BMW triumphs on weather-battered Le Jog

| 10 Dec 2012

Andrew Lane and Iain Tullie battled sleet and snow to win the four-day Le Jog rally in their 1973 BMW 2002.

The pair had to deal with the Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation’s new and longer routes, plus tighter schedules, for the event that ran from 1-4 December.

By the end their BMW had travelled an epic 1500 miles through Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wales, Shropshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Northumbria, Northumberland, East Lothian, West Lothian and North Lanarkshire. Of the 60 competitors who entered, just 40 finished.

Lane said: "It was a very hard event this year. We were only able to come first because the leading car [Kevin Haselden and Mathew Fowle’s 1967 Morris Mini Cooper] got hit by another vehicle on the road."

As the Mini dropped from the competitive running, second place went to Tony Sheach and Richard Lambley’s Team Triumph 1964 TR4.

Sheach said: "We had a great event, a puncture in West Wales caused us a lot of penalties."

Roger Bricknell and Ryan Pickering finished third in another Triumph sports car, this time a 1966 TR4A.

Le Jog served as the fourth and final qualifying round of the HERO Cup, which was won by Michael and Simon Baker. They took the overall highest score, having driven their 1978 Porsche 911 SC to third place in the Scottish Malts and to first on the Summer Trial.

Patrick Burke of HERO said: "We were delighted with the welcome Le Jog received around the country, with people being more than willing to allow use of their land and to let controls be sited in appropriate places.

"For many people, Le Jog is the only competitive motor sport event that comes past their door and they were keen to turn out and see the cars go through their area."

To find out more, visit HERO’s website.

Pictures: ©Photo Rastrelli