Crowsley a 'cracking' fifth in top-class Jersey Rally
Dale Crowsley claimed his best result in 20 years – fifth overall – while several of his fellow Sarnians made class podiums at the notoriously tough Jersey Rally.
Not only were the courses brutal as ever, but the strength of the field most impressed Guernsey’s John Robert, who was one of the many working behind the scenes to put on the epic two-day and 26-stage event last weekend.
‘Jersey Rally 2022 had the biggest entry for years, with a top-class field of old and new,’ Robert said after his service as stage safety officer.
‘The top 20 had some top-class crews with the best cars ever.’
Even reigning champions Ross Le Noa and Domonic Volante were not immune to the rally’s demands, for they crashed out on the opening afternoon.
After some demanding night stages complete with rain, British race driver Frank Bird and Jack Morton had taken the lead with some storming drives and were on a smooth path to eventual victory.
Crowsley in eighth overall was the top Guernsey presence, driving the No. 15 seeded Ford Escort with Steve Gully (Jersey) navigating, but it got better for them.
On Saturday morning the stages were bone dry and the sun was out, hinting at some fast times to come – and they did.
The Guernsey crews were going very well and posting some great stage times.
Unfortunately there were victims, significantly including Fraser Torode and Adam Le Ray, who crashed out having posted some of the fastest times of any crew the previous evening.
However, after a rustier start in a vehicle he has only had since January, Crowsley entered and maintained fifth.
Although he finished second overall in 2002, this is by far his best result since.
‘It’s fantastic to get back into the rhythm and get a cracking result,’ he said.
‘It’s a notoriously difficult rally.
‘It’s late nights, early mornings and serious concentration on the stage. It’s very hard on cars, on gearboxes, on brakes, on engines, and that’s why there are so many retirements.’
But he also testified to the ‘fantastic talent’ emerging from Guernsey, giving special mention to Torode.
Nick Duquemin and Phil Ferbrache finished the highest of any Guernsey-only crew, placing 12th overall and second in class C. They did, however, face a real battle for Sarnian bragging rights.
After all those stage miles they had just 5sec. on Craig Robert and Chris Guille, who finished second in their own class – FWD2.
Paul Trebert and Jason Carre went one better in their own class.
On top of finishing 23rd overall, they won the class B title in their Peugeot 206.
Even the overall winners placed the rally among the toughest they’ve done, with Morton saying: ‘I’ve never been to a rally where it’s just bang, bang, bang through everything.’
But it is not necessarily game over if you retire on day one, as Guernsey’s Will Rutherford showed.
The UK’s Lee Vivian capitalised on the expert co-driving of Rutherford to win the Trophy Rally, which gives early retirements a consolation prize to contend for.
For making the Channel Islands’ biggest rally what it is, John Robert thanked his fellow Guernsey-based officials, including Caren Vidamour, Karl Marshall and not least Warren 'Bosch' Boscher, whom he calls ‘the backbone of rally’.
And it is now onto the next Comprop Guernsey Rally, set for 24 and 25 February 2023.
