Cruttenden Races in Scotland

Photo: www.mccrash.co.uk

Subaru Impreza rally car that was co-driven by Newhey's Joe Cruttenden at the weekend

Last weekend saw Newhey rally co-driver, Joe Cruttenden, compete in the Brick and Steel Border Counties rally, sat with Rally First 1 Litre champion Lewis Roper, in their MDS Towbars\Derby Cottage Clinic supported Subaru Impreza. The event which started alongside the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey used the forests of Kielder, some of the longest stages and toughest stages in British rallying.

The pair didn’t have the best of starts, Having not been in the car before, they intended to do a shake down in the car Friday night, but as the car did not arrive in Jedburgh until Saturday morning, the only chance they had to get used to the car was the road section to the start of the first stage.

"We never planned to launch any major attack from the start", commented Cruttenden. "It was a new car to us and Lewis’s first time with four wheel drive, so the first few stages were very much a learning curve".

"The first couple stages were a ‘car park’", said Cruttenden. "So many cars off, and we could see why, the surface was very slippery following the recent snow up there and the additional rain that morning. We were lucky not to have joined, them, as we struggled for grip most of the time."

New tyres on the final stage saw the pair have their best stage, finishing the event as they planned, crossing the finish, in one piece and not last!

"Thanks must go to our sponsors MDS Towbars , Derby Cottage Clinic and Mccrash photography", said Joe. "We would also like to thank TFrallying and Highland Cars for repairing the car."

The pairs next event will be again in Scotland on the Jim Clark Rally in May. But Joe will be out again in late April, in the next road of the BTRDA championship, on the Somerset Rally.