NEW husband and wife team Simon and Kathy Andrew from Bournemouth continued their marital celebrations when they drove to championship success in the Tempest Rally.

The pairing, in their Clatworthy and Bailey/Yokohama Tyres Nissan Micra, were in line to win the RallyingUK.com/ASWMC Loose Surface Stage Rally Championship which was reaching its conclusion after eight fiercely fought forest events.

Simon and Kathy had a few scares in their 1275cc Micra but got through to the finish third in class.

It was not enough for Simon to take the drivers title, which went to Stephen Richards (Devon) who led home the two-wheel drive entry in his Ford Escort, but it was enough for Kathy to scoop the co-driver's title.

At the sharp end of the event Burley's Peter Egerton lived up to his top three seeding by taking second overall in his Poole-prepared HPM Motorsport Hyundai Accent WRC.

The only man to go faster was three times event winner Will Nicholls (Isle of Wight) who dominated the Aldershot-based rally setting the quickest time on all 10 stages.

Egerton finished almost two minutes behind the Subaru Impreza of Nicholls but only 14 seconds ahead of third-placed Robert Swann in another Impreza.

The New Forest driver and his co-driver Andrew Bargery, who normally navigates for national champion Marcus Dodd, suffered an early scare when they clipped a tyre barrier on the first stage but escaped with just minor damage to the driver's door.

Finishing six places back were Dorchester's Anthony Willmington and Andrew White in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6.

Willmington took third in class on the event and seventh in the ASWMC championship having finished only two events - the first being Rallye Sunseeker.

Other Bournemouth and District Car Club crews suffered mixed fortunes.

In the four-wheel drive entry Alan Spratt and Jason Riggs, in a Mitsubishi Evo 6, took fourth in class and 19th overall in the ASWMC title race.

They were just ahead of the Subaru Impreza of Gary Hater and Richard Aitken while Dave Gamblin and Mike Stewart retired their Impreza.

Of the two-wheel drive participants Tim Sunderland and Andy Street brought their Ford Fiesta ST home eighth in class.

They were three places ahead of the Datsun Violet of Adrian Patten and Danny Morgan. The Toyota Corolla of Brad Axon and Barry Southam failed to finish.

NEIL'S NOT SO MERRY

POOLE'S Neil Merry had a torrid time in the two part Ginetta Winter series in his Speedworks entered G20.

At Silverstone Merry qualified eighth and was fourth in the opening race before being rammed off into the gravel trap at Brooklands.

In the next race Merry was up to second by lap three but then outbraked himself, again at Brooklands, and spun into the gravel. This time he was able to resume in last and recovered to finish 15th.

Moving onto Brands Hatch, Merry struggled in qualifying and managed 13th but was forced to retire after six laps in the first race with a fuel feed problem. Attempts to cure the problem required changing the fuel tank overnight before the final race, which saw heavy rain fail just before the start.

Merry gambled on dry tyres and struggled in the early laps but as the track cleared was able to make progress to 11th at the chequered flag.

ROOKIES CLAIM WIN

LOCAL rookie racers Paul Barnes, Jack Holmes, Matt Kelly and Bobby le Feaux emerged victorious in the four-a-side Team Banger Challenge at Ringwood Raceway.

Second place was taken by Team Kingwood with Team Carlsberg in third.

Newcomer Lee Young won the heats and final of the Thunder Rods in his Mercedes.