Rallying Stone gathers another win in Wales (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Rallying Stone gathers another win in Wales

12:00pm Thursday 12th July 2012 in Sport

BLACKBURN’S John Stone overhauled a 30-second first stage deficit to win the JRT Enville Stages Rally.

Stone was competing alongside co-driver Jack Morton in his Skoda Fabia WRC but his hopes of victory were dealt a real blow in the first of the 10 stages in Anglesey.

The duo were left beached on a tyre and were only just in the top 30 at the end of the opening stage – 30 seconds off the lead.

But Stone and Morton were fastest in the next stage and soon started to overhaul their rivals.

They moved ahead on the penultimate stage and increased their lead to 17 seconds at the end, with John Cope and Richard Winstanley in second place in a Subaru Impreza.

Clitheroe and District Motor Club duo Steve Quigley and Terry Martin were also on course for a strong finish but engine problems forced them to retire on stage five.

Quigley and Martin were fifth overall and first in the 2.0 litre class before the head gasket blew and it was decided not to risk damaging the engine any further.

Stone is expected to be back in action in Ireland this weekend in the latest round of the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship.

The ALMC Stages will take place in Dublin on Sunday and Stone is scheduled to take part after missing the event last year because of car issues.

Stone will team up with co-driver Rob Fagg for the rally, while Withnell’s Paula Swinscoe is due to navigate for Matt Beebe.

Swinscoe and Beebe secured a top 10 finish in their MG ZR at the Jim Clark National Rally earlier in the year and lead their class this season, but a broken driveshaft left them empty handed at the Rally of the Midlands last month.

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