Callum Black/Jack Morton won the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally in style their Pallas Connections Fiesta Rally2, while Darren Atkinson not only leads class B13 and the Escort Challenge but now tops the overall drivers’ points table in his Haldane Fisher Escort Mk2 as well.
After a troubled start to the season, Callum said that he needed to score big on the two Scottish rounds to give himself any chance of retaining his Protyre Asphalt title – and that’s exactly what the 586 Sport driver has done with a second on the Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally and first in Argyll netting him 58 points out of a possible 60. That’s taken the Brackley ace from 10th to third in the standings, just seven points behind the leader and with one of his mandatory two scores already dropped.
Callum looked after his wet Michelin tyres on the dry opening two short stages around the village on Dunoon before setting the fastest time on each of the remaining wet and dark five Friday night stages to go into the overnight halt with a 41 second lead. He then set the fastest time on all six of Saturday’s morning loop of stages to extend that lead to 1min 40secs by midday service and then set a further three fastest times (overall) to finish 2mins 04secs ahead of his nearest Protyre Asphalt rival.
Also putting his title challenge back on track was Neil Roskell. The Blackpool driver was second overnight, despite co-driver Dai Roberts feeling unwell, and he never put a foot wrong on Saturday’s very tricky and changeable weather/road conditions to secure a strong second-place Protyre Asphalt points finish in his ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Fiesta Rally2. That puts Neil second in the series, just five points behind the leader and with a dropped score in the bag, while Dai takes the lead of the co-drivers’ standings – which is a title he won in 2022.
Hugh Brunton/Drew Sturrock led after SS2 in their PM Print Škoda Fabia Rally2 and finished Leg 1 in a very strong third Protyre Asphalt position. Saturday began with a puncture and they lost more time with gearbox problems in the last three miles of SS12. They pushed hard on the final loop of stages to complete the Protyre Asphalt podium.
William Hill celebrated his birthday by picking up fourth-placed Protyre Asphalt points in his Hills Ford Fiesta Rally3. The Worcester driver admitted that he struggled to find a rhythm at times, but he and co-driver Richard Crozier never let that get the better of them as they brought the first non-Rally2/R5 car home to the finish.
James Labey/Sion Cunniff spun on SS13 and hit a bail in their Weaver Motorsport Fiesta Rally2, which ultimately cost them a Protyre Asphalt position as they finished just 3secs behind William. It was the Jersey driver’s first championship event since the Legend Fires North West Stages and he’d returned on stunning form.
David White/Jane Nicol had a great event and finished just outside the Protyre Asphalt top 10 in their White’s Bakery Fiesta R5.
Mark Kelly/Will Atkins were second when they clipped a rock on Friday night’s final stage and lost a wheel on their Kelmore Škoda Fabia R5, while Hugh Hunter/Rob Fagg had to pull out late on Friday too when a heavy landing in their Robert Hunter & Son Tarmac/Lewis & Hunter Contracting Fiesta Rally2 hurt the Ruthin driver’s back.
Sam Touzel matched Callum’s time on SS2 in his Smart Scaffolding/Express Auto Parts Fiesta Rally2, but food poisoning got the better of Aaron Nicolle on Friday night and they were forced to stop.
Hopes of a good run also ended on Leg 1 for Roger and Tommi Henderson when they got their DKMS We Delete Blood Cancer Fiesta Rally2 stuck in a ditch on SS4, Ant Eaton/Ian Jackson retired their Autotest Fiesta R5 on SS15 and Simon Bowen/Craig Simkiss (Fiesta S2000T) were unable to take the start and drop from first to fourth in the points table.
On a rally where one minute it was dry and the next it was wet, conditions did not favour a powerful rear-wheel drive car – although nobody told that to Darren Atkinson! True, he did have a big moment on Friday night and lost the intercom on Saturday morning, but the Haldane Fisher Escort Mk2 ace was on inspired form from start to finish. Back with co-driver Phil Sandham, who was celebrating his 75th birthday, Darren collected sixth-place Protyre Asphalt points to take the lead of the series – and put himself in pole position for a test with M-Sport in a Puma Hybrid Rally1.
