Report from AUTOSPORT of September 27th 1968

Express and Star:

Malkin / Brown again

NATIONAL rallies nowadays fall into two categories: the Castrol Express and Star, and then the others. Wolverhampton and South Staffs MC's team, under Richard Harper, last weekend again put on the wonderful event that we have come to expect, this year having a night of hard navigational rallying on Friday, followed by a day of special stages and selectives on Saturday. The Hillman Imp of Colin Malkin/John Brown led the event virtually throughout and came home about 6 min ahead of the Belgravia Service Garages' BMW 2002 driven by Roy Fidler and Barry Hughes.

The entry list read almost like that of a home international, although Paddy Hop-kirk and Tony Fall both non-started. Escort Twin Cams were out in more force than ever, most notable runners being John Bloxham/Paul Stephens, Jim Bullough/Don Barrow, Alan Allard/Tony Yoward and John Heppenstall/Keith Wood. The. Ford brigade was further represented by the Lotus Cortinas of Bob Bean/Chris Nash, Richard Hill/ Randal Morgan, Chris Sclater/Peter Valentine, Andrew King/David Hayward, and the Cooper brothers. Alun Rees/Hywel Thomas, Will Sparrow/Nigel Raeburn and Rob Lawrence/John Morgan provided the main Mini challenge. Bill Bengry/Mike Turner were giving their Renault 16TS its first outing, while, of course, Filder and Malkin were there in BMW and Imp respectively.

A long run-in from Shrewsbury cattle market took the rally into Wales at Welsh-pool and on westwards to Llanerfyl. Just south of here was the first selective section, a 14-minuter starting on the very tight and muddy Belan Hall loop and continuing over the new mountain road from Nant-yr-Eira to Talerddig. Only Malkin and BIoxham cleaned it, thus taking a joint lead.
SS 1 Afon Gam (14 mins): 1, C. Malkin/1. Brown (Imp), 13 m 20 s (0 penalty); 2, A. Rees/ H. Thomas (Cooper S), 13 m 58 s (0); 3, J. Bloxham/P. Stephens (Escort TC), 14 m 00 s (0); 4, R. Bean/C. Nash (Lotus Cortina), 14 m 09 s (9); 5, R. Fidler/B. Hughes (BMW 2002), 14 m 30 s (30).
A few miles south began the first series of 16 tight sections, mostly 4-minuters, looping round Trefeglwys, Staylittle and the Clywedog Dam and then continuing over the Bwlch Glynmynydd to finish off with a loop round Darowen. Despite wet roads, no fewer than 13 cars cleaned this lot. A run through Macnynlleth led to SS2, over the Happy Valley round to Towyn. This was very fast, and easily cleaned by many crews. Fastest five were:
SS 2 Happy Valley (7 mins): 1, Fidler and Rees, 6 m 10 s (0); 3, Malkin, 6 m 11 s (0); 4, Bean, 6 m 18 s (0); 5, Bloxham, 6 m 28 s (0).
Selective 3, looping from the coast at Tonfanau round the back roads to Rhosfelin, saw the last remaining clean sheets sullied when everyone dropped time, Malkin taking the rally lead from Rees, although Fidler was actually fastest here. Malkin had a brief excursion which left the Imp's nearside, decidedly modified, but damage was only superficial. A tempting quarry snared a number of crews into wrong slotting.
SS 3 Tonfanau (5 mins): 1, Fidler, 5 m 10 s (10); 2, Malkin, 5 m 23 s (23); 3, Rees, 5 m 36 s (36); 4, Bloxham, 5 m 45 s (45); 5, J. Bullough/ D. Barrow (Escort TC) and R. Cooper/I. Cooper (Lotus Cortina), 5 m 55 s (55).
Selective 4 followed immediately, over the white road north from Rhosfelin towards Llwyngwril, and was cleaned by the first half-dozen or so cars despite muddy going for about half-a-mile. SS 4 Pant-Gwyn (5 mins): 1, Rees, 3 m 37 s (0); 2, Malkin, 3 m 41 s (0); 3, Bean, 3 m 43 s (0); 4, Fidler, 3 m 50 s (0); 5, R. Hill/R. Morgan (Lotus Cortina), 3 m 54 s (0).
At the petrol halt at Fairbourne it was seen that Malkin was leading with 23 sees lost, followed by Rees on 36 and Fidler on 40. Bloxham had lost 60 sees, Bullough 88 and Bean 89.
Almost immediately came SS5, a very enjoyable 6 minuter up the steep lane out of Arthog and back down the well-hair-pinned road past the lake. Fidler was credited with fastest, officially taking 29 sees off Malkin and thereby getting into the lead by 12 sees, although the timing here was in fact suspect.
SS 5 Arthog (6 mins): 1, Fidler, 6 m 16 s (16); 2, Malkin, 6 m 45 s (45); 3, Bloxham, 6 m 55 s (55); 4, Bullough, 7 m 05 s (65); 5, Rees, 7 m 10 s (70).
SS 6 Garth deleted from results.
A very tight series of eight 4-minute sections, starting up the Kings road, continuing just south of Dolgellau and crossing over into the well-known Dolgellau Maze northeast of the town, dispelled once and for all any fond illusions that anyone might have had of cleaning the road sections. Everyone lost at least 4 mins, and Malkin took back his lead when Fidler had a wrong slot. Poor Bob Bean had a very nasty accident on the Kings road, writing off his immaculate Cortina a particularly sad blow since his resources are a great deal more slender than those of most of the other successful drivers, and the loss of his car will probably mean an enforced absence for some time. Chris Sclater lost about 10 mins at one control after pulling off to change a wheel and getting stuck.
Another series of tight ones westwards over the new mountain road from Llanu-wchllyn towards Trawsfynydd, then south over the Aber Geirw road, saw more loss of time all round, two down being best. Alun Rees hit trouble when he had a couple of punctures; since the Mini runs on different wheels and tyres on the front and rear, wheel-swapping cost him a lot of time. Eric Hasseil did Helen Walford's Lotus Cortina a lot of no good against a wall.

