Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship favourite Richard Hill cemented the billing with a dominant victory at the Rally Sunseeker Historique.
The Escort Mk1 driver and co-driver Pat Cooper stormed into an immediate lead in category 2, eventually winning by 1 min 13.7 secs from the Escort Mk1 of David Stokes and Guy Weaver.
In category 1, for pre-1968 cars, Porsche 911-mounted Dessie Nutt and Greraldine McBride had a ding-dong battle with the similar car or Rikki Proffit and Phil Harrison. Despite engine woes, Proffit refused to give up and only when a broken brake calliper seized the wheel and pitched his 911 into a bank could Nutt be sure of victory. “We tried to get off again, but we were beached on a tree stump,” said a disappointed Proffitt later.
The Escort Mk2 RS 1800 of Gareth James and Steffan Evans snatched its sixth win of the year in category 3 having fought hard to chase down in-form Ernie and Will Graham's BDG-powered Mk2. It took the Welsh crew until the final test, Ringwood North 2, to overhaul the Grahams.
James Elliott is a former Editor of Classic & Sports Car