| Kershaw opens 2003 account | 2003 Event Reports
Richard Kershaw opens the 2003 championship by showing the same form that he displayed in 2002. Andrew West took modified production honours despite a roll in his Discovery. DriffieldKershaw wins again, but is chased hard by an on-form Tim Dilworth. Colin Read astounds onlookers with an incredible 8th overall for the Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin. KinrossRichard Kershaw takes his third outright win of the season, but is assisted by Dilworth striking electrical problems. Finally Tim Dilworth's day, having wowed the Hillrally world with his back-to-back victories Tim takes his first "British" victory. Andrew West pushed his Discovery into an amazing fifth overall. EllesmereKershaw wins his forth championship event this year to win a dominant second Goodyear MSA British Off Road title. A well deserved winner after another thoughtful drive. |
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 Reigning
British Off Road Champion, Richard Kershaw started the 2003 season in
much the same way as he finished 2002, with a win. Richard ended the
day over two minutes ahead of nearest rival Tim Dilworth in a
Simmbugghini, following eighty stage miles in the awesome Radnor
Forest complex. Although Richard had led for most of the two-day
event, the result was far from a foregone conclusion only a lap from
the end.
Gordon Monaghan (Monaghan BMW) took a steady approach to the new
season by gently playing himself in on day one. Day two, however, saw
Gordon lift his pace by setting a series of fastest times on his way
to closing the gap to leading man Kershaw to just three seconds three
laps from the end. The following lap Gordon took the lead, helped in
part by Kershaw picking up a puncture. Gordon's charge was brought to
an unceremonious halt on the penultimate lap when not one but two
driveshafts failed on the BMW M3 powered machine. Stuck on the course
with no drive, Monaghan was forced to take a maximum time, but was
able to start the final lap and finished a fine, if a little
disappointed fifth. On Gordon's demise Alec Lofthouse was promoted to second, showing fine form, but Tim Dilworth set a handful of blinding times to overhaul Alec for second. The battle for the production categories was spectacular with virtually all the competitors having some kind of incident over the weekend. First to fall was Paul Clackett who rolled his mod-prod Range Rover into the trees on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday main rivals Tony and Chris Walmsley suffered a high speed roll and Andrew West was left kicking himself after rolling his Discovery despite having already decided to back off to conserve his substantial class lead.
Of all the production runners only Glen McKeith returned entirely unscathed with his brand new Land Rover Defender 90 TD5 - taking the over 2000cc class. To download full results service - 1.35MB click here
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Top ten results
Classes 1. (1A) Nik Ward Suzuki Vitara 02h34m52s 1. (1B) Glen McKeith Land Rover Defender 02h29m04s 1. (2D) Andrew West Land Rover Discovery 02h26m12s 1. (3E) Gordon Monaghan Monaghan BMW 01h53m14s 1. (3G) Matt Harrison Milner R4 Protruck 02h03m34s 1. (3H) Neil Davey Maxilight 01h51m18s
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In
standard production, the normally reliable Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin of
Colin Read was forced out with engine management problems whilst Nik
Ward ran well until another high speed inversion, just two laps from
the end meant that he had to limp to the finish and a class win.