LUDLOW Motor Club members took top honours in last Saturday's Woodpecker Stages Rally based in Ludlow , starting and finishing at the Racecourse.

Thirty-three club members took part in the event supported by Droitwich Garages and Harvey F Smith's Printers, and organised by 60 & Worcestershire Motor Club.

The event consisted of seven forest stages providing 45 miles of competitive action , with one run each through Bringewood, High Vinall, Wigmore and Blackhill forests.

The competitors then went to Radnor forest with the stage split into two separate stages and the event finished off with a second run through the very popular Haye Park picnic area.

James Wozencroft and Andrew Sankey won the Silkonene 1400 Championship which ran in front of the Open category on each of the seven stages.

James and Andrew in their Vauxhall Nova came home in front of 40 other competitors in this section of the Rally , including fellow club members Neil Weaver and James Bailey who finished second in their similar Nova.

Mark Kinsey was co-driving in this section for Hereford's Reg Davies in another Nova.

Unfortunately Mark's recent run of bad luck (two Rally accidents out of three events) continued when their Nova caught fire and they were forced to retire.

Bad luck also for Ian Clare and Tin Cains who were forced to retire their Austin Mini at the start of Stage 6 with mechanical problems.

In the Open category Shaun Gardener nearly clinched his hatrick of wins this year in his TNT Tyres (Ludlow) Mitsubishi Evo 5.

Having won the Club's Rally Gravel Sprint earlier in the year and also the recent Bill Gwynne Stages at Sweet Lamb , Shaun,with co-driver Dave Brick came an excellent second O/A .

Shaun and Dave missed the winner's spot by only 8 seconds, losing out to Leominster's John Perrott.

Shaun and Dave lost time in Radnor forest when they overshot a junction - if they hadn't done so the top two positions could have been reversed.

Shaun also won the Spirit of the Rally Award.

The other LCMC members competing in the Open category had mixed fortunes.

Nigel Griffiths and Andrew Owens retired their Subaru Impreza after Stage 6 when the boost failed on the turbo-charger.

Gary Smith in the DMS Plastics Subaru Impreza finshed 7th O/A.

Simon Rogers retired his Ford Escort Cosworth after Stage 5.

Joe Price crashed his Talbot Sunbeam on the first run through Haye Park, putting him out of the event.

Keith Wilde and John Howells brought the Wildes Plant Hire Ford Escort RS2000 home to a very fine 22nd O/A.

Robert Dalziel had gear box problems in the Beach Insce Brokers Subaru Impreza WRX and retired from the event after Stage 5.

Adrian Allen and Michael Wilding had an accident on Stage 4 causing the Mercian Lifting Gear Opel Manta to retire.

Mike Wooolcock and Robin Kellard had a fine run in the Kiem Water Ltd Ford Focus finishing 94th O/A from a starting position of 123.

Pete Hamer and Niki Griffiths brought the S & V Hamer Talbot Sunbeam across the finish line in an incredible 86th O/A .

This excellent result secures them their class win in the 2004 Welsh Clubmans Forestry Championship.

KEITH GLUYAS