Witham rally driver Neil Wood, partnered by co-driver Justin Imber, of Braintree, added to their reputation as one of the most consistent and successful Pioneer Daihatsu Rally Challenge crews with two excellent results.

The first came at the non-championship Silverstone Rallysprint, the scene of their debut victory last year.

However, they were fortunate to be able to line up on the starting ramp, because just a few days before they had experienced an engine failure in testing.

After managing to get hold of a replacement engine, the Boardworth mechanics did a remarkable job of preparing the car, not finishing until 2am on the Saturday.

Undaunted by this last minute drama, Wood and Imber qualified in third place in the morning heats which carried them through to the quarter and semi-finals.

A faultless run by Wood in the quarter-finals led to an all-Essex semi-final with Neil and Justin alongside Rayleigh's Scott Vogi, the current Challenge leader.

However, the Boardworth challenge faded somewhat when a slight loss of control pitched Neil into the steel barriers.

The resulting loss of time meant that Wood finished seven-tenths of a second behind Scott -- a tiny margin, but enough to keep Wood out of the final.

Some consolation was a convincing victory in the third place run-off, when Wood posted the second fastest time of the day.

Buoyed up by the Silverstone result, Wood and Imber made the short journey to the Millbrook testing ground, Bedford.

This was the third round of the Pioneer Daihatsu Rally Challenge, and again Neil and Justin's preparations didn't go as smoothly as planned.

This time it was due to some confusion over the eligibility of their fireproof racing overalls, and a hasty replacement pair meant that Wood had to endure some discomfort as they were a few sizes too small.

Undeterred by this setback, Wood and Imber set the second fastest time on the first timed run, and maintained this position through the next two stages.

As the event progressed, it was apparent that the Millbrook National Rally was becoming a four-car race, with Wood and Imber swapping fastest times with their nearest adversaries over the whole 60-mile event.

In the end, it was luck rather than skill that determined the final result, and Wood and Imber finished a highly credible fourth after being baulked by slower cars causing a traffic jam on the tight and narrow circuit.

"It was a good result for us, and a satisfying end to a very hard fought weekend," said Wood at the finish.

"I had to drive flat-out all the time, and the competition was so fierce that I'm just glad the car is still in one piece. Another all-night session rebuilding it would have been just too much."

The fourth round of the Pioneer Daihatsu Rally Challenge takes place on June 30, when the crews make the journey north to the Scottish Borders for the Jim Clark Rally.

This event, which takes place on closed public roads, also includes a night section, and will no doubt provide further stories of drama, success and heartbreak.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.