Shooting Stars

Russell Brookes produced a fine drive to win the Audi Sport Rally, an event that he first won 12 years ago.

Russell Brookes began the countdown to next month’s Lombard RAC Rally in the best possible way by scoring an accomplished win on the Audi Sport Rally, the Worcestershire man heading a Mike Little cars’ one-two as Swede, Stig Blomqvist, came home second in his similar Ford Sierra Cosworth. Brookes was in a determined mood in his Andrews Powerclean Sierra which benefited from new Dunlop tyres, Russell vanquishing his world-class rivals to repeat his win on the same event in an Escort 12 years ago. A sensible drive earned Ian Roberton the 1988 Cellnet/ AUTOSPORT National Championship title, his unsponsored Nissan 240RS finishing in eighth place. Despite being beaten by Gwyndaf Evans on the day, George Donaldson claimed the Group N series title.

Spectators in Wales could have been forgiven for thinking the Lombard RAC Rally had come a month early, as included in the 151-car entry were three former World Champions’, Stig Blomqvist was using a Sierra which had seen action on a handful of gravel rallies in the German Championship while Mazda Team Europe had a pair of 323s on hand for Hannu Mikkola and Timo Salonen. The Mazdas were the world championship four-wheel- drive machines destined for use on the RAC, and both Finns had spent three days during the previous week practising in the mid-Wales forests while the cream of British rallying were also using the event as useful RAC practice.

Five times British Open Champion, Jimmy McRae, was giving the Toyota Celica GT-Four its British debut while Malcolm Wilson was doing likewise in the 16-valve, two-litre Vauxhall Astra. Per Eklund was out in Clarion Team Europe’s little Nissan March Turbo for the second time in Britain, now fitted with power steering, a 6-speed gear box plus larger brakes and wheels since its 12th place on the Scottish. Russell Brookes was giving his Sierra only its third competitive run in Britain this year while the only top-20 non-starter was Mark Lovell, the Dutch and Irish Tarmac champion missing the event due to a time consuming repainting of the Gordon Spooner run Sierra in the new colours of Premium Sound Systems for the RAC... The four Cellnet/AUTOSPORT National Championship contenders, Trevor Smith, lan Roberton, Murray Grierson and James Renwick were going to have their own separate rally as were the Group N duellists, Ian Hughes and George Donaldson.

"The debut of GM's Astra GTE 16v produced a promising third for Malcolm Wilson."

Following the 8am start at Welshpool, the crews headed for the 14-mile opening stage at Dyfnant - the longest stage of the day at 14 miles. The day had dawned misty but that soon cleared to give a pleasant day although previous heavy rain had made the forest tracks slippery.

Brookes was using new compound 16in Dunlops featuring anti-puncture sidewalls for the first time and was immediately in the groove. Despite a slight mistake, the former double British champion was fastest in his Andrews Sierra, 3secs quicker than Mikkola. Salonen’s similar Mazda was third, a second adrift, with McRae an excellent fourth, “I'm surprised just how good it is straight out of the box," commented Jimmy. “I’ve just to balance the brakes." Wilson and Blomqvist were tied in fifth place while Manx National winner, Steve Davies, was seventh and leading the Cellnet regulars despite two overshoots due to a brake problem.

Of the outright title protagonists, Renwick and Grierson were the best placed tied in 11th, with Roberton 5secs adrift after completing the last two miles on a puncture. Trevor Smith was bemoaning lack of traction, a problem to affect throughout the day, and was a disappointed 21st overall.

Eklund, passed by the flying Wilson on the first stage, was slowed with a clutch slave cylinder problem while British Open GpN Champion, Gwyndaf Evans, drove on a puncture for five miles in his Brooklyn Sierra, dropping 23secs behind class leader Donaldson who was using his right-hand-drive Kayel Graphics winning Sierra again after its 1000 Lakes outing. Louise Aitken-Walker lost time when she approached a hairpin wrong in the GpA Peugeot 205GTi while Phil Collins had got off to a steady start in the GpA Brooklyn Sierra he had taken to four top-five placings in the Open series.

Graham Middleton, having clinched the Group A National title on the previous round, was out in a GpN Celica GT-Four but had the fire extinguisher go off at the start and found the car down on turbo boost as he pulled in to first service at Dinas Mawddy.

Fastest times in Bwlch Main and Pen-Lan earned Salonen a 20secs lead over Brookes by the time crews arrived at the second service in Machynlleth after another three stages. "We have no problems - the car runs well" remarked the Finn who had finished fourth on the corresponding event last year. But Mikkola had dropped to 21st after completing the three stages with a broken driveshaft. Brookes, quickest on Gartheiniog was content in second having used a harder Dunlop compound. McRae, although concerned about his rear brakes, pulled his beautifully liveried Securicor Communications Celica in to service a fine third but sadly the Scotsman was not destined to continue when mechanics found the gearbox casing had cracked.

Toyota and R-E-D personnel decided that discretion was the better part of valour with the RAC less than a month away and rather than make hasty repairs, a full examination would take place as to what caused the problem. “I think something in the front diff exploded which cracked the gearbox casing but I’ve been very impressed with the car today," said Jimmy who won the event in 1980. Blomqvist was fourth ahead of Wilson who had spun on SS2 crunching the twin exhaust on his left-hand-drive Vauxhall which had been fitted with a different computer chip after first service.

