An eighteen-month lay-off from the sport has obviously done nothing to dull Chris Dillow's talent behind the wheel of his MG Metro 6R4 as he and co-driver Duncan Langford took victory on the Vospers Tour of Cornwall Rally at the weekend.
The pair had an excellent run through the 18 special stages although, at the finish, the driver did admit to a 110mph spin on the first run through Portreath. Fortunately, they didn't hit anything and the car finished up facing in the right direction.
Runners-up were Lancashire crew Andy Barker and Steve Mort, in their Ford Focus STI, who took maximum points in the BTRDA Asphalt Rally Series, of which Cornwall was the second round. The final podium spot went to Plymouth-based husband-and-wife Steve and Yvonne Furzeland. Their Subaru Impreza WRC was suffering from an intermittent misfire which defied all attempts to trace it, but the problem saw the pair complete the first stage on Friday evening down in 43rd place. They then spent the rest of the rally clawing their way back up the leaderboard to their eventual third place.
The immaculate Ford Escort MkI of Adrian Brown/Chris Jarman was fourth and, on the 20th Anniversary of the first Tour of Cornwall, the winner back in 1987, Dave Wilkes ably co-driven on this occasion by his son Julian, returned to take fifth overall and a class win in his Vauxhall Corsa. The top six was rounded off by another MkI Escort, this one crewed by Dave Parnell/Pete Bold.
Chris Dillow didn't have things all his own way and, for the first ten of the eighteen stages, Worcestershire crew Chris Davis/Brandon Parker were leading in their Darrian T90. However, as things turned out, it was not a good day for owners of the fibreglass-bodied cars.
Wadebridge motor trader Mike Tregoning was first to go after his example clouted a chicane on the first run through Predannack, while Davis disappeared with just two stages left to run.
![Chris Dillow [Pic credit: CMWI.NET]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/303861.jpg)
