Michael Igoe and Kirsty Riddick emerged victorious on the Dukeries Rally at Donington Park after a closely fought seven-stage contest shaped by both fine margins and changing weather conditions.
The rally began in dry and sunny conditions, allowing crews to push hard across the opening loop with consistent grip on the circuit-based stages. However, conditions shifted as the day progressed, with cloud building into the afternoon before heavy rain arrived during Stages 5 and 6. Water began to pool on sections of the circuit, particularly under braking and on corner exits, making traction increasingly difficult. The rain eased ahead of the final stage, but the surface remained damp and slippery in places.
The early pace was set by John Griffiths and Emma Morrison, who edged the opening stage with a time of 6:12, just two seconds quicker than Igoe and Riddick. The pair remained evenly matched through the second stage, both recording identical 6:08 times to keep the gap minimal at the front, while John Stone and John Cope, along with Daniel Bird and Malcolm Bates, stayed in close contention.
The decisive move came on the third stage, where Igoe and Riddick set a 5:44 to go one second quicker than Griffiths and take over the rally lead. That advantage was extended on the following stage with an identical 5:44 run, while Griffiths slipped slightly with a 5:47, allowing Igoe to build a small but important cushion heading into the later loop.
As conditions began to change, Griffiths responded on the fifth stage with a rapid 8:33, the fastest time of the rally at that point, but Igoe limited the loss to just a second with an 8:34 to retain the overall lead as rain began to fall.
Heavy rain intensified through Stage 6, where standing water and reduced grip caught out several crews. Griffiths suffered a costly spin during the stage, losing valuable seconds, and could only manage an 8:45. In contrast, Igoe and Riddick produced a clean and controlled run of 8:40, extending their advantage at a crucial point in the rally.
By the time crews reached the final stage, the rain had eased but damp patches and residual water remained, continuing to make traction out of slower corners particularly difficult. Igoe and Riddick completed the stage in 7:35 to secure the win, while Griffiths and Morrison’s 7:39 confirmed second place, just 10 seconds behind after nearly 50 minutes of competition.
Stone and Cope completed the podium with a consistent performance throughout, finishing third overall with a total time of 49:36, maintaining a steady gap to the leading battle while keeping clear of the chasing pack.
Bird and Bates also demonstrated strong pace across the day and were firmly in the fight for a top-four result, but their efforts were hampered by a 30-second penalty for hitting a chicane on the final stage. Despite posting a competitive 7:51 on the road, the penalty dropped them to fourth overall with a final time of 50:15.
In a rally defined by narrow margins and evolving conditions, Igoe and Riddick’s ability to take the lead in the dry and capitalise on mistakes in the wet proved decisive, securing a hard-fought victory at Donington Park.
