Tinn On Top As West Leads MN Series

Cadwell win for Tinn, West faces a fight for MN glory.

- Peter Scherer

David and Alice Tinn had elected to start the Cadwell Park Stages Rally on a set of old tyres, a decision which was soon rectified as they struggled for pace in their Proton Satria S2500 Millington.

With new tyres all-round, their fightback began, taking the lead with one stage to go and sealing victory by only two seconds over Chris West/ Keith Hounslow’s Peugeot 306 Maxi.

It was Peter Stephenson/Patrick Walsh who set the early pace, one second up on Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship leader West on the opener, before doubling the lead on stage two.

“We put new front tyres on for stage two, having started on wets, but had a big lock-up on the first lap when they were cold,” said West.

Tinn had shared third-best time on stage one with Joshua and Tamsyn Davey’s Darrian T90 but, although he consolidated third place on stage two, there was a dramatic conclusion for Davey. “We had gone through the finish and hit a fence, but a post pierced the screen and landed on my hand on the steering wheel,” he explained.

Tinn had also fallen behind defending MN champion and winner of this event in 2016, Ian Woodhouse, but a change of compound, and a new tyre rather than an old set, would benefit Tinn in the long run.