Paul 'Surfer' Bourne (Banks/ Havoline/Williams Industries/Pirelli Subaru Impreza WRC) (Right) recorded the fastest time of the day - 2m 06.61s - in a thrilling opening round of the 2004 Vaucluse Raceway RallySprint Cup on Sunday (March 21). The acknowledged master of the loose-surface track, Trevor Manning was thwarted three times in his efforts to improve on Bourne's time . . . although 'Electric Micey' still holds the track record he set in July 2002 at 2m 05.64s.

Meanwhile, reigning RallySprint Cup champion Sean Gill (right) began his title defence in fine style, with a Group win, three Handicap victories . . . and an incredible time in the Simpson Motors Rally Team Suzuki Ignis of 2m 09.62s, not only the fastest two-wheel-drive car, but only three seconds shy of the fastest World Rally Car!

Once the front-runners came out for qualifying, it was clear the pace would be hot. Bourne was fastest on the first run with 2m 11.44s' good enough to beat Manning's Sunbeach/Pirelli/Thorogood Footwear/Simpson Motors Rally Team Mitsubishi Evo V (2m 11.81), Roger Skeete (2m 15.07s) and Harold Morley (2m 18.21s).

The tables were turned on the second run, all four drivers improving and Manning (right)snatching the advantage with a time of 2m 08.41s, from Bourne (2m 09.31s), Skeete's Havoline/Michelin/McEnearney Quality Ford Escort WRC (2m 12.37s) and Morley's Sunbeach Communications Inc Subaru Impreza WRC (2m 15.62s).

After the final qualifying run, Skeete was on top, with a time of 2m 08.19s; Manning and Bourne failed to improve, but Morley, racing his Impreza WRC at Vaucluse for the first time, had closed on the rest with a time of 2m 13.26s.

In the head-to-head races after lunch, Bourne narrowly beat Skeete in a close-fought first heat, which brought the day's fastest time down still further, Bourne clocking 2m 06.61s. Heat two was over almost before it had started: Morley's car struck the tyres at the first turn, first on the left, then the right, causing instant retirement for Morley. While Manning had an easy win, he had to slow for caution flags, so could not go for a fast time. Although rather battered, Morley's car was fit enough to contest the third-place run-off, but Skeete won.

And so to the final, between Manning and Bourne, a showdown much anticipated by the fans. The two aces were well-matched off the line and through the first section of the track, but Bourne's race came to an abrupt end when his car slid into the tyres below the northern spectator area. Bourne tried to move the car in time for Manning to continue his run unimpeded, but was unable to do so, Manning therefore deprived for a second time of the chance to better Bourne's time.

So Manning's last chance would come in the Group Winner's Handicap KnockOut, but even that went wrong! Racing in the semi-final against Barry Gale, a front-left puncture put paid to a fast time, leaving Bourne the day's fastest driver.

In the other Groups, Shaun Alleyne (Rent-A-Tool/Autolink/Friendly Signs Toyota Starlet) had a relatively untroubled victory in Group 1, beating two Vaucluse debutantes, as did James Betts (Toyota Corolla) and Neil Barnard (Sunbeach/Pirelli/Simpson Motors Rally Team Opel Corsa) in the next two groups.

Gill was put under some pressure in Group 4, however, particularly by Kirk Watkins (right), whose Abacus Builders/Planned Maintenance/ Bridgestone/ Castrol Toyota Corolla is a far less sophisticated machine than the Ignis. 'Watty' went on to claim the Banks Pig & Likka Bar's award for the most impressive drive in recognition of an impressive time of 2m 14.25s, the eighth fastest of the day.

On only his fourth visit to Vaucluse, Edward Corbin (Automotive Art/Corbins Garage/Klark-Odio Toyota Corolla SR) beat some formidable opposition in Group 5, dealing with former Vaucluse champion Roger Marshall in his heat, then the 2002 BRC and MCBI champion Adrian Linton in the final. Crowd favourite Jonathan Still (Nescafe/Philips Lighting/Castrol Oils/Crane & Equipment BMW M3) dispensed first with John Corbin, then Lindsay Farmer for victory in Group 6, while Barry Gale (Sunbeach/Pirelli/Simpson Motors Rally Team Mitsubishi Evo VI) beat Mikie Hassell's Subaru Impreza by just a few inches in a superb run-off in the two-car Group 7.

