MOTOR SPORT
ON Sunday, February 2, four dale crews took part in the Jack Frost Stages Rally, at Croft Circuit.
The day started off damp and cold making tyre choices difficult for the 68 competing crews taking part in a variety of cars.
Unfortunately, the day ended quickly for brothers Dan and Matt Thompson in their Yellow Vauxhall Corsa.
They suffered mechanical problems on stage two preventing any further running.
Things were going well though in the Renault Clio driven by Colin Butler and his navigator Joe Hutchinson.
The damp conditions suited Colin, the pair found themselves 39th after the mornings four stages.
They continued to drive well and despite electrical gremlins before the final stage, secured 33rd overall and seventh in their class.
For Mark Thompson and Jordan English in their Morris Lubricants sponsored Peugeot 206 GTI, the pace all day was fantastic.
Frustratingly, a drive shaft broke on stage three with a near two-minute time loss dropping them back to ninth in class. However, a relentless push of top 20 times in the afternoon brought the Peugeot crew back to third in class and 18th overall.
Top honours in the class went to Alistair Hutchinson and Tom Bruce in the Mickleton Service Station prepared Renault Clio.
The class win did not come easily with an early spin on cold tyres and overheating brakes through stage three keeping the pair on their toes.
But a big push in the afternoon’s drier stages, including two top ten stage times, secured the class win and 12th overall.
