Shropshire co-driver wins Tour of Ireland victory

The event began with two stages around the Great Orme, famous for its ability to catch out the unwary with its kerbs and tight twisty nature. Two clean runs in the Porsche 911 saw the pair holding third place, just six seconds down on the leaders.

A ferry journey to the Emerald Isle and a short road section took the crews to the picturesque Wicklow Mountains for the four stages that would bring the day to an end.

With the leaders retiring on the first Irish stage Robinson/Clarke pushed hard to emerge with a twenty-one second lead going into the overnight halt in Enniskerry.

The following day saw the first visit to a race circuit, a very wet Mondello Park. With co-drivers sitting out of the races Clarke could only watch as Robinson used all of his race experience to win both races increasing the pairs lead to thirty-four seconds before the return trip to Holyhead and the first race at the Anglesey Circuit.

Unfortunately the Mendello Park set up didn't suit the undulations of the Welsh circuit and Robinson slipped to eighth on the test reducing their lead to twenty seven seconds at the end of the second day.

The final day began with another trip to the Anglesey Circuit and with a softer set-up Robinson finished fourth having driven a controlled race behind main rival John Spiers to maintain their lead.

Five stages followed including a short blast up the Nant Gwytheyrn Hill Climb, followed by two very fast stages at the Llanbedr Airfield and two trips around the very short and very twisty Kart Racing Circuit at Glan y Gors. Despite Spiers best efforts, Robinson/Clarke held on to take the victory by just nine seconds.

Meanwhile in Wales members were out on the Plains Rally. Co-driver Jon Scott was sat in with Jamie Anderson in Jamie's Mitsubishi WRC, the pair hoping for a repeat of their podium placing on the Somerset Stages in April.

Seeded at number eleven they had an unusually slow start, not helped by a stall on the second stage Garthieniog, leaving them down in ninth overall. Two fourth places and two fifth place stage times saw them climb up the leader board to finish fifth overall and fifth in class but they couldn't recover from their steady start.

Tenbury Wells based Co-driver Mike Wilding guided Jon Ballinger around to finish fortieth overall and fifth in class in the Opel Manta.

Tim Cains and Richard May brought the J & S Handling Ltd Peugeot 309 out once more in a bid for Welsh Championship points. Unfortunately after a good run over the morning stages they picked up a puncture on the final stage, forcing them to drive to the end on a flat tyre. Despite this they achieved their aim finishing, fifty-second overall but more importantly second in class in the Pirelli Welsh National Championship.

Unfortunately Adam Thomas/Keaton Williams retired on the second stage when they broke a driveshaft on the TNT Tyres supported Vauxhall Nova.