Fylde coast rallyists dealt with the difficult weather at Oulton Park last weekend.

Thick fog presented an unexpected and unwanted extra challenge for the Fylde coast rallyists who contested last Saturday’s Salford Van Hire Neil Howard Stages at Oulton Park, writes PHIL JAMES.

Thirteen of the 104 starters didn’t last the course and there could have been more had the organisers, Bolton-le-Moors Car Club, not taken some decisive action mid-afternoon.

With visibility in places down to a handful of metres and the final pair of stages scheduled to run in the dark, organisers elected to cancel them on safety grounds.

The morning’s opening stage at the Cheshire circuit began under a blanket of fog but the sun soon broke through to provide ideal race conditions.

Pilling’s Jordan Murphy and John Hornby brought their RAC Consultants Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 home eighth overall and first in Class 2.

A troubled opening stage saw Matthew Harwood and Peter Eckersley in 95th place before the Cleveleys driver and Subaru Impreza crew gained almost 40 places and finished 56th overall.

David Lawson and Sarah Hall brought the Bilsborrow Motor Company Suzuki Swift Sport Cup Car home in 70th, while Cleveleys’ Matt Doherty guided Simon Barnes to 53rd in the BMW E36 Compact.

Winners on the day were John Griffiths and Emma Morrison in their Skoda Fabia R5.

They finished six seconds ahead of the Fabia Rally2 of reigning Protyre Circuit Rally Championship Driver Michael Igoe and Kirsty Riddick.