Alastair Fisher scores a tremendous third overall in the Isle of Man

Alistair%20Fisher%20Pirelli%20Star%20Driver%20Rally%20Isle%20of%20Man Alastair Fisher scores a tremendous third overall in the Isle of Man

Photo: Roy Dempster (www.roydempster.com)

For Immediate Release
July 11, 2009

Fabulous Fisher ‘Stars’ in Isle of Man classic

MSA British Rally Elite driver Alastair Fisher picked up the Pirelli UK Star Driver nomination for Rally Isle of Man by finishing a fantastic third overall and collecting his first ever international rally podium today. Rally Isle of Man, fourth round of the MSA British Rally Championship, provided a tough test for all competitors and, as normal, attrition rates were extremely high.

Fisher and Pirelli Star Driver Adam Gould were the pick of the Elite crop and they were locked in an enthralling battle for most of the event. Just one second separated the pair after day 1’s 113 miles of action and both set consistent top three times; with Fisher setting two second fastest times and Gould notching up three. Unfortunately Gould, and Elite co-driver Seb Marshall’s, challenge came to an end on stage 17 after they clipped a bank and rolled their Subaru, leaving Fisher to cruise to third overall, his best BRC result and his first ever podium.

Another battle ensued between Citroen C2 drivers Jason Pritchard and Martin McCormack as they dominated the C2R2 Cup and were easily the fastest two-wheel-drive runners in the event. Both set top-five fastest stage times during the weekend and were ahead of other more powerful machinery. But McCormack’s tarmac experience shone through and he clinched the honours in the Citroen Cup and the R2 class ahead of Pritchard and finished an impressive seventh overall. He leads the Cup, is top BRC Junior, heads the R2 class and is now the top two-wheel-drive competitor in the British Rally Championship in sixth place overall.

Elite co-driver Gareth Roberts continued his run of victories with another overall win in the Fiesta SportTrophy section with his driver Craig Breen. They dominated the category and now move into the overall championship lead with just two rounds to go. Elite driver Kris Hall picked up fourth in the FST category but, after rolling his car on the opening stage of the event, he set some fastest times to claim third spot in the BRC R3 class.

Academy drivers Euan Thorburn and Dave Weston Jnr put in solid performances during the event and finished in fifth and sixth places respectively – coping well and learning a lot about the tricky Manx conditions. Those points now elevate Weston to fourth in the overall championship.

With 180 miles of the toughest Tarmac stages in the UK to contend with, the scheme members relied upon their enhanced pre-event preparation to get them through the event. Accurate pacenotes are vital for the unforgiving, high-speed stages and with long, high mileage days, their physical fitness and hydration really came into play.

ENDS

Source: theinsideline.co.uk