|
Having been prevented from starting the recent
Cambrian Rally (ultimately cancelled due to snow and
ice), leading local co-driver Rob Fagg will get his
rally year underway this weekend as he contests the
Legend Fires North West Stages.
In doing so the Kirk Michael man will re-unite with
Arron Newby in the TEG Sport Subaru, attempting to
go one place better than last year when the 2013 and
2014 Manx Rally Championship winners finished as
runner-up.
The event is the biggest rally in the north west,
backed by John Stone, a familiar visitor to contest
events on-island. From a Blackpool base the sealed
surface stages take place along the Fylde coast,
including Blackpool and Fleetwood promenades, Weeton
Army Barracks and the docks at Fleetwood.
It’s an event, and stages that Newby and
Robert Graham & Co Quantity Surveyors backed Fagg
are familiar with having
undertaken Safety Car
duties in 2014 and 2015 ahead of contesting the full
event last year. Despite the relatively short nature
of the tests, the event offers its own unique
challenge which the crew are fully aware off.
“The stages on Friday night will certainly be a
challenge, heading along the Blackpool promenade
front in the dark trying to pick out braking points
for the narrow junctions with a rock face one side
and sea wall in very close proximity there’s no room
for error. Add to that the potential for waves to
crash over the sea wall and you have got a short but
tricky stage” explained Fagg, “The Fleetwood Docks
stage will require ultimate concentration to get
around safely with the route marked by cones. We
need to ensure we get through safely but you can’t
afford to drop too much time to
the other crews”.
Saturday throws a further
two venues into the mix as crews tackle Fleetwood
Promenade and Weeton Army Barracks. The latter is
renowned for hidden rally ending kerbs while both
see crews complete multiple laps and run the risk of
being effected by other crews so it’s never straight
forward.
“You really have to show
Weeton some respect, push too hard and it’s all too
easy to hit one of the many kerbs and it can be all
over” commented Burger Man Catering supported Fagg,
“There’s also a very tricky middle section which
depend on weather can have a large water splash as
well proving very slippery as cars pull out mud from
the verges”.
Four tests on Friday night are followed by a
daunting 18-stage Saturday before the tea-time
finish having covered 70 stage miles.
Newby and Fagg will start at number 3, behind last
year’s winner Simon Bowen (Subaru WRC) and two time
former winner Tony Bardy (Ford Focus WRC), with
another former winner Eian Pritchard behind in the
Focus WRC that son Jason has driven to Manx National
rally hat-trick glory. Completing the top five is
event sponsor and former winner of the event Stone
in his Fiesta S2500.
They will certainly be
starting in good company and hoping to add there
name to the previous winners list with JR Hinchliffe
Plumbing and Heating backed Rob looking forward to
sitting alongside Arron once more.
“Its 12 months since we
were last out together, even longer since we
competed in S17. Being back in a proven car which
itself has been developed we certainly have the
chance to be in the mix for honours come Saturday
night”.
While he was also keen to
get 2017 underway.
“I am defiantly looking
forward to getting the season underway following the
unfortunate delay, it seems a while since I was last
out back in November on the Grizedale Stages, time
seems to pass so quickly” explained Rob, “I must
also thank again my personal sponsors, without them
competing away from home would be much harder.
Rob is supported in 2017 by Robert Graham & Co
Quantity Surveyors, JR Hinchliffe Plumbing and
Heating, Burger Man Catering and Fastime Stopwatches
(www.astopwatch.com) |
