Roger Matthews and Mike Jode took top local honours on the recent Severn Valley Historic Rally with a excellent 10th overall, first in class.

The event was a round of the British and Welsh Historic series as well as HRCR challenge.

But it didn't start well for the duo, with the RJ Mathews Transport Escort RS1600 developing fuel breather problems. This was traced to a blocked breather pipe at service.

The afternoon was much better with the car back on song although starter motor problems on the final two tests caused concern, but they were relieved to see the finish at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.

The result sees them leading their class in the Welsh Historic Championship and their next outing will be the Harry Flatters Rally on Epynt.

Tom Marrott teamed up with Nick Painter in the BG Landrovers Escort RS looking for C3 class honours.

Losing first gear on the opening stage made the tight hairpins difficult, but they still built a comfortable class lead by service.

A steady run on the afternoon loop saw them consolidate their lead to finish 15th overall, first in class.

In the HRCR challenge event, Graham Waite and Gill Cotton had a disappointing day in the Volvo Amazon.

A wrong tyre on the opening tests saw them trail the Porsche of Rikki Profitt at service, Waite then took two fastest Category One times on the Showground stages.

He then had a water hose go on the way to stage six, he cut the hose down and refitted it, but then eight miles into the stage the differential went and retirement beckoned.

Reigning champions Eric Davis and Russell Joseph in the Dennis Motorsport Mini GT lost the intercom on stage three and the heater fell out on the next test, but they survived to finish second overall, first in class.

Fellow Mini driver Nigel Dutson took fourth overall, third in class.