BLACKBURN'S Terry Martin had to put in a class-winning performance to uphold local honours after no fewer than four East Lancashire crews failed to finish Sunday’s Legend Fires SMC Stages.

Martin, who was co-driving Simon Chapman in a Vauxhall Corsa S1600, not only finished first in Class B but ended the day as top two-wheel-drive car after finishing sixth overall.

A last-stage puncture robbed the Clitheroe and District Motor Club pairing of a top five finish, which they missed out on only by virtue of the ‘fastest first’ tie-break rule. They finished on identical times with the Ford Escort Cosworth of Keith and Jackie Richardson but the Cumbrian couple claimed fifth place having been quickest on stage one.

The first of the East Lancashire crews to be forced into retirement were Chris and Heidi Woodcock when a stub axle broke on their Proton Satria on the opening stage.

Next to go out were Nigel Worswick and Clive Molyneux when their Ford Escort Mk2 developed engine problems – and they were soon to be followed by the Peugeot 206 of Ross Miller and Paul Blanchard. In a bid to keep them in the rally their service crew had undertaken a temporary manifold repair but unfortunately it failed and a small engine fire developed which damaged the wiring loom.

Accrington teenager Hazel Johnson was contesting only her second rally in a Nissan Micra with the more experienced Steven Butler in the co-driver’s seat. They were lying fourth in the hotly contested Class A when driveshaft failure forced their retirement.

Two Darwen based co-drivers, Jason McTear and Chris Reynolds, were also on the retirement list but Oswaldtwistle exile Phil Peak had a top 10 finish alongside Derek Blyth in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6.

An astonishing 22 of the 48 cars that started failed to finish as Mark Holmes repeated his 2010 success on this event with another win in his MG Metro 6R4.

It was a day to remember for Holmes’ co-driver, 17 year-old Craig Simkiss, who was competing in only his second event. Keith Taylor and Paul Hughes finished runners-up in their Subaru Impreza with the top three completed by the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 of Mark Borthwick and Ian Wozencroft.