engine after they hit a patch of standing water. Large puddles were a major hazard to all crews throughout the event, a result of the heavy rain prior to the rally.
Despite the wet conditions, there were just three retirements. Joining Day/Chalmers on the non-finishers list were Andrew Tolson/David Wilmot who had a throttle cable break on their Chevette. Simon Daly's Golf was halted by fan belt problems.
Bill Chadwick/Alan Edwards finished in sixth place overall to take the Semi-Expert award in their Toyota Celica.
Miles Gleaves/James Chaplain won the Novice Class, this was a notable achievement on what was Gleaves’ first rally as a driver and seventeen year old Chaplain’s first ever rally.
OVERALL RESULTS
| Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
| 1 | Terry Martin | Simon Bentley | Peugeot 205 GTi | 15m 00s | |
| 2 | Malcolm Grisdale | Bob Hargreaves | Subaru Coupe | 15m 47s | |
| 3 | Sandie Taylor | Paul Taylor | Peugeot 205 GTi | 16m 48s | |
| 4 | Andy Proctor | Jason Crook | Vauxhall Astra | 19m 58s | |
| 5 | Niel Bye | Stephen Bye | Peugeot 205 GTi | 20m 33s | |
| 6 | Bill Chadwick | Alan Edwards | Toyota Celica | 22m 17s | |
| 7 | Chris Brownlow | Mike West | Subaru Impreza | 23m 17s | |
| 8 | David Howell | Stephen Taylor | Opel Manta | 26m 54s | |
| 9 | Steve Entwhistle | Rod Carter | MG Maestro | 28m 36s | |
| 10 | John Livermore | Chris Edwards | Hillman Avenger | 29m 53s | |
| 11 | Miles Gleaves | James Chaplin | Peugeot 205 | 40m 01s | |
| 12 | Rob Chalmers | Chris Bebbington | Peugeot 309 GTi | 65m 15s | |
| 13 | Chris Richardson | Gavin Wright | Mini | 2F 54m 44s | |
| 14 | Paul Mount | David Copley | Toyota Celica | 3F 51m 59s | |
| 15 | Garry Mollart | Andy Rawcliffe | Ford Escort XR3i | 7F 52m 09s | |
| 16 | Michael Judson | Derek Lewin | Vauxhall Astra | 10F 45m 09s | |
| 17 | Tim Burge | Darren Walsh | VW Golf | 11F 55m 14s |