Wyedean Stages 2003 review. Story and images provided by RallyingOnline.com. 08 February 2003
Andy Burton has won the Wyedean Forest Rally for the third time in his career - he and co-driver Rob Morgan guided their hybrid Peugeot Cosworth through the ten special stages to arrive back at the finish in Chepstow almost a minute ahead of the Ford Escort World Rally Car of last year's winner Mark Perrott. Another former winner, Roger Duckworth, was third in his Subaru Impreza WRC.
Local interest was upheld by Cheltenham driver Gary Midwinter who, with co-driver Martin Saunders (Tewkesbury), finished a strong fourth in their Ford Escort WRC. Pre-event favourite Nik Elsmore, from Coleford, was forced to retire from the rally after rolling his Mitsubishi Lancer on SS3, trying to make up time lost after collecting a puncture on the previous stage. The car was still driveable but the scrutineers, who check every vehicle on safety grounds, deemed it unfit to continue as the windscreen had been damaged in the accident.
In 5th position was Brian Bell in his ex-works Ford Focus WRC and Robert Gough collected 6th place in a Mitsubishi Evo 6. Struggling from picking up a puncture on SS2, David Mann in a Group A Impreza came in 7th after fighting back up the field, pipping Martin Healer (Escort Cosworth) for the place on the final stage.
The rally was the opening round of the Dunlop Gold Star Championship, incorporating the Dunlop Silver Star and Silkolene 1400 Championships. The Silver Star, catering purely for two-wheel drive cars, was won by Phil Squires whose Ford Escort RS finished a handful of seconds ahead of the Opel Manta of defending champion Jon Ballinger. A further brace of Escorts in the hands of Jason Lepley, Adrian Struthers and Robert Archer followed close behind. These cars were driven with great style and determination - Squires and Ballinger were 11th and 14th overall respectively ahead of more exotic 4wd machinery.
The 1400 Championship turned into a battle between the Vauxhall Nova of Forest of Dean resident Gary Standen and the Ford Puma of Shaun Woffinden. Standen emerged as victor by half a minute after 45 miles of special stages, timed to the second, while Woffinden had another Nova, driven by James Wozencroft, breathing down his neck by the end.
The rally was blessed with a capacity entry of 180 cars, but of those, over fifty failed to make the finish. In addition to those already mentioned, Steve Winter's trip up from Somerset came to nought when his Escort WRC broke its steering and 2002 Gold Star Champion John Perrott departed the fray when his Mitsubishi suffered transmission failure.
Full results of the Wyedean Forest Rally are available on www.btrdarally.com.
Official Wyedean Stages site
Forest of Dean Motor Club - the rally organisers
RallyingOnline.com - the premier UK rally portal
RallyGallery.com - more images from this and other rallies
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