Kick Energy driver Steve Perez had claimed his second succesive win on the Malcolm Wilson Rally in an 'unexpected' fashion. The Spanish born driver claimed the victory by a comfortable margin of 17 seconds.
On the extremely icy Comb stage, the second stage of the Cockermouth based event, Perez sild wide & off the road at a very icy bend. When the former British National Champion went off, he knew that there was a hard, committed drive needed to claim his second win.
Steve dualy delivered the committed drive needed to win the event. Perez fought up to 3rd by the final loop of stages, in the infamous Grizedale forest close to Coniston. The Grizedale Forest stages appeared to be a jinx for rally leader Paul Bird. Bird was forced out of the rally with a puncture on the penultimate stage. Perez hammered home three stage wins out of four final stages to take the win by some 17 seconds.
Perez paid tribute to the towns people at the Cockermouth High Street finish ramp, whose homes & businesses, less than 4 months ago, where under eight foot of water.
Steve commented at the finish ramp “This has got to be my most unexpected victory ever as after losing a minute this morning; I thought I had no chance of winning. But it just goes to show if you keep fighting, anything can happen and I’m delighted to retain my title. If anything, it’s even more special as everyone knows what the people of Cockermouth have been through just before Christmas so to have an event like the Malcolm Wilson Rally here, and to have the honour of winning it, really means a lot and I hope they can get back to normality pretty soon”.
The win on the Malcolm Wilson Stages is Steve's second straight win in the BTRDA Championship 2010.
Malcolm Wilson Stages results:
1. Steve Perez Ford Focus WRC +00:00
2. Johnathon Greer Ford Focus WRC +00:17
3. Roger Chillman jr. Subaru Impreza WRC +02:31
=. Paul Benn Ford Focus WRC +02:31
5. David Wright Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 +02:53
6. Stephen Petch Hyundai Accent WRC +02:59
7. Owen Murphy Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 +05:02
8. Gary Cooper Subaru Impreza WRX +05:17
9. Gary Tomlinson Subaru Impreza WRX +05:45
10. Richard Cook Subaru Impreza WRX +06:26
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