Crooks tops FUCHS LUBRICANTS RACRMC Historic Asphalt Championship
Simon and Alister Crook topped the 2018 Fuchs Lubricants RACRMC Historic Asphalt Rally Championship contenders on the opening round Sunday (22 April), Rallye Salamandre in Belgium.
After a tremendous day’s sport in typical English spring weather of morning showers and bright sunshine, the top three RACRMC crews were covered by just under a minute after a first class event on closed public roads around the town of Beaumont in the south of Belgium. Tim Freeman/David P Williams and Seb Perez/Gary McElhinney kept the pressure on the Crooks right to the end of the rally.
The Fuchs Lubricants RACRMC Historic Asphalt Rally Championship is organised by the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club and is a dedicated asphalt championship for all categories of historic stage rally cars. The Salamandre event marked the championship’s annual foray to Belgium and the event drew widespread acclaim from the UK crews.
Maximum points for the Crooks for the second year running in the Rally & Competition Equipment Category 3 showed how much this event the Crooks enjoy. After pre event problems with the Ford Sierra Tim Freeman/David P Williams came to Belgium in the Ford Escort which was already set up for next weekend’s Pirelli International Rally which is the second round of the Fuchs Lubricants MSA British Historic Rally Championship, and had a good run into second spot. After arriving just before the end of Scrutineering Seb Perez/Gary McElhinney had a great run in the D3 Pinto to third spot.
Simon Tysoe/Craig Dolman gave Perez a run all day after having early problems and a full gearbox change at second service but just fell short by 15 seconds, and took honours in Skipton Ford Category 2 from new Farther and son partnership of Steve & Benjamin Smith but with Steve reading the notes came home in a respectable sixth place after some early problems with Lyndon Barton/Simon Hunter who finished seventh Championship contender.
Chris White/Chris Dewsnap took the honourers in the FIA Category after a clean run on the event.
More details on Rallye Salamandre are available at www.salamandre-rally.be
