Dunne and Saunders shine at Bouley Bay
JOHN DUNNE was the only record-breaker at Jersey’s big Liberation Day hill climb at Bouley Bay.
More than 90 Jersey and Guernsey cars, karts and bikes turned out to celebrate the 72nd running of the Valla-sponsored event first held on 9 May 1946 which had just eight cars and 11 bikes take to Bouley Bay hill, with the fastest time of the day being 61.5 seconds.
The only similarity between the first and 2018 events was the large numbers of spectators.
Dunne, in his beautifully-prepared Mitsubishi Evo5, took a further tenth of a second off his road-going production class unlimited time with a run of 46.00 sec.
The fastest time of the day was also recorded by a Guernseyman, Nick Saunders in his EI Sturdza Racing car taking just 41.11 sec to get up Bouley Bay hill – just beating on-form Jerseyman Glyn Moignard in his OMS to take the up-to-1.6-litre racing car class.
Both drivers certainly displayed good form ahead of the National hill climb in July.
The rally car classes also had a good day out and kept spectators fully entertained with a display of full blooded power slides and hand-brake turns from the off.
The main class, up-to-two-litre, was won by 2017 Roberts Jersey Rally winner Steve Leonard in a Ford Escort, with his 48.28 sec effort beating a very fast and spectacular John Le Brun (BMW E30) whose best time was a nifty 49.94 sec.
Grant Collins also got into the sub-50-sec category in the four-wheel-drive rally class, with a best run of 49.95 sec. Simon Le Noa took the unlimited class in his Anglia Angry Box, with a best time of 47.27, taking the class from Sarnian Dale Crowsley in his Mazda MX GT.
Crowsley did, however, win the prize for the most spectacular spin at the top bend.
Sarnian Dan Bichard, in a Honda S2000, won the road-going production class having been chased all day by a large field of Mazdas.
The large bike field also produced a good day of racing, with many PBs being set.
The largest and probably the most competitive class, for up-to-500cc bikes, was won by Oli Holmes on his KTM, with a best time of 43.46 sec beating Dan Lagadu on a Husqvana who’s best time was 43.94.
