Double header for Shropshire's Petrie

On the stage event Jamie Anderson and Jon Scott were top seeds out of the Ludlow crews - however they were lucky to make the start after suffering with differential problems whilst testing prior to the event. A steady first stage saw the pair down in 12^th place, albeit only five seconds off the lead. Fastest on stage two and third quickest on the third put the crew in fourth overall, eight seconds off the lead. Sadly the diff problems returned on stage four seeing the pair lose 27 seconds to the leaders and dropping them t^{o sixth} overall. A timely service halt allowed them to fix the issue and they managed to climb back up to fifth before worn tyres dropped them back into sixth place.

Tenbury Wells based co-driver Mike Wilding was out again in Jon Ballinger's Opel Manta, the pair finished 39^th overall and fourth in class.

Gary Smith brought out his immaculate MkI Escort hoping for a little practice prior to his home event, the Woodpecker Stages. Smith reported no major issues on his way to 44^th overall and third in class.

Tim Cains/Richard May brought out the J & S Handling sponsored Peugeot 309, hopeful of bagging some more Welsh National Championship points. A few minor issues surfaced on the morning stages with Cains reporting a long brake pedal and the clutch needing adjustment, tyre wear was also becoming an issue with the combination of the heat and abrasive surface taking its toll on the soft compounds. A slightly harder compound on the afternoon stages provided plenty of grip, and despite collecting two punctures on stage seven the crew finished 52^nd overall but more importantly second in class in their championship.

Meanwhile Petrie and driver Andrew Sheers, seeded at 145 in the blue Tec nic Motorsport and John Petrie Motorsport supported MkII Escort were out for some fun and looking to complete the first part of their double. Other than losing the handbrake which made some of the hairpin bends tricky they entertained the crowds with their sideways style to achieve their aim and finish 87^th overall.

Jez Rogers from Bridgnorth was co-driving for Jonathan Jones in the Fiesta 1.6, seeded at 135. Rogers reported no problems other than maybe a lack of match practice for Jones, however the pair still finished third in their class just 10 seconds off second.

With the finish of the stage event Sheer/Petrie parked up the Ford Escort and picked up a Peugeot 205 Gti and made their way to Knighton. Seeded at 36 the pair reported no issues and completed their second rally in 24 hours in eighth overall and second in class.

The Pacemaker Rally also saw father and son rally drivers Andy and Fred Price continue their battle for bragging rights. Seeded together at 38 and 39 they could at least keep an eye on each others times! Once again Fred came out on top 1 minute 18 seconds up on Andy, the pair finishing in 14^th and 15^th overall.

Another father and son team, this time competing together, were Chris/Keaton Williams in Chris's Mitsubishi Colt. A stall at a tight uphill hairpin saw the pair lose some time having to wait for spectators to push them to restart the engine. Unfortunately despite setting top 15 times a missed signature at a route check control dropped the pair to 24^th overall.

The next meeting of Ludlow Castle Motor Club will be held on Wednesday August 12, starting at 8pm at the Ludlow Brewing Company Ltd. All are welcome.

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Photos: RallySport Media