The final part of the night section was a batch of six 4-minuters in the lanes just east of Harlech. Makin consolidated his lead by only dropping 1 min on these sections; Bloxham was going slowly with suspected gearbox trouble, while Richard Hudson-Evans/Mick Hayward (Cooper S) went through this lot which included the famous Gerddi Bluog road with a hairpin over every brow with no lights, incredibly dropping only 11 mins.
At breakfast at Barmouth it was seen that Malkin was now well clear of Fidler, having dropped a total of 7 road minutes to Fidler's 12 and Bullough's 13. Minutes late at time controls were only counting the same penalty as 15 sees on stages and selectives, though, so in fact the penalty gap between the two leaders was only 63 marks, or 63 sees in stage times, at 173 to 236. Bullough was third on 348, with Bloxham, who had lost 20 road minutes, fourth on 415, only 2 sees ahead of the Coopers. Sparrow's Willpower Mini was hard on the heels of the Supersport Lotus, only 6 secs. behind on 423; and 'Richard Hill was still very much in the hunt 9 sees after that. Bloxham discovered it was his diff playing up, not the gearbox, and used the ample time at breakfast to fit a new one.
The first selective in daylight was on the Garth loop just east of Barmouth, where Alan Allard rolled his Escort when reversing! He had overshot a turning, was backing up a bit fast, and lost it. The overturned car completely blocked the route, and the section had to be cancelled. Allard nevertheless exricated his car and pressed on, doubtless thankful that his escapade hadn't actually cost him any marks, and actually proceeded to drive quicker than before. Alun Rees had yet another puncture, and had to retire as he had run out of spare wheels.
SS7 used the very tricky Gellilwyd loop immediately south-west of Dolgellau, and again everyone was penalised. Malkin began here a series of fastest times that was to last until the final special stage.
SS 7 Gelli-Lwyd (4 mins): 1, Malkin, 4 m 46 s (46); 2, Bloxham, 5 m 7 s (67); 3, R. Lawrence/J. Morgan (Cooper S), 5 m 9 s (69); 4, Bullough, 5 m 12 s (72); 5, Fidler, 5 m 15 s (75).
SS8 and 9 were the first forest stages,in Dovey and Pennal respectively, that in Dovey being simply a belt down the main road through the middle of the forest. The clocks were ill-synchronised on Pennal, so everyone got a time of 4 mins too long.
SS 8 Dovey 1 (5 mins): 1, Malkin, 5 m 58 s (58); 2, Fidler, 6 m 27 s (87); 3, Bullough, 6 m 29 s (89); 4, Bloxham, 6 m 30 s (90); 5, Hill, 6 m 32 s (92).
SS 9 Pennal (4 mins): 1, Malkin, 4 m 52 s* (292); 2, Fidler, 5 m 08 s* (308); 3, Hill, 5 m 15 s* (315); 4, Bullough, 5 m 17 s* (317); 5, Bloxham, 5 m 19 s* (319).
*Actual corrected times; penalties based on uncorrected times of mis-synchronised clocks.
SS10 was another forestry one further south at Taliesin; SS11 was not run; and SS12 was a very entertaining little, belt round the old waterworks road at the foot of the Rheidol Dam.
SS 10 Taliesin (5 mins): 1, Malkin, 5 m 12 s (12); 2, Fidler, 5 m 22 s (22); 3, Hill, 5 m 28 s (28); 4, Bloxham, 5 m 32 s (32); 5, Bullough, 5 m 35 s (35).
SS 11 Stage not used.
SS 12 Dam (1 m 10 s): 1, Malkin, 1 m 32 s (22); 2, Fidler and Bloxham, 1 m 34 s (24); 4, Bullough and Hill, 1 m 36 s (26).
Back in the forests at SS13, Rheidol, which featured a very interesting double bend over a sort of earth bridge, was easily on clean. SS14 was a short tarmac one near Elerch, while SS15 was a very pleasant new forestry one at Cyneiniog.
SS 13 Rheidol (4 mins): 1, Malkin, 3 m 12 s (0); 2, Fidler. 3 m 19 s (0); 3, Hill, 3 m 20 s (0); 4, Bloxham and Bullough, 3 m 28 s (0).
SS 14 Elerch (2 mins): 1, Malkin, 2 m 13 s (13); 2, Hill, 2 m 21 s (21); 3, Fidler and Bullough, 2 m 23 s (23); 5, Bloxham, 2 m 24 s
SS 15 Cyneinlog (6 mins): 1, Malkin, 6 m 50 s (50); 2, Hill, 7 m 3 s (63); 3, Fidler, 7 m 8 s (68); 4, Bullough, 7 m 14 s (74); 5, Bloxham, 7 m 19 s (79).
At the lunch-break at Tre'ir-ddol, Malkin had opened up his lead to nearly 3 mins, at 666 to Fidler's 835. Bullough and Bloxham had consolidated their third and fourth places on 984 and 1050 respectively. But the big surprise, was that the Lotus Cortina of Webb/Foxall had inserted itself in fifth spot on 1091; this crew were to lose a lot of marks later, though. The Cooper-Sparrow battle was raging on, the Cortina maintaining a slender 20 sees lead in sixth place.
Richard Hill, who was having an unhappy rally in spite of some excellent stage and selective times, finally broke his gearbox on SS16 and retired. This was a selective on farm roads above Tre'r-ddol, and once again everyone was penalised.

