Iconic rally cars start coast-to-coast race in Blackpool

The competitors convened at Blackpool’s Village Hotel on Thursday evening for a series of regularities and tests around the Fylde coast before the three-day rally began at the same venue the following morning.

Only cars of pre-1968 specification are eligible for awards, with many iconic models on display.

More than 70 crews took part in Thursday’s Prologue, designed to give competitors a taste of what lay in store as they made their way from Blackpool to yesterday’s finish in Torquay.

Thursday’s route followed a loop through Singleton, Elswick, Salwick and Weeton, and when crews arrived back at the Blackpool start venue, it was Belgian duo Kurt and Bjorn Vanoverschelde who topped the standings in their Ford Lotus Cortina.

It was a close call, though, as Paul Dyas and Martyn Taylor were only a second behind in their Volvo Amazon, with third-placed Dan Willan and Niall Frost a further second adrift in their Volvo PV544.

It was tough going further down the field as the Austin Healey Sprite of father and son team Peter and Kit Moore suffered a misfire. Worse still, their windscreen wipers packed up – hardly ideal with standing water on parts of the route.

At least they weren’t last, with seven cars behind them. Bottom of the listings were the Morris Mini Cooper S of Patrick and Hubert Lynch, who trailed the leaders by over three minutes.

Friday’s leg got under way with a series of Tests at Weeton Army Camp before crews headed through Elswick and around Inskip to join the A6 at Bilsborrow and head south via a late-night stopover in Stoke.

It was into Wales on Saturday before Sunday saw the cars that survived cross back into England for the final trek through the West Country to Devon.