Competition heats up on day two of Continental Milligan

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

A mere six points separate the top two competitors at the end of the second day on the 2012 Continental Milligan Vintage Trial.

The sealed odometer classic rally set off from the Fish River Sun at 08:30, taking the teams along the outskirts of Port Alfred, through Bathurst and on to Grahamstown on the undulating, bumpy and characteristically scenic R67.

Following the tea stop at the Grahamstown Golf Club, the route briefly joined the N2 towards Port Elizabeth before deviating onto the R343 through Salem to Kenton-on-Sea.

The 160 km route concluded just outside Port Alfred on the R72 coastal road at around 1 pm, with the participants given an opportunity to explore the area at their leisure during the afternoon.

Rodney and Ruth Idris emerged as the winners of day two in their 1951 Morris Minor with just 33 penalty points (or a total of just 33 sec off the required times at the route’s checkpoints). They were followed by Barney Marais and Pierre Woeke in the beautiful 1928 Chevrolet National Roadster.

Notably, though, Lionel Hewitt and Tony Lyons-Lewis (1954 Austin-Healey 100M) proved that consistency is crucial, finishing in third place once again with 43 penalty points for the day. This has allowed them to claim the overall lead of the 2012 Continental Milligan with 113 penalty points accumulated thus far.

Colin and Susan Meyer (1967 Mercedes-Benz 230S) have retained their second place overall, a mere six points behind the leaders, with Rodney and Ruth Idris hot in their heels on 126 penalty points. Yesterday’s leaders, Neville and Susan Koch, have dropped to fourth place, only three points adrift.

Showing impressive determination, John Ryall and Roger Lewis secured the spare water pump flown in from Cape Town for their 1968 Jaguar Mk2 and worked through the night to get it back in running order. Although well down the order overall, they completed the day in 17th place on 126 penalty points.

Other than a puncture late in the stage on the 1967 Volvo 122 S of Gwen Bennett and Wendy Jones, the day was completed with no significant mechanical maladies.

Results – Day Two

1st: Rodney and Ruth Idris (1951 Morris Minor #11) – 33 penalty points
2nd: Barney Marais and Pierre Woeke (1928 Chevrolet National Roadster #1) – 34 penalty points
3rd: Lionel Hewitt and Tony Lyons-Lewis (1954 Austin-Healey 100M #41) – 43 penalty points

Results – OVERALL

1st: Lionel Hewitt and Tony Lyons-Lewis (1954 Austin-Healey 100M #41) – 113 penalty points
2nd: Colin and Susan Meyer (1967 Mercedes-Benz 230S #25) – 119 penalty points
3rd: Rodney and Ruth Idris (1951 Morris Minor #11) – 126 penalty points

It’s day three today with the competitors heading from the Fish River Sun to East London earlier this morning along the R72.

The route includes a deviation into Kidds Beach, then follows the coastal road leading to the historical East London Grand Prix circuit, which signals the end of the day’s competitive section. The cars will be on display at the Border Vintage Car Club from around 11 am.