Tuthill Porsche has won its class on the Roger Albert Clark Rally, thanks to 28th place overall for company founder Francis Tuthill and his journalist co-driver Franca Davenport.
The duo in the Tuthill Porsche 911 triumphed despite going off after hitting a rock on Saturday evening, which meant that they took several maximum lateness penalties.
A spin on Friday and a puncture on Sunday also hampered their progress, but in spite of these setbacks – as well as bad weather that made headlines all over the country – Francis and Franca brought home a great result on their first rally together, and the first rally that Francis had contested in four years.
Their 3.0 litre Porsche 911 was in exactly the same specification as will be used for next year’s Tuthill Porsche Challenge. The engine in the car is also identical to the one that recently took world rally legend Michele Mouton to second overall on the Rallye International du Maroc.
Thick snow, which covered practically every stage of the Robert Albert Clark Rally, could not have presented a greater contrast to the African desert. Once more though, the Tuthill Porsche proved to be completely reliable in the harsh conditions.
The Roger Albert Clark Rally covered four days and was designed to capture the spirit of the old RAC Rally, with competitors travelling the length and breadth of the country from November 26-29. There were several delays and interruptions due to the bad weather, which only added to the challenge.
“We had a lot of fun,” said Francis at the finish on Monday afternoon. “I think we were both a bit rusty, but towards the end of it we were beginning to show what the car can do. Apart from the ones of our own making, we had no problems at all, which I think is a great tribute to the quality and driveability of these cars.”
Franca, who contributes to the Daily Telegraph, added: “It was quite hard to get used to reading notes from maps, particularly after having had some experience of pace notes in the past. But Francis at least pretended that some of what I was saying made sense, and we had an absolutely great time! To get the class win too was the icing on the cake. It’s a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone.”
For more details about last weekend’s Roger Albert Clark Rally please visit: www.rogeralbertclarkrally.org.
– Credit: Tuthill Porsche.