LUDLOW Castle Motor Club duo Andrew Sankey and Simon Rogers finished 12th overall at the Somerset Stages.

They teamed up in the Mitsubishi Evo 6 and were able to consolidate their championship aspirations in the round of the British Trial and Rally Drivers Association Forest Stage Championship..

A broken power steering drive belt caused by a loose pulley almost ended their event before the start ramp, fortunately their service crew were able to make repairs.

Rogers and Sankey went on to achieve their highest finish of the year and were third in class

Jon Ballinger and Mike Wilding are riding high after a number of class wins on previous rounds, once again they managed to bring Jon’s Opel Manta home in front of their rivals to take the honours.

Ballinger and Wilding have moved into the lead of both the two wheel drive category of the championship and their class.

Gary Smith made a welcome return to the forests in his newly acquired Ford Escort MKI RS 1600.

After a seven-year absence, Smith and co-driver Andy Wynn played themselves in gently and were pleased to finish 37th overall and fourth in class in the DMS Plastics-sponsored car.

Wilding and Sankey are first and second respectively in the senior co-drivers’ category.

Meanwhile, Jim Jones and Sankey were the leading Ludlow Castle Motor Club crew at the Get it Sideways Rally at Down Ampney in the Cotwolds.

Despite a slight accident on the first stage, Jones battled with 20-year-old tyres to finish an impressive 11thoverall in the event.

The pair had been seeded at number 24 in the Overton Service Station Skoda.

Eric Weaver and James Bailey, who were the highest seeded Ludlow Castle Motor Club crew, had a disappointing day, finishing 59th overall.

Another Ludlow crew, John Howells and Tony Bounds, were 31st overall in their Howells Ford Escort MKII.

Ludlow Castle Motor Club’s members are spread throughout South Shropshire, north Herefordshire and the Welsh Borders.

The club meets at 8pm on the second Wednesday of each month at Ludlow Brewery.

For more details, call Phil Clarke on 07973 957760.