ROUTE THROUGH WELSH HILLS AND FORESTS
By Ross Giles
"Tough-but a tremendous day's rallying. We hope you will do the same again." That was the winner's end of the day message to Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Car Club, organizers of the 1967 Express and Star national car rally, on Saturday, in the forests of Mid and North Wales.
It was no surprise that as speaking as winner was Tony Chappell from Bridgend who, with navigator Hywel Thomas, had taken their Lotus Cortina to victory with the loss of 744 points, each point representing a second in time over target times for various stages set by clerk of the course, and experienced rally navigator Richard Harper.
Starting from Dolgellau in the morning competitors motored for about 300 miles-through mid and north Wales but all the minutely timed dicing was over 125 miles of Forestry Commission and other private roads where speed limits did not apply.
ORDER AS BEFORE
There was always a serious challenge to Chappell by the cars ands their crews eventually placed second and third: Roy Fidler and Alan Taylor (Triumph 2000) from Stockport, and Wolverhampton's John Bloxham and Martin Holmes (Cooper S).
After the first group of stages the situation as Chappell, Fidler, Bloxham. After the second group of stages the order (for those stages) was Bloxham, Chappell and Fidler, but at the end of the final group of stages the order for both the group and the rally was as before.
Chappell and Fidler had a comparatively event-free rally but John Bloxham punctured on a stage where every second counted.
RESULTS
General Classification: 1, T. Chappell and H Thomas, (Lotus Cortina) 774; 2, R. Fidler and A. Taylor (Triumph 2000) 883; 3, J. Bloxham and M. Holmes (Cooper S) 972; 4, C. Offley and R Lyall (Cooper S) 1,344; 5. C. Malkin and T. Sharman (Imp Californian) 1,532; 6. R. Bean and C. Nash (Cortina GT) 1,548; 7. M. Butler and G. Phillips (Lotus Cortina) 1,559; 8. A. King and D. Hayward (Cortina GT) 1,578; 9, R. Hill and D. Stephenson (Cortina GT) 1,651; 10, C. Grewer and J. Honeywell (Cortina GT) 1,674; 11, R. Shiner and R. Davis (Lotus Cortina) 1,676; 12, D. Cardell and G. Jones (Cooper S) 1,722; 13, P. Appleby and D. Shields (Cooper S) 1,828; 14, B. Smith and N. Nelder (Cooper S) 1,833; 15, D. and R. Lawrence (Cooper S) 1,873.
Non experts: 1. King and Hayward; 2, Lawrence and Lawrence; 3. R. Young, (Cortina GT) 2,074; 4, R. Pursglove and J. Taylor (Cooper S) 2,138; 5, B. Bayliss and J. Litherland (Lotus Cortina) 2,174.
Class awards: Up to 900 c.c.: 1. H. Skelton and M. Lindsay-Jones (Imp sport); 2, P. Clowes (Mini). 901 to 1.300 c.c.: 1, Bloxham and Holmes; 2, Offley and Lyall. 1,301 to 1,600 c.c.: 1, Chappel and Thomas; 2, Butler and Phillips. Over 1600 c.c.: 1, Fidler and Taylor; 2, J. Adams and G. Palmer (Triumph 2000) Group V (any capacity): 1, Malkin and Sharman; 2, Bean and Nash.
Best Wolverhampton and South Staffs member: B. Bayliss and J. Litherland Best BTRDA members: Fidler and Taylor. Best mixed crew: Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Slemssen (998 Cooper).
Marque awards: Ford, Chappell; Standard-Triumph, Fidler: Nuffield, Bloxham; European, Gibson and Flight-Lieutenant J. Jones (Saab V4).