FROM SHREWSBURY PORTMADOC
W’ton win in E & S rally

In a really tough and exciting Castrol-Express and Star rally the Wolverhampton crew of John Bloxham and Richard Harper scored their sixth win in-this year's championship and now need to win only two of the remaining six events to be sure of being the 1969 champions.

In their twin cam Escort, Bloxham and Harper were never headed throughout the 200 mile route which started at Shrewsbury and finished at Portmadoc in North Wales.

From the start the 110 crews went straight to the special stage at Montford Bridge where each ear did five laps of the disused airfield circuit and with a bogey time of ten minutes Bloxham and Harper were easily the quickest.

Throughout the night, during which rain and fog hampered the entire field. Bloxham and Harper put up the fastest time on all but one of the eight selective stages which scattered throughout the mountainous Central Wales area. During the whole event they lost only 31 minute 28 seconds to win the " Express and Star” trophy and £50.

In second place were the London brothers Rod and Ian Cooper in another Escort twin cam, who lost 38 minutes 23 seconds, while another London crew Jim Russell and Peter Valentine (Porche 911 S) were third, losing 44 minutes 26 seconds.

Frank Pierson and Martin Holmes, from Whitchurch, occupied fourth place 46 minutes 31seconds, and together with Russell and Valentine (Cooper S) from Kidderminster , they won the coveted team award.

NON-EXPERTS

In the non-expert the Kings Norton team of P.J. Maxwell and A. Pudsey (Cortina GT) were winners with a loss of 73 minutes 29 seconds. Second were another Midland crew A.W. 'I'urley and R.B. Eaton (Sprite) from Pershore and third were P. Russell and J. Hobcraft (Cooper S) from Wanstead.

The award for the best woman competitor went to Mrs. Jenny Nadin, B. Lyle (Imp). The best Wolverhampton members award went to G. Woodhouse and M. Parker (Renault Gordini), Bromsgrove.