In a morning remarkably free of incident - only three cars failed to finish a qualifying run - the major casualty was the Mazda 323 4WD of Nicholas and Reggie Gill; as Nicholas arrived at the southern hairpin on his second run, the BMW M3 of Jonathan Still struck the central tyre wall from the inside, pushing the Mazda off the course. Nicholas was uninjured but the car was too badly damaged to continue.

Also unable to run in the afternoon were Wayne Manning, who slipped off the course on some loose gravel and damaged the steering and suspension of his Ford Escort MkI, and Mark Sabga, whose VW Bug developed mechanical problems.

The next round of the Vaucluse Raceway RallySprint Cup is the International event during the Barbados Rally Carnival; this will be staged on Sunday, May 23, with practice and qualifying on the Saturday afternoon.

Vaucluse Raceway RallySprint Cup 2004
round 1 - results

Group 1: 1st Shaun Alleyne (Rent-A-Tool/Autolink/Friendly Signs Toyota
Starlet); 2nd Jason Jackson (Toyota Starlet); 3rd Corey Nicholls (Toyota
Corolla)

Group 2: 1st James Betts (Toyota Corolla); 2nd Alex Whitehead (Datsun 120Y);
3rd Matt Staffner (Toyota Corolla)

Group 3: 1st Neil Barnard (Sunbeach/Pirelli/Simpson Motors Rally Team Opel
Corsa); 2nd Karl Waterman (Toyota Starlet); 3rd Stuart White (Toyota
Corolla); 4th Ryan Wood (Toyota Starlet)

Group 4: 1st Sean Gill (Sunbeach/Pirelli/Simpson Motors Rally Team Suzuki
Ignis); 2nd Kirk Watkins (Abacus Builders/Planned
Maintenance/Bridgestone/Castrol Toyota Corolla); 3rd Neil Armstrong
(Bridgestone/Nassco Toyota Starlet); 4th Ian Warren (Toyota Corolla)

Group 5: 1st Edward Corbin (Automotive Art/Corbins Garage/Klark-Odio Toyota
Corolla SR); 2nd Adrian Linton (Crane & Equipment Vauxhall Astra); 3rd Roger
Marshall (Hyundai Accent); 4th Geoffrey Ullyett (Ullyett's Machine Shop
Service/Sikkens/Goodyear/Champion/Lubriguard Nissan 200Y)

Group 6: 1st Jonathan Still (Nescafe/Philips Lighting/Castrol Oils/Crane &
Equipment BMW M3); 2nd Lindsay Farmer (Nassco/Toyo Tyres/Philips
Lighting/Mobil 1 Toyota Starlet Turbo); 3rd Andrew Jones (Total Sport Ford
Escort MkII); 4th John Corbin (Automotive Art/Corbins Garage/Klark-Odio
Toyota Corolla)

Group 7: 1st Barry Gale (Sunbeach/Pirelli/Simpson Motors Rally Team
Mitsubishi Evo VI); 2nd Mikie Hassell (Crane & Equipment/Details Car
Valet/Citgo Oils Subaru Impreza WRX)

Group 8: 1st Trevor Manning (Sunbeach/Pirelli/Thorogood Footwear/Simpson
Motors Rally Team Mitsubishi Evo V); 2nd Paul Bourne (Banks/Havoline/ Williams Industries/Pirelli Subaru Impreza WRC); 3rd Roger Skeete (Havoline/ Michelin/McEnearney Quality Ford Escort WRC); 4th Harold Morley (Sunbeach Communications Inc Subaru Impreza WRC)

Group winners KnockOut Handicap:
Round 1: Betts (bye - Alleyne unable to compete); Gill beat Barnard; Still beat Corbin; Gale beat Manning
Semi-finals: Gill beat Betts; Gale beat Still
Final: Gill beat Gale