SS 16 Clettwr (4 mins): 1, Malkin, 4 m 59 s (59); 2. Bloxham, 5 m 11 s (71); 3, Bullough, 5 m 17 s (77); 4, Fidler and A. Allard/A. Toward (Escort TC), 5 m 20 s (80).
Back to Dovey for two special stages, both in the northern part of that most superb and demanding of forests. No-one was within 1 min of bogey on the first, but the second was cleaned by the fastest half-dozen or so. SS 17 Dovey 2 (9 mins): 1, Malkin, 10 m 11 s (71); 2, Fidler, 10 m 32 s (92); 3, Bullough, 10 m 52 s (112); 4, Bloxham, 10 m 58 s (118); 5, Allard, 11 m 07 s (127).
SS 18 Dovey 3 (5 mins): 1, Malkin, 4 m 28 s (0); 2, Fidler, 4 m 32 s (0); 3, Bloxham, 4 m 38 s (0); 4, Bullough, 4 m 42 s (0); 5, Allard, 4 m 54 s (0).
An easy-schedule run over the Bwlch-y-Groes and up Lake Bala brought the rally to Aberhirnant Forest, which features a very dodgy little bridge which is just an unfenced narrow wooden platform with sharp bends onto and off it. Once again, no-one was clean, and Malkin's fastest time was the final clincher on his win; for the last special stage, through Hirnant forest between Llanwddyn and Penygarnedd, was very fast and cleaned by most crews, honours actually going to John Bloxham.
SS 19 Aberhirnant (5 mins): 1, Malkin, 6 m 36 s (96); 2, Bloxham, 6 m 47 s (107); 3, Bullough, 6 m 52 s (112); 4, Fidler, 6 m 57 s (117); 5, AHard, 7 m 11 s (131).
SS 20 Hirnant (5 mins): 1, Bloxham, 4 m 5 s (0); 2, Malkin, 4 m 10s (0); 3, Bullough, 4 m 17 s (0); 4, Fidler, 4 m 22 s (0); 5, Allard, 4 m 30 s (0).
A long run back to Shrewsbury, and that was that. The results were announced quickly and efficiently; and it was seen that the first four positions hadn't changed since breakfast. The Scottish crew of Hibbert and Withers, though, had had an excellent run and came quietly through to snatch a slender fifth place from the Sparrow-Cooper duel. This had continued unabated all afternoon, honours finally going to Sparrow by 3 secs!

John Brown.

1, C. Malkin/J. R. C. Brown (Hillman Imp), 877; 2, R. Fidler/B. Hughes (BMW 2002), 1124; 3, J. E. Bullough/D. Barrow (Ford Escort TC), 1285; 4, J. Bloxham/P. A. W. Stephens (Ford Escort TC), 1346; 5, M. Hibbert/I. Withers (Ford Escort TC), 1476; 6, W. D. Sparrow/N. Raeburn (Mini-Cooper S), 1481; 7, R. Cooper/I. Cooper (Ford-Lotus Cortina), 1484; 8, A. Allard/ A. Yoward (Ford Escort TC), 1557; 9, R. Lawrence/J. Morgan (Mini-Cooper S), 1620; 10, J. Heppenstall/K. Wood (Ford Escort TC), 1638.
Novices: 1, J. R. Young/A. R. Leet (Ford Cortina GT), 1791; 2, A. F. Pierson/D. Cowell (Ford Cortina GT), 1934. Team award: Bloxham and Bullough.