Mellors Gives New Proton First Overall Win

Mellors/Windress demonstrate the pace of the Iriz as Grizedale marks 30th year ellors/Windress demonstrate the pace of the Iriz as Grizedalemarks 30th year

- Phil James

In the 30th running of the Grizedale Stages Rally, Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress steered their Proton Iriz R5 to victory with a 22-second winning margin over the Ford Fiesta WRC of Irish duo Josh Moffett and Stephen Thornton.

From the ceremonial start at the Lakeland Motor Museum, competitors had only a two-mile drive to the never-rallied-before Chapel House Wood stage that ran twice in quick succession. Having set joint-fastest time through the opening run it was Moffett who then took sole rights to top spot, heading Mellors by a solitary second.

Paul Bird and Jack Morton were a further second back in their Ford Focus WRC, three seconds up on the similar car of Peter Stephenson and Patrick Walsh. Russ Thompson and Andy Murphy completed the top five in their Mitsubishi Lancer E9. Already in trouble were Tom Preston and Carl Williamson having taken their Skoda Fabia R5 into the scenery.