BURY’S John Cope (Subaru WRC) scored a first win on Manx soil after a decade of trying, prevailing with local co-driver Rob Fagg after a thrilling battle from start to finish on the weekend’s two-day Chris Kelly Memorial Rally.
At Saturday afternoon’s finish the top four were separated by just nine seconds.
Steve Colley/Graham Fargher (Evo 8) and Sean Kelly/Emma Kennaugh (Evo 7) each had turns at leading on Friday night, Colley just one second up after the six tests in the south of the island.
Cope was fourth behind Dave Pattison/Andy Marchbank (Evo 6) starting Saturday, 42 seconds down, but scythed into the deficit in the Curraghs as Pattison took the lead through Druidale and Staarvey.
Cope’s charge continued but it wasn’t until the penultimate test that the Subaru got to the front as Pattison suffered a puncture on Staarvey (SS12).
Colley blazed through the final Druidale stage, fastest by an amazing 14 seconds to snatch second place from Pattison, cruelly denying Kelly a top-three finish.
Results (top 10)
1, J. Cope/R. Fagg (Subaru Impreza WRC 99) 1 hour 32 minutes 17 seconds; 2, Steve Colley/Graham Fargher (Mitsubishi Evo 8) 1:32.19; 3, Dave Pattison/Andy Marchbank (Mitsubishi Evo 6) 1:32.21; 4, Sean Kelly/Emma Kennaugh (Mitsubishi Evo 7) 1:32.26; 5, Kevin Davies/Dale Furmiss (Ford Escort) 1:35.24; 6, Connor Corkill/Mark Perryman (Ford Escort RS2000) 1:35.29; 7, Stuart Egglestone/Helen Hall (Vauxhall Astra) 1:36.48; 8, Kex Walker/Danni Matthews (BMW 325 ) 1:38.08; 9, Andy Bird/Richard Pulleyn (Vauxhall Chevette) 1:38.39; 10, Rob Ellison/Leigh Jones (Mitsubishi Evo 7) 1:39.16
l Fuller report and pictures in Friday’s Manx Independent.