The event did not start well for Wright as he hit a bank in his Kumho Tyres, Proflex, Drenth, York Brewery, Millers Oils and Grove Hill Garage-backed GPM Mitsubishi Evo 9 when doing a run the day before the festival opened. The car suffered suspension damage which took most of Thursday to repair but the car was all ready to go on Friday.
Despite facing tough competition from the likes of the works Skoda team and the Citroën DS3 WRC of world rally driver Thierry Neuville Wright was quickest on the very slippery rally stage, pipping Intercontinental Rally Championship champion Andreas Mikkelsen by 0.4 seconds. He repeated the performance on Saturday before rounding off his event by taking another quickest time on Sunday, this time beating Neuville into second place.
“It was an unbelievable event, “ said Wright. “To beat some of the stars of world championship level rallying was fantastic. The stage was unlike anything I’ve driven on before, the chalky surface was almost like driving on ice.”
“Thanks to the team for getting Thurday’s damage repaired, they did a great job and without them I would not have been able to run the car in the event. Thanks also to the International Rally Drivers Club for inviting me to drive, I’m very proud to have been the quickest driver and hopefully I can return next year.”
Wright will return to action later this month on the Nicky Grist Stages in Wales.
