The Rallye Sunseeker officially started at Poole Quay, where the public could meet the drivers, sign autographs and get a close look at the cars, before being waved off the start by the Mayor of Poole, the cars then drive pass the crowds and back to Canford Park Arena ready for the action to start the following morning.
For the second year running the Rallye Sunseeker is the first round of the British Rally Championship. It`s a single day event running through 66miles of Dorset forests including a couple of stages at Somerley Park estate. The first of the day is Wareham forest for a single stage before moving north to Uddens forest then into the forests around Ringwood. Many of these stages are run twice through out the day, normal once in the morning then revisited again in the afternoon. The stages are run in the same direction with no changes to the route.
With four different groups, Rallye Sunseeker International, National, Challenge and the classic cars with the Rallye Sunseeker Historique. But James Ford and Neil Colman won the Sunseeker Challenge in their Mk2 Ford Escort beating much more modern cars like the Citroen C2R2 Max, showing that there is life in this classic old car.
The rally finishes at Bournmouth Pier for a Champagne finish for the winners of each group, with trophies made by Poole pottery presented by the Mayor of Bournmouth and the Pirelli girls of course. Then the madness of the Champagne starts with drivers, photographers and normally the crowds getting covered for good measure. For the Sunseeker Historique winners they have a much more orderly finish at Somerley House.
And that ends the first round of the British Rally Championship, the championship moves onto North Wales for the Bulldog Rally for round 2. See www.rallybrc.co.uk for full details.
The Rallye Sunseeker will return to Poole Quay and the forests of Dorset in 2013.
Report & Photography: Tim Surman
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Rallye Sunseeker International 2012
It was a very intense battle all day that was only really settled when Jarkko Nikara, retired on SS11 with an Engine fire that the victory went to Mark Donnelly / Dai Roberts in a Renault Clio R3 over Desi Henry / Niall Burns in a Citroen DS3 by almost 2 minutes. The battle between Donnelly and Nikara kept everyone entertained during the day and it was a superb battle that enthralled everyone. Equally impressive was the fact that Desi Henry then finished 0.2secs ahead of Elfyn Evans in a super finish in his Ford Fiesta. Mark Donnelly also went on to claim the Pirelli Star driver award at the finish ramp on the seafront finish ramp in Bournemouth.
1st 2 Mark Donnelly/Dai Roberts – Renault Clio R3 1:07:06.0
2 – 9 Desi Henry/Niall Burns – Citroen DS3 R3 1:08:55.5
3 – 4 Elfyn Evans/Andrew Edwards – Ford Fiesta R2 1:08:55.7
4 – 10 Osian Pryce/Iestyn Williams – Citroen DS3 R3T 1:09:28.4
5 – 7 Peter Taylor/Andrew Roughead 5 Renault Clio R3 1:09:29.1
Rallye Sunseeker National 2012
The Spectators on Rallye Sunseeker National 2012 were treated to a great days rallying in the National category on this years event. Last years winners Roger Duckworth / Mark Broomfield in their Subaru WRC headed home the Ford Focus WRC of Michael O’Brien Paul Spooner by just overt a minute. Michaels son Daniel O’Brien, also in a Ford Focus WRC with Paul Morris alongside made it a family affair by making the podium in 3rd spot 58.4secs ahead of local crew Anthony Wilmington / Andy White in their Mitsubishi EVO6. Stuart Larbey with son Simon co-driving the Childrens Trust MG Metro6R4 finished behind them in 5th place.
1st – 35 Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield – Subaru Impreza WRC 0:53:22.7
2 – 37 Michael O’Brien/Paul Spooner – Ford Focus WRC 0:54:35.4
3 – 38 Daniel O’Brien/Paul Morris – Ford Focus WRC 0:56:02.5
4 – 36 Anthony Willmington/Andy White – Mitsubishi EVO6 0:57:00.9
5 – 42 Stuart Larbey/Simon Larbey – MG Metro 6R4 1:01:16.2
Rallye Sunseeker Challenge 2012
After a day of battles in the forests of Bournemouth and Poole, it was James Ford / Neil Colman who ran out winners of the Rallye Sunseeker Challenge 2012, in their Ford Escort MkII. They led home the Citroen C2R2 Max of Richard Sykes / Simon Taylor by 53.1 secs. Making the final podium place was another Citroen C2R2 of Gareth White / Matt Dickson just over a minute behind.
1st – 79 James Ford/Neil Colman – Ford Escort Mk2 0:54:49.6
2 – 77 Richard Sykes/Simon Taylor – Citroen C2R2 Max 0:55:42.7
3 – 89 Gareth White/Mike Dickson – Citroen C2R2 Max 0:56:58.5
4 – 83 Mark McCulloch/Mike Curry – Proton Satria 0:58:27.4
5 – 91 James Watts/Steve Hartley – Volkswagen Polo 0:59:15.2
Rallye Sunseeker Historique 2012
After 8 Stages, and a finish at Somerley Park it was the Ford Escort MKII of James Potter / Nick Broome that finished in first place and came home ahead of the similar car of Robert Dennis / Bob Stokoe by just over two minutes. Southern Car Club member Matthew Fowle, with co-driver Elliott Edmondson in a Ford Escort Mexico finished in 3rd place, just under a minute ahead of Nick Danks / Martin Corbett again in a Ford Escort Mexico.
1st – 102 James Potter/Nick Broome – Ford Escort MK2 0:45:10.0
2 – 104 Robert Dennis/Bob Stokoe – Ford Escort 0:47:18.2
3 – 105 Matthew Fowle/Elliott Edmondson – Ford Escort Mexico 0:48:27.9
4 – 106 Nick Danks/Martin Corbett – Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico 0:49:23.8
5 – 109 Bob Gibbons/Stuart Cardell – Ford Cortina MK2 0:51:43.2
