WITH the Motorsport season now in full flow, Tavistock's Mike Perkin is currently lying first in the A6 class for 1600 Group A Homologated cars in the National Safety Devices Rally Championship.
Last weekend Mike, along with navigator Paul White, crossed the channel for the Elckerlyck Rallysprint in Belgium.
this was the fourth round of the Safety Devices National Championship and Mike's first time in Belgium. A success would extend his lead in class A6 and move him closer to the top in Formula 2.
During Friday, the day before the start of the rally the crew made pace notes of the stages, which were likely to be an important part to Mike and Paul's success, not only because these stages consisted of narrow bumpy public roads with varying surfaces, but also because their main opposition was a Belgian driver in an identical car who they had to assume would benefit from local knowledge.
Straight out of the box, Mike and Paul posted a rapid time of 7.07.74 for first 11km long stage, placing the Alarmtech Vauxhall Nova GSI within the top 15 cars. Over the next few stages they encountered rain showers which made the event a little more challenging, close call with one of the many deep drainage ditches did not slow the pace of the Devon crew down.
Upon arrival at the finish it was confirmed, Mike and Paul had won the class, Mike also strengthening his position in the championship.
The Alarmtech rally team now travels to Alnwick in Northumberland with his regular navigator Chris Crocker to compete in the Tyneside Stages.