2009 Coppermines Grizedale Stages Rally, Coniston, Cumbria

COOKSON 'WRESTLES' TO SEVENTH ON GRIZEDALE STAGES RALLY

On his first event in his new N15-specification Subaru Impreza, Saltash rally driver Alan Cookson emerged from today's Coppermines Grizedale Stages rally with a superb seventh place despite a problem late on with a puncture.

Along with Tunbridge Wells co-driver Julian Wilkinson, the Robert Wiseman Dairies, Speedline Wheels, Kick Energy, Spar, GillettsSpar.com, Riverside Property Services and Olverelectrical.com supported and TEGSport prepared Subaru performed faultlessly.

Preparing for a concerted assault on the 2010 British Rally Championship, Cookson, who has lost over six stones in a year as part of his bid, was using the event as a test and despite it being over twenty years since he last contested the event and getting used to left hand drive, he made a steady start and by SS4, held a fine 8th place.

Cookson attacked the last two stages but on the penultimate stage in Grizedale South, he clattered a rock around two miles from the end of the stage which punctured the tyre and bent the bottom arm which resulted in a steady run through the final stage whereby he clinched 7th overall and 2nd in class at the Coniston finish.

"I'm absolutely delighted with our progress today and to cap it all off with a decent result was more than we could have hoped for, although it does feel like I've been in a wrestling match with someone, as the car was very sideways today, mainly due to us having the wrong Differential maps set up in the car for the conditions here in Cumbria today"!

"Everything is different being on the left hand side of the car, and it's just a case of getting used to it, as the first time I'd sat in the car was on the way to the start this morning, but we are very happy and are sure there is plenty to come from the car once the TEG Sport team have set it up in the new year"

"We're planning a major attack on the BRC this year, and will do a couple of Irish Tarmac rounds too we hope, and today was part of our preparations for that, so we've ticked another box and now need some more time in the car. We will get a couple of tests in the new year in Wales along with the rest of the 2010 TEG Sport / Pirelli guys and were sure more progress will be made then."

"The next time we will have the car out will be at the Autosport show at Birmingham when the car will be there in the new Wiseman design after we have secured there support as main sponsor again, and we are all really looking forward to seeing what the design guys at Wisemans Dairies come up with for 2010".

Thanks to all of our sponsors that have supported us in 2009 especially Robert Wiseman Dairies and Speedline Wheels that really helped us get out in the car this weekend, and of course to Stuart Newby and the team at TEGSport, who as always do a great job" said Alan.

Results

1, Paul Bird/Kirsty Riddick (Ford Focus WRC 07) 46m 27s
2, Alex Allingham/Mark Glennerster (Subaru Impreza) 48:14
3, Michael O'Brien/Patrick Walsh (Ford Focus WRC) 48:24
4, Tristan Pye/Stewart Merry (Subaru Impreza) 49:29
5, Steve Petch/John Richardson (Mitsubishi Lancer) 50:09
6, Paul Cooke/Barry McNulty (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) 50:34
7, Alan Cookson/Julian Wilkinson (Subaru Impreza N15) 51:05
8, Gary Tomlinson/Nick Fieldhouse (Subaru Impreza GC8) 51:05
9, Mark Donnelly/John Rowan (Ford Fiesta ST) 51:12
10, Eddie O'Donnell Jnr/Eddie O'Donnell Snr (Ford Escort) 51:15

Picture attached of Alan Cookson in action on today's Coppermines Grizedale Stages Rally, courtesy of Ian Hardy.