Rally - M-Sport Stages

Josh and Andy with their prize M-Sport watches!

Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes lost out last year on the M-Sport Return to Stages event when a spark plug blew clean out of the cylinder head on the first stage, but there were no mishaps this weekend.

 

Rhys Yates and Max Freeman were leading the rally at close of play on Saturday, but on the first stage this morning they spun and stalled. That put Moffett into the lead and with the 'longer legs' of the World car he was able to keep the R5 of Yates at bay.

 

Returning to the sport after 3 years, Keith Cronin with Mikie Galvin finished 3rd getting progressively quicker throughout the weekend. "It's a new car and I'm running Hankooks for the first time," said Cronin, "but it's me that's the rustiest part of the equation!"

 

First time on gravel with their Fiesta, Elliot Payne and Rhys Stoneman were 4th ahead of Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson in a World car.

 

Matthew Wilson  and Stuart Loudon were initially holding 3rd place on the Rally 3 machine's debut but on to-day's stages which had longer straights, they started to lose out to the more powerful opposition.

 

Hugh Hunter had no luck in Argyll last weekend and less this weekend. He finished the first stage yesterday with no oil pressure. Garry Jennings rolled but carried on and Tom Williams might well have threatened the podium but for turbo failure on the 2nd stage of the rally.

 

Top Ten:

1, Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes (Fiesta WRC) 49m 40s

2, Rhys Yates/Max Freeman (Fiesta R5 Mk2) 49m 53s

3, Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin (Fiesta 1600) 50m 56s

4, Elliot Payne/Rhys Stoneman (Fiesta 1600) 51m 09s

5, Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson (Fiesta WRC) 51m 25s

6, Matthew Wilson/Stuart Loudon (Fiesta Rally 3) 51m 36s

7, Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney (Fiesta Rally 2) 51m 45s

8, Sebastian Garcia Perez/Gary McElhinney (Fiesta R5) 52m 02s

9, Gareth Sayers /Gareth Gilchrist (Fiesta R5) 52m 07s

10, Connor McCloskey/Noel O Sullivan (Fiesta R5) 52m 21s

 

Full rally report in next Wednesday's 'Motorsport News' and full rally results on rallies.info