DW9417 - 1994 Vauxhall Panaround National & Colway Stages

1994 Vauxhall Panaround Stages + Colway Stages. The Colway was run before the main field on the Saturday leg of the 1994 Vauxhall Rally of Wales. The event was part of the Colway Tyres Championship. The Panaround Stages were run following the Vauxhall Rally of Wales in 1994. 00:00 - Intro 00:00 - START 1994 00:12 - Conway Stages 1994 03:17 - Vauxhall Panaround Stages 05:21 - Incar - Panperthog Stage Entry List https://ewrc-results.com/event/60576-... Results https://ewrc-results.com/event/60576-... Itinerary https://ewrc-results.com/event/60576-... 1994 Vauxhall Panaround National Rally The 1994 Vauxhall Panaround National Rally formed part of the busy weekend surrounding the Vauxhall Rally of Wales and was held on 26 March 1994. Organised by the Potteries & Newcastle Motor Club in association with Caernarvonshire & Anglesey Motor Club, the event brought together a strong field of national-level crews for a demanding day of Welsh forestry rallying. At the head of the entry was a formidable collection of Ford machinery, with the four-wheel-drive Sierra Cosworths and powerful Escort Cosworths facing the traditional two-wheel-drive Escorts. The event also provided a particularly good showcase for the variety of machinery competing at national level, with Vauxhall Astras, Skoda Favorits, Mazda 323s, Peugeot 205s and even an MG Maestro among the field. A convincing victory for Roberts The rally was dominated by John Roberts and Mark Lewis, who produced a superb performance in their Ford Sierra Cosworth. Starting as car number 84, Roberts set the pace against some very strong opposition and eventually completed the event in 74 minutes 32 seconds. Their victory was particularly impressive given the strength of the challenge behind them. Jonathan Bennett-Evans and Chris Jones, in another Ford-based four-wheel-drive machine, brought their Ford Sapphire home second, 43 seconds behind the winners on 75:15. Mark Perrott and Garry Mansell completed the overall podium in their Ford Escort, recording 76:52. The battle behind the leading trio was also close. Phillip Squires and Michael Squires took fourth overall and first in the V11 class with their Ford Escort RS, finishing in 77:36. Graham Evans and Shaun O'Gorman were fifth in their Escort Cosworth on 79:11, while Bernard Mantle/Mike Wilding and Robin Bradbury/Charlie Husband were locked together on exactly 81:48, with Mantle taking sixth on the published classification. Strong field throughout The Panaround was far more than a contest at the front. Julian Reynolds and Anthony Curry produced one of the day's notable drives to eighth overall in a Honda Civic, while Ashley Evans and Eddie Eagles placed their Ford Escort ninth. Mark Goodwin and Eric Wheway completed the top ten with their Opel Manta. There was also a good showing from the Vauxhall machinery that gave the event its title. Christopher Bown and Roger Bown brought their Vauxhall Astra GTE home 11th overall, while Terry Wilson and Phill Harrison finished 16th in another Astra. The lower classes produced some particularly close competition. The Skoda Favorit contingent was headed by Tim Johnson and Roger Burkill, who finished 21st overall and won the V9 class in 90:01. They were followed by Mike Vary/Mark Walker, Les Randall/Bob Hastings, Charles Hutchinson/Peter Nixon and Carl Stevens/Richard Taunt, giving the Czech-built Skodas a strong presence throughout the results. The final result By the finish, Roberts and Lewis had established themselves as clear winners, their 74:32 giving them a winning margin of 43 seconds over Bennett-Evans and Jones. Perrott and Mansell were a further 1:37 behind the winners, completing a Ford-dominated podium. The 1994 Panaround therefore ended with John Roberts and Mark Lewis taking a well-earned victory, underlining the competitiveness of the national rally scene of the period. The event also demonstrated why the Panaround became such a familiar part of the Welsh rallying calendar: fast, challenging forest stages, a varied entry and fierce competition throughout the field. Leading finishers Pos. Crew Car Time 1 John Roberts / Mark Lewis Ford Sierra Cosworth 74:32 2 Jonathan Bennett-Evans / Chris Jones Ford Sapphire 75:15 3 Mark Perrott / Garry Mansell Ford Escort 76:52 4 Phillip Squires / Michael Squires Ford Escort RS 77:36 5 Graham Evans / Shaun O'Gorman Ford Escort Cosworth 79:11 6 Bernard Mantle / Mike Wilding Ford Escort RS 81:48 7 Robin Bradbury / Charlie Husband Ford Escort Mk2 81:48 8 Julian Reynolds / Anthony Curry Honda Civic 82:17 9 Ashley Evans / Eddie Eagles Ford Escort 82:17 10 Mark Goodwin / Eric Wheway Opel Manta 82:47 The published 1994 final results confirm 43 classified finishers, with Roberts and Lewis at the head of the field.