HEREFORDSHIRE rally crews competed against the country’s best during the mammoth five-day Roger Albert Clark Rally

The event attracted a huge 165-car entry to the Camarthen start on Thursday morning with entries coming from all over the world.

Ahead lay 350 competitive miles with 33 special stages.

After two days in the classic Welsh forests, the event headed north into the Scottish Borders region, before the final two legs in the notorious Kielder Forest complex which included final test of 38.92 miles before the Monday evening finish back in Carlisle.

Reasonable weather in Wales were followed by incredibly slippery and icy Scottish stages and the Kielder complex.

Theo Bengry and Les Forsbrook in the Leominster Car Auctions Opel Ascona celebrated 40 years since Bengry was crowned Motoring News road rally champion in the very same car.

It was the cars final competitive outing and the RAC Rally veterans had a fairly trouble free run given it was Bengry’s first event for two years.

Until the final long stage the pair were holding 26th overall until their Ascona slid wide into one of Kielder’s deep ditches resulting in a stage maximum and they finished 47th overall and second in class.

Another veteran co-driver Alan Jones teamed up with East African Safari legend Frank Tundo in the mighty TR7 V8.

The two got off to a dreadful start loosing 10 minutes on the opening test with electrical issues, eventually finishing 53rd overall and second in class.

A last minute call saw another old head take up his usual position in the co-driver’s seat as Mark Ammonds teamed with Stuart McClaren in the Opel Kadett GTE.

They were another crew who experienced major issues on Thursday morning’s opening loop with what was eventually traced to fuel starvation with a blocked fuel filter.

Things were going well until the final mammoth stage when they too were slipped off the road and take a stage maximum to finish 75th overall.

There were a few crews that never made the finish on Monday evening which included Roger Chilman, the new crowned British Historic Rally Champion, who succumbed to engine issues on the opening test.

Another opening stage retirement was Dave Tomlin and Keith Ashley in their Escort RS with an engine fire.

Gareth James with Hereford’s Dan Petrie on the notes were holding a strong top 10 place until they were another crew to have engine problems on Friday afternoon and were out.

At the front of the field Oliver Solberg was in a class of his own to lead by over five minutes before breaking a shaft on Sunday’s final test dropping him to fourth overnight.

Irish duo Marty McCormack and Barney Mitchell claimed their fourth RAC victory with a controlled drive.