Mennell lands breakthrough win on British Historic Rally season opener

In simply his tenth rally at this stage, Yorkshireman Dan Mennell joined the elite ranks of drivers to attain British Historic Rally Championship victories after triumphing on the Riponian Phases.

Partnered by John Roberts in his Ford Escort Mk2, Mennell stormed to victory on Sunday’s Riponian Phases Rally in his native forests to bag a end result that he has threatened to attain for the previous 12 months.

As one of many main coming males in historic rallying, Mennell needed to push exhausting as in a single day rain left the traditional Yorkshire forests very slippery and tough.

However he barely put a wheel fallacious and completed the occasion 20 seconds away from one other rising star of historic rallying, David Crossen.

Northern Irishman Crossen was partnered by Ben Teggart as countrymen Adrian Hetherington and Ronan O’Neill accomplished the all-Escort Mk2 general podium.

“That is completely magical,” stated Mennell on the end. “I used to observe all these guys once I was a lad and assume: ‘I might love to do this at some point’. And right here we’re. It is like a dream come true.”

It was Crossen who set the tempo on the opening stage in Gale Rigg with Mennell simply two seconds adrift however, after 11 high-speed miles in Cropton, Mennell was 5 seconds to the nice and steadily constructed his result in end the rally with a 20s benefit.

“That is a very good end result for us,” stated Crossen, who was nonetheless gaining expertise of each the championship and the Yorkshire phases.

In the meantime, there was a mighty fightback from Hetherington, who misplaced round 20s on the opening stage with a rear puncture.

However Hetherington was actually into his stride over the second loop and set two quickest stage instances. Critically, he was 6s up on everybody by means of the ultimate Boltby check, and that was sufficient to maneuver him forward of David Henderson and Chris Lees for third.

Former racer Henderson struggled by means of the morning phases with a clutch drawback and went into the final stage badly quick on rear tyres so fourth was nonetheless a very good end result.

One other rising Yorkshireman, Matthew Stroud – with Josh Carr alongside him in an Escort – rounded out the highest 5 with a formidable efficiency Escort.

Making it an excellent day for Yorkshire, Adam Milner and Roy Jarvis have been a superb seventh general of their 1600cc Escort Mk1. Milner had rolled out of his earlier two rallies and each driver and co-driver have been simply happy to see the end for the primary time in two-and-a-half years.

Others fared much less nicely with mechanical points claiming Matthew Robinson, Ben Good friend (Escorts) and George Lepley – who was anticipated to set the tempo in his Mitsubishi Galant VR4. Nonetheless, engine woes on the opening stage ended his rally shortly after it began.