Ludlow Castle Motor Club member Alex Allingham and co-driver Mark Glennerster were disappointed when the onset of heavy snow in the Lake District scuppered their plans of going for all out victory on the 2010 Grizedale Stages Rally earlier this month.

Alex and Mark finished runners up last year on the event in and were looking forward to a fine performance around the Grizedale forests in Cumbria.

This would have ended their extremely successful year, after they secured the Welsh National Championship and Ancro Production Cup Championship as well as the MSA Gravel Championship Subaru Cup in their self maintained and run Subaru Impreza.

The week prior to the Grizedale Stages Rally heavy snowfall created chaos throughout the UK and organisers of the rally were forced to postpone the event until 2011 on the grounds of safety.

They were unable to get emergency crews into the stages or competitors to the event due to the road conditions.

Alex received the news the rally was cancelled on Wednesday, December 1. However, two days later his spirits were lifted as he found out from the Championship Coordinator that he had been nominated as a candidate for the 2011 Hankook Prize Drive.

There will be six contestants, two from the Welsh National Championship, two from the Scottish Championship and two from the Northern Ireland National Championship.

Alex is now concentrating heavily on his fitness level and on subjects he has learnt through the Colin McRae Vision Scheme in which he has participated in throughout 2010.

Alex and Mark plan to defend their Welsh National Forest Championship title for 2011 as financial constraints won’t allow them to step up to the British Rally Championship without a large injection of sponsorship.

Alex’s next event will be the 2011 Haye Park Gravel Sprint in Ludlow, organised by LCMC, an excellent event for a pre-season test and a chance to drive the famous Haye Park forest stage where Alex won last year.

For details of the Gravel Sprint visit www.ludlowcastlemotorclub.com