WET and windy weather failed to dampen spirits at the JLT Tempest Rally, with competitors and spectators enjoying an action-packed day of competition in the Aldershot-based event.
Around 100 cars took part in the Tempest2 rally for two-wheel drive cars and Tempest4 for the more powerful four-wheel drive models.
Five venues on the Hampshire/Surrey border hosted high-speed stages, including Rushmoor Arena in Aldershot, the nearby forests of Warren Heath and Pavilion, as well as MoD land at Ash Ranges and Longmoor, near Bordon.
In the Tempest4 rally, Robert Swann and co-driver Darren Garrod completed a hat-trick of wins and were delighted with their success.
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It was the first outing for the pair in the Ford Fiesta R5 and Swann said the day had not been without incident. “We had a number of spins and we made a few changes to the set-up in service, but we got our heads down and drove steadily,’’ he said. “It was a great day and it’s a good feeling to win here again.’’
Second in Tempest4 was Martyn England, with Dawn England in the co-driver’s seat. England was thrilled to have finished runner-up after a number of mechanical problems with the car in previous events. “We have won here in the past, but our second place today was better than that,’’ he said. “We’ve really enjoyed the event.”
Third overall went to Andrew Barnes and Guy Simmons. The last time Barnes drove a rally car was at the Tempest in 2014, and he was pleased to finish with no damage this time.
The Tempest2 honours went to Leigh Armstrong and Chris Armstrong in their Ford Escort Mk 2 after an epic battle on the forest stages.
“We had a number of problems during the day,’’ said Leigh. “We had a few spins out on the stages and had a problem with the starter motor.?But it was good fun and a great warm-up for Rally GB National next week.”
Runners-up were Jerry Bailey and Graham Lacey, with Nick Danks and Martin Corbett rounding off the top three.
Rally manager Barry Guess said it had been a great event and he was delighted there had been such close competition over the high-speed stages.
“The crews, spectators and everyone involved in the event had to overcome some tough weather conditions during the day. Thanks go to everyone for supporting the event,’’ he said.