Larton takes class win at Barbon Hillclimb on busy weekend

Competing in Carlisle were Carnforth’s Ian Joel/Graeme Wood in Ian’s MRF Competition Tyres/Fuchs Lubricants/710 Oils Escort Cosworth, seeded at eight, Arnside’s Wayne Sisson/Neil Shanks in their Arnside Motorsport Mitsubishi EvoX seeded at 10 and Heysham’s Mike Wolff/Mark Twiname in their BMW E30, supported by HG Vehicles/Builders Supply/C&C Fabrications/Baymix/MRF Tyres, seeded at 52.

Class B13 was dominated by Sisson and Joel who took the top two places, a mere 15 seconds separating them both, with overall finishing positions of fifth and sixth.

The Wolff/Twiname BMW slid into one of Kielders infamous deep, muddy ditches however after narrowly avoiding a large rock that had been pulled onto the track by a previous competitor.

In an entry of 80 starters, a total of 33 crews were displayed on the retirement list such were the challenging conditions.

One particular stage saw half of the top 10 eliminated as many took a ‘win it or bin it’ attitude with 43 crews classed as finishers.

Elsewhere Barbon Manor again hosted its annual speed hillclimb last Saturday.

Local drivers entered were Lancaster’s Duncan Woodcock in his TVR Chimaera seeded 26, Nigel Fox from Heysham in his Caterham Suoerseven 1800cc at number 41, Morecambe’s Andy Larton in his Peugeot 106 at 50, Duncan Robb-Cummings from Over Kellet in his MG Midget at number 56, Lancaster’s Mark Fearnley in his Jaguar D Type Replica and Jonathon Wright, also from Lancaster, in his Austin 7 at number 97.

After last year’s event, where he completed a series of spectacular acrobatics in the yellow Peugeot, it was major success this year for Larton, achieving second overall and a first in class.