Adrian Spencer and co-driver Barry Allman contested their first rally together for 32 years when they teamed up in the RED Industries/Adgespeed-backed Subaru Impreza S11 WRC replica on the recent Legend Fires North West Stages, finishing an impressive sixth in the highly-competitive B14 class and 46th overall.
The reunion came about when Ashley Trimble, the 2019 Protyre Asphalt B11 class co-driving champion, was forced to miss the event after breaking his ankle and Adrian’s other regular co-driver Mark Hewitt was away on holiday.
Step in long-time friend Barry ‘Crocs’ Allman to renew a partnership that dates back to 1981 when the pair competed on road rallies together in a Talbot Sunbeam 1600. And before the 2024 North West Stages, their last stage rally together was in 1992.
Seeded at 59, their morning run was shortened owing to stage cancellations, yet they were soon into their stride in the afternoon with a particularly good clean run through SS6. They picked up a puncture on SS7, fortunately near the end so they didn’t lose too much time, and they continued to grow in confidence on the remaining three stages, resulting in the 28th quickest time on the concluding SS10.
“A big thanks go to Barry for stepping in at the last minute, and it was great to be back together after all those years,” said Adrian.
“With our obvious lack of recent experience together, we wanted to have a good clean run and finish higher than our seeding number, and that’s exactly what we did.”
It’s expected that Ashley will be fully fit and back in the co-driver’s seat for the next round of the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship, the double header Manx National.
It will be Adrian’s fifth attempt at the event, having finished 21st overall on the Manx in a black Subaru B13 in 2011 and 24th overall in his current Subaru Impreza B14 S11 replica in 2023 (plus two DNFs in 2015 and ’18). Adrian also did the PokerStars on the Isle of Man in 2021, finishing 22nd overall.
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