“Two seconds or two minutes, a win’s a win!” said Bury driver John Cope in Ramsey’s Market Square mid-afternoon on Saturday. The understatement couldn’t have been any more complete.
The Subaru WRC pilot and local co-driver Rob Fagg had just emerged victorious in an event that had four different winners really. It certainly had four different leaders. Nine seconds separated them (only four between the top three) after two legs spent trying to land a knock-out blow on one another over 95 miles of flat out motoring across the island. The battle was as utterly absorbing as the commitment was total.
I’ve been involved in rallying directly for over 20 years; following it for longer than that and this was the most thrilling event I’ve witnessed first hand at any level.
The local drivers took first blood on a damp Slieau Whallian stage on Friday night. “That felt loose”, said Steve Colley, co-driven by Graham Fargher (Mitsubishi Evo VIII), at the South Barrule stop line. When told he was fastest by six seconds from Steve Quine over just four miles he retorted, “That’ll be why then!”
Sean Kelly and Emma Kennuagh (Evo VII) were third, but that soon became first after a storming run through Sean’s home 9.6 mile St Marks test, nine seconds faster than Colley, and fastest again on the next at Balladoole from Gansey to Castletown to really announce themselves on the scene.
Quine however dropped two minutes with turbo problems that would ultimately force his Evo VI out of the event before nightfall, while Martyn Jones and Dave Radcliffe were performing their regular giant-killing act in the Vauxhall Nova, tied for third with Cope.
An overshoot on the second St Marks run (SS5) cost Kelly the lead, Colley sneaking back in front by a single second overnight, with defending winners Dave Pattison/Andy Marchbank (Evo VI) only another ten back after a change suspension at first service at St Johns brought them two stage wins. Jones however found a ditch on Ballakew, with five minutes gone by the time he got out.
Cope was 42 seconds down after his own “flat in top” overshoot at the Southern 100 HQ chicane on SS6, but scythed into the deficit in the Curraghs first up on Saturday morning. Colley struggled on the soaked roads, handing the lead to Pattison. Worse befell Tim Collins/Paul McCann, rolling their Evo IX out in the final mile at Orrisdale after taking slick tyres, blocking the stage.
Colley hit back on Druidale to Sartfield as Cope spun, but then the charge nearly came to nought after a huge moment at Vatenan’s jump on Staarvey (SS9), where a lack of anti-lag also cost Kelly. “We were right out on the grass, I thought we were goners!” said the trials star as the pace showed.
After service Cope again swept through the Curraghs, fastest by 15 seconds to move from fourth to second, and finally took the lead when Pattison was slowed by a puncture on Druidale and then a lifting bonnet due to a loose pin on Staarvey (SS12).
Colley slipped back to fourth after a stall on SS10, when he knocked the car off in the compression at Broughjairg dip. It ultimately cost him the win.
As the crews arrived at the final service at Jurby, they were informed that the penultimate Currgahs stage was cancelled due to a lack of road closure time.
It left one final run over Druidale and Sartfield, Colley’s favourite stage. Cope led by seven seconds from Pattison, who certainly hadn’t given it up, while Colley was nine down on Kelly and declared it would be “all or nothing” in an attempt to make it onto the podium.
It was oh so nearly “all” and more!
Those spectating at Brandywell Cottage were left shaking their heads in disbelief at the mid-stage stopwatches. Colley went eight seconds faster than either of the previous runs, setting a time of 5:19.
“I didn’t have any more in me, if they’ve beaten me then fair play to them. It doesn’t get any better than that, on motor bikes, on anything!”
Cope arrived at the Sartfield finish next, in 5:36, Pattison 5:33 and Kelly 5:35. There were stunned faces as the scrambled maths took place. Colley had leapt from fourth to second, as Cope and Fagg held on by just two seconds for the driver’s first Manx win after almost a decade of trying.
“It was real pressure, but I was looking for Pattison, not Colley!” said Cope.
For his part Pattison was most downhearted. “It’s annoying, we came here to defend the win and it’s all self-inflicted problems that have cost us. We should have won it. Last night was a disaster at the start. I had a push on Druidale there but I just can’t get that stage into my head.”
There was enormous sympathy for Kelly, denied a top three finish he’d held right from the outset. “Nothing left, I got a bit out of control at the hairpin. It’s good we’re on the pace, but it’s disappointing”.
Also raising eyebrows were Kevin Davies/Dale Furniss, the Welsh road rally driver claiming fifth and best two wheel-drive on his first visit to the island, by just five seconds from Connor Corkill/Mark Perryman. The battle of the MkII Escorts was effectively decided by Collins crash; Davies got a clean run, Corkill a notional time after getting caught up behind it.
Cumbria’s Stuart Egglestone retained best front-wheel drive honours in seventh overall.
-ENDS-
