BELLINGHAM Golf Club captain Michael Davison tried a different type of driving to great effect.

For he took a night off from his golfing duties to score a resounding victory in the opening round of the Hexham and District Motor Club’s rallying season.

Alongside navigator Ali Proctor, he claimed an incident packed Clive Elliott Memorial Rally as he enjoyed a smooth run when most of the other competition experienced all manner of problems.

The Proton-mounted crew dropped a mere 40 seconds to emerge as cleaner winners ahead of runners-up Luke Tait and Chris Dodds in their first outing in a completely rebuilt Ford Escort Mexico.

The evening’s drama started before the rally began when Sally-Ann Hewitt and Mark Lewis were forced to pull out when their Mini Clubman developed a servo problem.

Andrew Magee, sitting in for the first time with Alan Bennison, made his partner sweat as he faced a frantic 50-mile round dash back home after forgetting his gear. Fortunately, he arrived back in the nick of time!

The rally opened on the well-known loop at Broomley Ford which finished at Ovington, and it was Davison and Proctor excelling by dropping just 40 seconds. Nigel Cardale and Robert Renwick were best of the rest on 1:42.

The route then went through Matfen and Ryal, with the roads proving tricky due to the freezing temperatures, and then through Riding Mill via Sandhoe.

The final section of the night used the lanes around Dipton and the twisty section towards Slaley, and it proved to be the undoing of Bennison and Magee as they were caught out by a tight right hand bend which resulted in a visit to a deep ditch.

Despite the best efforts of a hastily summoned recue crew, the car remained stuck overnight until retrieved by an obliging farmer with a 4x4 tractor.

Back at the Dr Syntax pub at Stocksfield’s New Ridley, the results quickly showed that Davison and Proctor took the title comprehensively.

It was a close battle for second spot with just 30 seconds separating runners-up Tait and Dodds, third placed Cardale and Renwick and fourth placed Ian Guthrie and Jonathon Webb.

The Hexham 12 Car Series continues with the March Melee on March 8, a 60-mile race which starts in Prudhoe and again finishes at the Dr Syntax.

The Hexham and District Motor Club welcomes new members, and motorsport fans in general, to attend club nights at the pub on Wednesday evenings.

Results: 1, Mick Davison/ Ali Proctor (Proton), 0:40; 2, Luke Tait/ Chris Dodds (Escort Mexico), 4:16; 3, Nigel Cardale/ Robert Renwick (Corsa), 4:42; 4, Ian Guthrie/ Jonathon Webb (Ford Anglia), 4:46; 5, Jeff Tait/ Roy Hewitt (Escort MK2), 9:44; 6, Simon Jennings/ Clive White (Peugeot 106), 20:25; 7, Anthony Finn/ Dan Finn (Citroen DS3), 25:14; 8, Ian Eland/ George Eland (Proton), 29:45; 9, George Harrison/ Stephen Crosby Proton (61:50). DNF: Alan Bennison/ Andrew Magee (Proton); DNS: Sally Ann Hewitt/ Mark Lewis (Mini Clubman).