A return to form saw Tom Lambert and Peter keel take a well deserved victory on the stage rally section of the unique experience that is the Abingdon Motorsport CAR-nival.

Over £50,000 has now been raised for two local charities following the fifth year of this extremely popular event organised with such efficiency by the combined resources of Farnborough District and Sutton & Cheam Motor Club together with a whole host of worthy helpers from another 10 clubs.

A capacity 100 car field was provided with over 85 stage miles of high quality tarmac over the roads and runways of Abingdon Airfield on this ACSMC / ASEMC Rally 2001 Tarmac Championship qualifying round.

Fastest on the opening stage were James Hoseason / Oliver Pearson (4ltr Darrian T90 GTR) who were 3 seconds ahead of the T9 version of eventual winner Lambert. In yet another Darrian, this time the T90, Chris Davis / Brandon Parker were third a further 3 seconds behind.

Hoseasons' moment of glory was to be short-lived when he was forced to retire on SS2 after sliding wide and locking the gearbox firmly into reverse, a gear that failed to de-select on request. Lamberts' inherited lead, although never really challenged, was at no time large enough to allow the Surrey-based driver to relax. Jeremy Straker (GTM Coupe), having dragged himself out of the sickbed he had occupied for the best part of the previous week, continually snapped at LambertsÕ. Unfortunately, a bent steering rack caused by clipping a kerb slowed his progress to the top of the leaderboard and allowed a delighted Blair and Adrian Bushby (Escort Cosworth) to slip into second overall, relegating the Farnham driver to third.

Farnborough DMCÕs Guy Wigley & Bruce Coate-Bond (Escort RS2000 Mk5) occupied fourth spot for much of the day but were eventually sidelined on the penultimate stage by dropping oil pressure and a rapidly degenerating engine. Their departure opened the way for Paul King / Paul Hollingham (Escort) to claim a well-deserved 4th overall and Class C honours.

By far the happiest man at the finish was George Thaw, who with co-driver Anthony Ettlinger brought the ex-Steve Fleck Subaru Impreza home in 5th spot and top of Class E.

Class D went to visiting tourists Stuart & Theresa Fossey who were staying on the mainland during a week away from their Jersey homeland. They spent most of the event worrying about their gearbox reporting many corners being taken in neutral! Their efforts were rewarded with a 7th placing just behind the vastly experienced Dick Mauger / Andrew Street (Escort Cosworth) who would have finished higher if it hadnÕt been for a big overshoot on the opening test which they estimate cost them over 30 seconds and 2 places.

Another spirited drive by Simon & Adrian May in the Mays Motorsport Escort Mk2 gave them a career best 8th overall against some fierce opposition including the Mitsubishi Evo 6 of Howard Pridmore / Roger Cox who followed them home just 1 second later.

An almost certain maximum Rally 2001 point score was lost by Championship leaders Chris & Tom Powis who put their Nova off into a hard concrete wall. Thankfully neither sustained injury although the damage to the Vauxhall Ôcertainly wonÕt polish outÕ. The eventual Class A honours fell to Julian and Mathew Wilkes in another Nova on their first visit to this fantastic venue and their first outing in nearly 6 months.

Class B was headed by David Nutt / Martin Snell (Peugeot 106) with Sutton & Cheam MCÕs highest finishers Charlie Rees / James Griffiths (Vauxhall Nova) second in the class.

Despite a clearly needed decision by the organisers to cancel stage 8 on safety grounds, the event kept to itÕs planned schedule. The final Prize Giving was combined with the handover of a brand new VW People Carrier to the residents of Stowford House, the second transport vehicle supplied to the charity as a direct result of the charitable contributions.

A footnote from the organisers: a couple of days later came as a welcome note to say that not one complaint had been recorded from any of the local residents over the 2 days. The Army were more than satisfied with the way the event had run and the Council were Ôextremely pleasedÕ with the lack of problems - certainly a far cry from some of the noise-controversy dominated events of late.