Crowds flock to action-packed first day of 2006 Brean Rally

January 28, 2006
Crowds flock to action-packed first day of 2006 Brean Rally

A rally team from Devon had a lucky escape when their Ford Escort spun off the road during an action-packed first day of the 2006 Regency Stages Rally at Brean on Saturday.

Steve Hollis and co-driver Sarah Carcillo from Silverton, Devon, were hurtling down the back-straight when the brakes on their Ford Escort Cosworth failed just before a sharp bend, leaving them to career into a ditch.

A course marshall told Burnham-On-Sea.com the pair were fortunate to escape with just a bruised ego and nothing more serious. “They went off the road at high speed, but just stepped out looking a little dazed,” he said.

Hundreds of rally enthusiasts from across the country gathered at Brean’s Leisure Park, for the rally, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.

The leader at the end of Saturday’s stages was Steve Winter and co-driver Neil Dashfield from Minehead, who are pictured in their Imprezza WRC. The duo had a six-second lead over Steve Furzeland and Yvonne Furzeland.

Last year’s winner, Duncan Holder, from Weston-super-Mare, was the favourite going into the event after winning the event in 2005 but he suffered an accident in the fourth stage and retired.

Andrew Whitehouse and co-driver Justin Pugh also had a poor day – crashing out during the morning stages, as pictured below.

The pair hit a patch of icy mud at high speed and spun off the road into a tree. Their car, a Vauxhall Chevette, was left badly damaged, but the two drivers were unhurt.

Sponsored by Regency Insurance Brokers and being organised by Weston Motor Club, the two-day rally features 12 special stages within the Leisure Park covering 50 miles. Over 80 competitors are taking part this year. The event is the opening round of three major championships – the Association South West, The Association Central Southern and the Cotsworld Motorsports Group.

.2006 Brean Rally Day One Standings:

The standings at the end of the first day on January 28th are as follows:

1st 5 Steve Winter & Neil Dashfield 24:34
2nd 4 Steve Furzeland & Yvonne Furzeland 24:40
3rd 25 Gareth Nuttall & Andrew Wilson 24:58
4th 26 Mike Threlfall & Rob Harrison 25:09
5th 7 David Jones & Paul Sanders 25:40
6th 22 Steve Snook & Steve Harkness 25:45
7th 17 Alan Cookson & Julian Wilkinson 25:49
8th 15 Jamie Vincent & Richard Walters 25:52
9th 9 Kerry Michael & Mark Phillips 25:55
10th 14 Colin Knott & Jan Knott 26:17

Burnham-On-Sea.com Photo Round-Up from Day One:

Burnham’s Dave Gilbert and co-driver Natalie Gilbert with their Escort

Burnham’s Mark Carrow and Luke Carrow with their Suzuki Swift

Stephen Leigh and Ian Crafer from Burnham next to their Escort

Jon Broughton and Rupert Barker in action in their Peugeot 205 GTi

Simon Brace and Sean Williams in action in their worse-for-wear Fiesta XR2

John Wood and Marie Wood ploughing through hay bales in the chicane

Darren Evans and Matt Carrow wheel spin in their Vauxhall Nova

RELATED LINKS:

2006 Brean Regency Stages Rally – Day Two Report

2006 Brean Regency Stages Rally Preview

2005 Brean Regency Stages Rally won by Duncan Holder

2005 Brean Regency Stages Rally – Day One Report

Photos of the 2005 Brean Regency Stages Rally [External site]