STEVE Davies and Lucy Wilding defied a lowly seeding and mechanical problems on their first outing together at the Carfax Stages near Evesham.

Despite being ranked 70th in a field of 75 cars, having to replace the alternator before the start and suffering a fuel leak, the duo managed to finish 55th overall in their Renault Clio 172 after a series of penalties.

Had it not been for their problems in a vehicle that had not raced since 2014, they could have finished far higher, having consistently set top-20 stage times at the event organised by Oxford Motor Club and held at Throckmorton Airfield.

The duo passed scrutiny but with their car struggling, opted to change the alternator prior to the first of the three loop stages.

It proved to be a savvy move as they sailed up to 27th having caught and passed a handful of cars during each stage.

During servicing, the fuel leak then came to light and with the pressure on the crew was unable to find a solution in the allotted time, resulting in two missed stages.

The hefty penalty of 120 minutes ultimately proved their undoing in what had been a performance packed with promise until that point.

Undeterred, Davies and Wilding opted to continue and with the problem eventually repaired courtesy of a generous rival competitor, who donated a pipe union, they completed the remaining stages with no further issues to set top-20 stage times.

The pair will be out again in November when they will tackle the Builth Showground Stages where they will be hopeful of a better seeding.

The next meeting of Ludlow Castle Motor Club will be held on Wednesday, September 14 at the Ludlow Brewing Company (8pm). All are welcome.