Sunseeker Rallye 2002 review: Bournemouth, England.
Story and pictures by Mark Sims.
The opening round of the ANCRCO rally championship backed by Kuhmo Tyres kicked off on the asphalt roads and twisty forest lanes of Ringwood and Bournemouth. This particular rally is one of the most successful in the country and attracts a top class entry, and this year was exceptional. Subaru Impreza WRCs, Metro 6R4s, Mitsubishi EVO 7s and a host of other top class machinery and crews made up the entry.
The firm favourite for the rally was Marcus Dodd, who was looking to get four victories in a row. With a brand new ex-works Impreza WRC purchased from Prodrive, Dodd's car was out to turn a few heads. He didn't even switch the ignition on however, as he withdrew as insurance cover was unable to be found for his new vehicle.
This left the door wide open for a new name on the trophy list and heading the order was Kenny McKinstry who led the pack over the opening two stages. Kenny started to open up a lead around Avon Park and down the Bournemouth seafront. Giving chase were a number of experienced tarmac drivers such as Steve Hendy and Steve Fleck. Avon Park proved a real test for the drivers due to slippery damp tarmac and a number of crews succumbed to the scenery. Gareth Griffiths in his brand new Escort Cosworth lasted just a few miles into Avon Park before he went off down a bank. Andy Burton in his awesome Peugeot-Cosworth stormed through the three tarmac stages, however glitches with the car's electronic engine management system sidelined him out of the rally.
As the cars started to run through the forest sections McKinstry started to open up a lead. Mark Perrott was the leading man giving chase in his superbly prepared Ford Escort WRC. Perrott, still new to the car, had a few spins and 'moments' and at service the car needed a bit of attention. David Mann, always a pacesetter, had started slow but was rapidly gaining on McKinstry as his pace improved. One of the eagerly awaited cars to be seen was Steve Petch in his ex-works Hyundai Accent WRC. Petch was having problems with fuel starvation, which cost him valuable time.
Retirements were still increasing. Steve Hendy went off on the next run through Avon Park, but the biggest incident went to Stuart Larbey. Coming into the flick right, over jump, in Avon Park, Larbey twitched the car slightly as it hit the jump, the back stepped out of line and the front and back attempted to swap places. A ditch on the other side of the road meant there was little chance for the crew as the front dug into the ditch and cart-wheeled the car along its length. The car came to rest on its wheels but every body panel was smashed, the roof caved in and there was little movement from Stuart in the driver's seat.
Simon Staddon, the co-driver crawled from the car. Mark Sims (report writer) was one of the first on the scene and pulled Stuart from his car. Sims commented 'That accident was one of the most frightening I have ever seen, it's a miracle the guys were not really hurt, even killed'. The crew were taken to Bournemouth Hospital and later under police escort at 10 mph to Poole Hospital with suspected spinal injuries. Thankfully some hours and eight x-rays later both were released. The Metro 6R4, which is an ex-Tony Pond works car, will be completely rebuilt and will be ready for the autumn.
As the afternoon progressed, Perrott led a charge in an effort to snatch the lead and by SS8 he was within 0.01 seconds. The next stage saw him push even harder, which resulted in the inevitable spin and a stall that lost him 2 minutes. He would finish in 3rd place by the end of the rally by continuing to push.
With Perrott gone, David Mann in his Subaru Impreza increased his pace and hounded McKinstry, who was having problems with the exhaust system through the latter stages of the rally. It was this determined drive that netted him second place overall.
Steve Hill, in an ageing Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 took 4th with a very spirited and controlled drive, a result that he was very pleased about.
The Metro 6R4 camp was upheld by Warren Philliskirk, who enjoyed a relatively trouble free run to take 6th and Richard Moore had a steady drive, if a little frustrating, to take 14th spot. A good result considering he is up against top class WRC machinery and using the less powerful 2.8-litre engine.
It was Kenny McKinstry who took the winner's spoils on the seafront at Bournemouth. He hopes to be back to compete in the second round and hopes to be able to pit his driving skills against his old rival Marcus Dodd, who will hopefully have insurance.
Final Positions
1 Kenny McKinstry / Noel Ore (Subaru Impreza WRC99) 1h 12m 48s
2 David Mann / Alun Cook (Subaru Impreza 555) 1h 13m 14s
3 Mark Perrott / Gary Mansell (Ford Escort WRC) 1h 14m 44s
4 Steve Hill / Andrew Bargery (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3) 1h 15m 6s
5 Steve Petch / John Richardson (Hyundai Accent WRC) 1h 15m 16s
6 Warren Philliskirk / Eurig Evans (Metro 6R4) 1h 15m 30s
7 Charlie Payne / Craig Thorley (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4) 1h 16m 3s
8 Steve Fleck / George Thew (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h 16m 6s
9 Graham Middleton / John Morgan (Toyota Corolla WRC) 1h 16m 41s
10 Jeremy Easson / Nigel Gardner (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo7) 1h 16m 45s
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