PAUL Bird made it three wins in as many years on last weekend’s Legend Fires North West Stages Rally, taking the victory by over two minutes.

With cool but dry conditions for the opening loop on Friday night, Bird made a wrong tyre choice and had to give second best to the Subaru of Simon Bowen on the opening couple of stages around Weeton Camp.

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But he hit the front on the opening run down Blackpool promenade where he was to remain for the remainder of the event.

Along with co-driver Andrew Roughead, the Ford Focus WRC07 pair held a slender nine second advantage overnight but following the opening loop on Saturday morning, the advantage was immediately increased to 35 seconds.

However, a poor run through the couple of Docks tests, one of which saw him gain a stage maximum, saw the lead slashed to just six seconds but with five fastest times in the next seven stages, the former ANCRO National Champion had his lead up to more than a minute going into the final loop of stages.

From there, the British Superbike team boss continued to build his lead, winning all six of the final stages to arrive back at the finish ramp two minutes and 16 seconds ahead of runner-up Tony Bardy in his Nissan.

“That was hard work but to come away with a third win on the trot is fantastic and I’m pleased with how I drove,” said Cumbrian-based Bird.

But Blackburn businessman John Stone, sponsor of the Blackpool-based event through his Legend Fires business, had a fraught weekend in his Skoda Fabia WRC.

Stone and co-driver Carl Williamson had a coming together with Bowen at Weeton and it all went wrong again at the army camp.

Approaching the end of the stage, flames appeared under the steering column, forcing Stone to make a hasty exit at the finish.

Stone said: “We really struggled on the event, having numerous hairpin problems and colliding with another car, but on the positive side, we tweaked something on the suspension for, what was to be our last run around Weeton,

“We have found a really good setting. Our time was nine seconds up on Paul Bird, which was pleasing given that we had to contend with hot legs towards the end.”

But there was success for many East Lancashire crews in their local event.

Clitheroe DMC’s Terry Martin, on the maps for Tim Finch, looked set for a top 10 finish until a calliper bolt sheared on their Subaru Impreza.

“We had to use a cable tie to hold it in place, but it meant we couldn’t use the brakes, as the heat would melt the cable tie,” said Martin.

“We had no brakes for the four Fleetwood stages, but sorted the problem at the first service, it probably cost us a top 10 finish.”

The pair hope to be back out at Weeton next month for the SMC Stages, where they will run at car one after winning last year’s event.

SD34 stage champions Anthony Dixon and Ryan Moyler finished 38th overall in their Vauxhall Astra, while veteran rallyman Steve Johnson, from Accrington, and Steve Butler won their class on their way to 44th place in their Nissan Micra.