Completing the top six was National debutant Dominic Frattaroli’s two- litre Ford BDA powered Darrian, despite a broken alternator and loose manifold. Collins moved up to seventh, 5secs ahead of Evans who snatched the GpN lead from Colin McRae on SS4, the young Scot having demoted Donaldson on SS2, George content to let them forge ahead as he kept a watching brief on title rival Hughes. Roberton, merely needing to finish inside the top-six of the National contenders, was already on course for overall honours lying 12th overall, 15secs ahead of Smith. Grierson dropped to 20th - almost a minute down on Roberton - when he put a rear wheel in to a ditch, a hazard which also caught out Renwick - James's venerable black Escort picked up a puncture in the incident but was two places ahead in 18th. Sixth place should have belonged to Steve Davies but he arrived at service out of. time, having slid wide in to a ditch and stalling. Not a problem normally but the Opel Manta's starter motor was found to be inoperable at stage start and without any spectators on hand. Steve was out. Almost unnoticed, after an unhappy year, last year's winner of the Audi Sport Rally and outgoing National champion, David Gillanders, disappeared on SS4. Middleton drove the last four miles on SS4 on a puncture while Pete Doughty, slowly getting his confidence back after accidents on the last two rounds, was delayed with a failed alternator.

"Despite being beaten by Gwyndaf Evans on the day, George Donaldson clinched the Group N crown while Ian Roberton negotiates the Town Park stage, just a mile from claiming the overall crown with Nissan 240RS."

With the transmission now repaired. Mikkola was fastest on Rwyd-Galed and Pantperthog to slice up to seventh place although Mazda's joy was muted as leader Salonen parked his 323 after the latter with deranged suspension following a rear driveshaft breakage.

Brookes thus inherited the lead, the Worcestershire driver 65secs ahead of Blomqvist with Wilson third, a further 44secs down - the top-three remaining unchanged to the finish back in Telford, but it was just not Mazda's day. Mikkola managed just 19 stage miles further than Salonen before the Finn abandoned his car on Gartheiniog with an engine problem thought to centre on the management system. Another not to make the Dinas service was was Colin McRae who planted his Sierra in a big way on SS9 having been concerned about the car’s brake bias all day.

Collins was almost another casualty of Gartheiniog when his Mr Tomkinson Sierra stuttered almost out of fuel. Half a gallon of best four star borrowed from GM Dealersport enabled Phil to make it to service in fifth place behind Wilson who, like Blomqvist, was now experimenting with different tyre combos for the RAC, and a charging Evans.

"For the Nissan March Turbo's second run in Britain. Per Eklund was joined by Autosport's Keith Oswin. they still finished third in class."

Nigel Worswick was a creditable seventh behind Frattaroli while Aitken-Walker was up to eighth place. Smith had caught Roberton, the pair now in joint ninth place, with Grierson 15secs adrift. While Roberton was looking secure for the outright National title Donaldson, although almost 2mins down on Evans and despite a spin on SS9, appeared to be a safe bet for the GpN championship laurels as he headed Hughes by over4mins in his Mobira Sierra.

The final forest stage of the event,Dyfnant (SS10), saw no significant changes in the top-20 leader board apart from Smith easing 2secs ahead of Roberton and so it was to the Telford Town Park that the competitors head- ed following a wash and service for the final two spectator stages which had attracted a respectable crowd of 4,000. Following the appropriately Andrews sponsored stages, Brookes arrived at the finish 1min 44secs ahead to claim his first win since the 1987 Welsh International. Russell, ninth on the Audi in an Astra last year, had record- ed five fastest times on the final six stages and like Blomqvist, the Mid-lander had enjoyed a trouble-free run. “I tested the new Dunlop tyres a couple of weeks ago in Wales and they’ve played a major role in my win," said Russell who was understandably delighted to have beaten his stable-mate. “The car didn't miss a beat all day and the win has boosted my confidence for the RAC."

Two years ago Blomqvist had taken the victory laurels on the Audi but despite setting the fastest time on his first run through the park, the solemn Swede had to settle for second place behind the on-form Brit. Stig merely said: “The car has been good – no problems”.

Wilson reeled off the two, 1.5-mile tests in his German plated Astra that was driven by Mats Jonsson on the 1000 Lakes in Finland, to finish an excellent third in the front-wheel-drive car, just 49secs down on Blomqvist. “I'm very encouraged with the new Astra. We’ve learned a lot which we can now put in to affect for the RAC,” commented Malcolm. Collins began the final two stages 3secs behind Brooklyn team mate Evans but emerged 4secs to pip the Welshman for fourth place. “I had a slight overshoot,” said Phil while Gwyndaf, having earlier delivered the goods on 'home' territory, spun twice but comfortably claimed GpN.

First open class car home and completing the top-six was Frattaroli - claiming the best ever result of his career on his maiden National event, a series he plans to contest next season. Seventh place fell to Aitken-Walker who snatched the place on the penultimate stage from Worswick only for Nigel’s Sierra to break its front near side suspension in a hole on the final stage - Worswick limping home an unlucky 12th. On the corresponding event last year, Roberton spun in the Town Park, but he made no mistakes this time around as the Surrey motor trader headed for eighth place overall but more importantly the 1988 Cellnet/ Autosport National title.

Just 19secs behind came Donaldson to claim the National GpN title while Scottish champion Murray Grierson rounded off the top 10. And what of Smith? The Oxford driver began the final two tests in ninth place but his Hendy Motorsport Sierra which had won three events this year, broke its front strut on the penultimate stage. Twelve months earlier on the same stage. Smith just pipped Brookes to take the GpA crown. "Christ - that just about sums up my bloody year," declared Trevor who limped home 14th, one place behind Renwick, James finishing the year third in the final standings after an amazingly consistent season.

Jan Churchill pensioned off his Porsche Carrera from national service with a creditable 15th place, 11secs ahead of Jeremy Easson who was third in GpN while Eklund, guided by Autosport's Keith Oswin, finished 19th overall and third in class.

The event, sponsored for the sixth consecutive year by Audi Sport, and organised by the Wolverhampton and South Staffs Car club, had been a fitting climax to the 1988 National season. Roll on January!