He was kept honest by Gordon Morrison, who enjoyed another excellent run in his Lochwinnoch Motors Heavy Haulage Escort Mk2. The Johnstone driver lost time going out on slicks on Saturday morning but survived that big tyre gamble to maintain second in class B13, while Ian Parker takes the lead of the class co-driver’s category.
Huw James/Lewis Sim finished third in class B13 in their A&D Tyres Escort Mk2, 33 seconds ahead of Aled Wyn Morgans/Ian Taylor in their Aberystwyth Motorsport Escort Mk2, while Tim Cole/David Sutcliffe collected fifth-place points in their Manx Automobile Assistance/MAA Logistics BMW E36 Compact.
Ben Crump/Ian Beamond won B11 in their Coltech Escort Mk2, although a second-place finish is enough for Michael Harbour/Cameron Dunn to maintain the class lead in their VS Pro Pressure Washing Services/Miller Waste Water Escort Mk2. George Heighway/Zak Linham completed the class podium in their Toyota Corolla.
Joe Mckeand had to overcome clutch issues in his Subaru Impreza. The Dumfries driver (co-driven by Charlotte McDowall) finished second in class B14 to maintain his position behind William Hill in the points table. Nathan Bolton/Phil Kenny came home third in their Monza Installs Mitsubishi Evo 9, ahead of Bobby Macdonald/Martin Maccabe (Subaru Impreza) and Tony Davies/Terry Martin (Mitsubishi Evo 9) – while Nathan Evans/Rhys Edwards retired their Tuned Motorsport UK/The Kitchen Installers Renault Clio RS on SS15.
There were no finishers in B10, meaning that Paul Evans/Callum Young still lead the class despite rolling their Electric Bike Supermarket Escort Mk2. Rory and Paul McCann remain second, despite breaking a driveshaft in their Metalways Honda Civic, a coolant leak in their BVS Vehicles Citroën C2 forced Kyle Casement/Liam McCann out and Max Murray/Matty Owen crashed their Citroën C2.
Simon Hunter won the Dynamic Fluids Best Presented Car Award for his immaculately turned out Kwiktrak Vauxhall Corsa S1400 at the start of the event and overcame alternator problems on Saturday morning to win B9. He and co-driver Howard Pridmore now lead that class.
Martin Melling/Neil MacDonald were going well until the differential pulled their M&H Motorsport Mini Mayfair onto the grass verge when changing gear, causing the car to roll out of the event on Saturday. They still lead the Plastics4Performance Mini Challenge after Kenny Watt/Eilidh Williamson retired their Mini with clutch problems.
Nikki Addison (co-driven by Iain Thorburn) won the Ladies’ Challenge to increase her series lead in her Electric Center Honda Civic Type-R.
Action from the Argyll Rally is available to view on the Special Stage TV Facebook and YouTube channels, plus specialstage.tv.
Round 6 of the 2024 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship is the Nigel Ferguson Fabricators Tour of Epynt on 21/22 July.
Argyll Rally – top 10 registered 2024 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship finishers:
1. Callum Black/Jack Morton (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….1hr 00mins 58secs
2. Neil Roskell/Dai Roberts (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….1hr 03mins 02secs
3. Hugh Brunton/Drew Sturrock (Škoda Fabia Rally2)….1hr 04mins 24secs
4. William Hill/Richard Crozier (Ford Fiesta Rally3)….1hr 06mins 48secs
5. James Labey/Sion Cunniff (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….1hr 06mins 51secs
6. Darren Atkinson/Phil Sandham (Ford Escort Mk2)….1hr 07mins 18secs
7. Gordon Morrison/Ian Parker (Ford Escort Mk2)….1hr 08mins 05secs
8. Huw James/Lewis Sim (Ford Escort Mk2)….1hr 08mins 24secs
9. Aled Wyn Morgans/Ian Taylor (Ford Escort Mk2)….1hr 08mins 57secs
10. Joe Mckeand/Charlotte McDowall (Subaru Impreza)….1hr 09mins 59secs
2024 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship – top 6 drivers’ overall after Round 5:
1. Darren Atkinson….114pts
2. Neil Roskell….109pts
3. Callum Black….107pts
4. Simon Bowen….101pts
5. William Hill….93pts
6. James Williams….77pts
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