TWO raw eggs helped Steve Davies and Lucy Wilding to shrug off mechanical issues and defy their initial ranking at the Red Dragon IT Stages.

The Ludlow Castle Motor Club duo travelled to Down Ampney, Gloucestershire 30th on the list in their Renault Clio but improving times and some improvisation saw them end the rally 15th and fifth in class.

They survived a tricky opening stage which saw many competitors crash amid thunderstorms, although the pair did drop to 32nd overall in conditions Wilding compared with driving on an ice rink.

By stage two, the sun appeared and Davies and Wilding managed to improve their time by a minute and 19 seconds in spite of the engine overheating.

The problem was traced back to a leaking radiator which was fixed with a combination of Radweld, a commonly-used product that plugs small gaps, alongside the two eggs.

It did the trick with the Clio running faultlessly throughout the rest of the 10 stages to a strong finish that should see the pair receive a more favourable seed for their next rally, the Bawdy Stages next month.

Stage three spelled the end for the other Ludlow Castle members competing, Tenbury’s Lee Halfpenny and Hereford’s Jack Bowen in Lee’s Ford Escort Mk II.

The first-time pairing began as 21st seeds and climbed into the top 15 by the end of that troublesome opening stage.

The drying weather affected them in stage two, sliding off on a fast left-hand bend which resulted in the loss of some 30 seconds but they continued with no major damage.

That was until the next stage when a separate engine problem scuppered their quest.

Meanwhile, the club’s next monthly meeting takes place on Wednesday, June 14 at Ludlow Brewery (8pm).