FOUR wheel drive proved best in the Vauxhall Rally of wales at the weekend.

Welshman David Higgins was winner in a production class Subaru Impreza.

Vauxhall's two Wirral made Astras finished sixth and seventh overall, fourth and fifth in the British Championship standings.

Finn Jarmo Kytolehto lead his team home despite a puncture, then a broken rear axle. Neal Wearden in his Astra also staged a recovery in this opening round of the British rally Championship. Rowe and Renault lead the championship though.

Seat driver Gwyndaf Evans one of the pre rally favourites had a torrid but short home event. The Welsh ace's car gave nothing but trouble and his car eventually gave up. Further bad luck for Seat when their second man Toni Garemeister also retired but Barbara Armstrong took the ladies' title for the team.

Wirral Skoda team of Cowell/Swift took part in the Panaround stages of the Vauxhall Rally of Wales. See above picture. Their next rally is the Astra Stages Forest Rally, April 3.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.