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Click here for the overnight standings from Day One
Duncan matched and beat his 2004 result to become the first Weston Motor Club member to win a ‘significant rally’ in national terms for 20 years. In 2004, Duncan swapped his trusty Rover Vitesse for a nippy Metro 6R4 and came second overall. He competed in the same car again this year this time with co-driver Nick Reeves from Ilminster in the passenger seat. His ambition was to take poll position and by close of play on Saturday he was well ahead of the team and his two arch rivals Karl Broad and Peter Lloyd had already bowed out of the rally.
By lunch time on Sunday he was around 21 seconds faster than his nearest rival David Kynaston from Exeter. But David closed the gap somewhat and Duncan and Nick recorded a final overall time of 49 minutes 7 seconds and David and his co-driver Andy Russell a time of 49.11. Event organiser from Weston Motor Club, Rod McKenna told the audience at the prize-giving ceremony on the Sunday evening: “Duncan is the first Weston Motor Club member to win an A or B event in the country in the last 20 years and we’re very proud of what he has achieved. It has a tremendous positive impact on the Club.”
Two of the top seeds retired from this year’s event before it had even started and five cars had engine or mechanical problems or crashed during the first stage on the Saturday. The organisers attributed the numerous skids and sliding cars to the overcast weather, which had caused the tarmac to be slippery. Businessman Karl Broad and girlfriend co-driver Trasie Moore from Taunton were tipped as potential overall winners of this tarmac event. Karl and former co-driver Roger had won at Brean in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004. But this year a disappointed Karl and Trasie had engine problems and had to retire before the rally had even started. Meanwhile, top rally driver Peter Lloyd from Bridgend, who has 26 years experience rallying and more than 120 wins under his belt and came third at last year’s the event and second in 2003, had to retire due to illness.
The pair were second overall in the 2003 National Tarmac Championship and proved a hit with the crowds at the 2005 Regency Stages Rally. In third place overall was motor trader Steve Winter from Roadwater near Minehead, who was seeded fifth.
Steve has more than 25 years experience rallying and is a member of Minehead Motor Club. His co-driver for the event was Neil Dashfield, aged 24, from Burnham-on-Sea. In fourth place at the 2005 Regency Rally were Steve, aged 53, and Yvonne Furzeland, 48, from Plymouth, who are an award-winning husband and wife crew. The pair run Plymouth Agencies during the week but at weekends they are out rallying. Last year they came fourth in their Impreza and in 2003 third in a Metro 6R4. Ged Dempsey, Managing Director of The Regency Group, which sponsors the rally, said: “This year’s event went very well, the weather was with us and the crowd numbers were good. There were more than 2,000 spectators on Sunday alone. We are absolutely delighted that a Regency man (Duncan Holder, Fleet Manager at The Regency Group) has scooped first place at such a prestigious motor sport event and I heartily congratulate him and his co-driver.”
Class A First in class A – vehicles up to 1400cc – car number 37, seeded 37th, driver George Mullins from Street and co-driver Des Wood from Newark, Nottinghamshire in a Micra. Class B First in class B – vehicles 1401cc to 1600cc - car number 17, seeded 17th, driver Stuart Fossey and co-driver Theresa Fossey from Thatcham in Berkshire. Class C First in class C – vehicles 1601cc to 2000cc – car number 33, seeded 33rd, driver Dave Parnell and co-driver Peter Bold from Plymouth, Devon. Class D First in class D – vehicles over 2000cc – Car number 24, seeded number 24, Richard and Adele Candy from Manningtree near Colchester. Class E First in class E – all four wheel driver vehicles – car number 6, seeded 6th, (see previous listing, overall second place) David Kynaston and Andy Russell from Exeter, Devon. Best Performance in a Two Wheel Drive Car Dave Harris and Phil Melson car 10, seeded 10th. Dave from Worle with co-driver Phil - a driving instructor from Weston-super-Mare. Dave, 48, has been rallying for more than 25 years and Phil, 50, for just three months. They took part in a Ford Escort MkII also. First Lady Driver Award Tracey Knott, car 56, seeded 56th, from Congresbury had her brother Andrew as her co-driver and went head-to-head with her mum and dad and her other brother Richard in this year’s rally. First Lady Co-driver Jan Knott. Car 20, seeded 20th, motorsport instructor Colin Knott with his wife Cannington College lecturer Jan from Congresbury. Colin and Jan, in an Impreza, went head to head with both their two sons and their daughter. Motorsport instructor Richard Knott and his co-driver Simon Stuckey, seeded 9th, went out in the first stage after their wheel came off and Tracey Knott with co-driver and brother Andrew Knott were seeded 56th. Jan scooped this award last year also. First under 25 Alex Jones seeded 44th and in car 44 with co-driver Dave Pearce both from Burnham-on-Sea. Best Beginner Pantelis Christoforou and Nick Stagg from Weston-super-Mare car 48, seeded 48th. Best Weston-super-Mare Motor Club Member Seb Simeone from Cheddar and Tony Rendell from Burnham, car 18, seeded 18. Spirit
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Duncan
Holder from Mark, Somerset and Nick Reeves from Ilminster have won the
2005 Brean Regency Stages Rally in their Metro 6R4.
1 Duncan Holder from
Mark, Somerset and Nick Reeves from Ilminster 
Accepting
his trophy, Duncan explained: “The other competitors pushed us
hard and it was a very close thing. They kept us going until the end
and I have to thank them for that and thank everyone who has supported
us.”
In
overall second place was David Kynaston, an engineer from Exeter, who
has been rallying for more than 30 years and competed, along with his
co-driver fellow Exeter resident Andy Russell, a Managing Director,
in a Audi A3 (pictured)
The
45-year-old, who runs Brent Cars Ltd. at Brent Knoll in Somerset, was
competing in a Subaru Impreza (pictured), which was used by ralliers
Tommi Makinen and Petter Solberg in the 2002 World Rally Championship.