27 year old Manx co-driver
Rob Fagg took the top step of the podium on the fourth
round of the A.V. Craine Manx Stage Rally Championship,
the Black Horse Finance Stages, and in doing so looks to
have claimed his second Manx title. The Isle of Man
Steam Packet Scholarship recipient was competing
alongside leading local tarmac driver Rob Watson in the
immaculately prepared Watson Motorsport Vauxhall Nova
Kit Car.
The Isle of Man was hit by heavy rain in the evening
prior to the event and this had left the closed road
stages in a tricky slippery condition and the Friday
night stages could have proved the deciding factor, but
this was not to be.
With the
conditions in mind and not competing since back in May,
Watson took a cautions approach to the opening stage in
the mixed road conditions. Despite this he would post
joint second fastest time, 2 seconds back from the
Vauxhall Corsa Kit Car of Nigel Cannell.
The next stage though saw Cannell hit trouble with
alternator problems and drop time and to fourth place
leaving a three way tie for first between the Rob’s,
George Collister in his Mitsubishi Evo 3 and Steve Quine
in another Vauxhall, this time an Astra.
Over the third
test of the evening through the tricky Baldwin stage,
Watson and Quine moved clear of Collister by seven
seconds but still remain tied for the lead as they
returned to the first service hault.
The second loop
over the same stages still didn't resolve matters, with
the pair still locked together, seven seconds to the
good.
Over the final
loop of stages Collister was to launch an attack, taking
fastest time on each of the three stages and the lead on
the very last stage. This was to leave the Rob’s lying
in second place, just 1 second behind Collister is his
Mitsubishi. Cannell was in third just 7 seconds back
from Watson and Isle of Man Sports Aid Foundation
supported Fagg, with Quine in fourth a further 4 seconds
back from Cannell.
As the crews
arrived for the second leg, there was a promising battle
ahead over the days 8 stages, but this what not to be
the case as two of the leading four crews crashed out
less than half a mile into the days opening test.
Collister was first on the road and was
caught out by the treacherous conditions after heavy
overnight rain. He aquaplaned on very wet roads,
crashing the car and ripping a wheel off.
Watson and Fagg
got through but Cannell arrived at the same corner and
was caught out in an even bigger way, rolling the Corsa
out of the rally.
It promoted the
Rob’s to a lead of 34 seconds over Quine, with Paul
Curphey’s Mitsubishi Evo 8 promoted to third, although
this was short lived when on the very next stage he was
to retire after breaking the radiator.
Among all the
mayhem Watson and Fagg set fastest time on all eight of
the day’s tests to arrive back at the St Johns finish
one minute and 48 seconds to the good over Quine, with
Mark Cubbon bringing his Evo 7 home in third.
The result
should see Rob claim his second Manx Stage Rally title,
adding to the one he won back in 2003, and he was
obviously happy at the finish in St Johns .
“It has been a
tricky event and after the battle on Friday with George,
Smiler and Nige it was never going to be easy” commented
Rob. “It was a great shame to see George at the side of
the road so early and then to hear Nige was gone too,
both Rob and I were looking forward to a fight today.
Despite this we continued to keep the pressure on
ourselves and drive to the notes as sometimes it is
harder to drive at a relaxed pace. The result
unofficially means I have won the Manx Championship for
a second time and I am delighted to win it again adding
to the Irish Tarmac A6 title I have won this year.
Rob (Fagg) now has a few
weeks to rest before he heads of the China for the final
round of the Chinese Rally Championship where he will
team up with fellow Manxman and former British and World
Production Champion Martin Rowe. The pairing will again
drive for the KST Ralliart Mitsubishi Team and fight for
outright honours in the Team Championship.
But that’s not it for Rob, he will travel back to
Shanghai airport immediately after the event, a 6 hour
drive, to fly back to the UK to contest Wales Rally GB.
The event is the final round of the World Rally
Championship and incorporating the final round of the
British series. Rob will be back alongside young hotshot
James Wozencroft in the Suzuki GB backed Dealer Team
Suzuki Ignis Super 1600 to battle for the S1600 and
Teams Championship.
