Allingham dusts off on Severn Valley

Date published: 06 June 2010

National Rally Championship front runners Alex Allingham and co-driver Mark Glennerster secured an excellent sixth overall and first Group N on the Severn Valley National Rally.

Alex from Stalybridge started the rally from the Royal Welsh Showground on a sunny Saturday morning. The warm and dry weather was to play a major part in the days event.

Team Allingham headed into the forest stages expecting a tough day ahead for the Hankook Tyres shod Subaru Impreza. Entering the first forest stage gave all the crews a rude awakening with hanging dust in the trees.

The 12 miles of Crychan where completed amongst walls of hanging dust, as Alex approached fast corners and long straights he had to put all his faith into the pace notes of Mark and commit to fast bends at over 70 mph with zero visibility.

After the second stage the pair were in seventh overall, with the rugged and dry surface causing tyre wear for all the crews.

After the first service the crews headed for the 15 miles of classic RAC Rally stage in Radnor Forest. Alex and Mark relished the challenge of this classic stage and duly set the fastest Group N time and moved them in to sixth overall, a position they would hold onto all day having set top seven times from start to finish beating many more powerful WRC machines.

At the finish the pair were delighted with sixth overall and first in Group N.

A maximum points haul in the MSA Gravel championship for Group N and maximum points in the MSA Hankook Welsh National Rally championship.

Alex commented: "It's been a hard day at the office; it was so hot we drank about three litres of water each today.

"I would like to thank Hankook for providing the tyres to cope with the extremely challenging conditions."

Alex would also like to thank: "Richard Williams and Richard Allingham his service team and his valued sponsors, mccrash.co.uk, Grade A Subaru, Richard Allingham Cars, Adgespeed, Workwear4you, Broken Pencil.co.uk, and Racebits.co.uk."