Last weekend saw the running of the Suzuki Tempest Rally, based in Aldershot, Hampshire. This popular rally offers both four wheel and 2 wheel drive classes and gained a 88 car entry ready to tackle the 10 stages with the 4wd and 2wd cars starting at different stages.

The Tempest name has been around for more than three decades and this year car manufacturer Suzuki adds its name to this successful event held on Saturday November 8.

The Tempest started life as a classic event taking competitors all over the UK. Now, it is organised by the Sutton & Cheam, Middlesex and Farnborough DMS and is based at the Rushmoor Arena in Aldershot.

Organisers of the Suzuki Tempest Rally are celebrating a hugely successful event with victory for south coast driver Marcus Dodd in the Tempest4 and for David Harris from Weston Super Mare in the Tempest2. Meanwhile Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racer Loris Capirossi wowed the crowds having swapped two wheels for four to compete in the Tempest2. He finished an impressive ninth overall and third Suzuki Swift Sport and spent the day grinning while getting to grips with the forest tracks on the HampshireSurrey border.

Crews and spectators enjoyed an action-packed day of rally action on the Aldershot-based event despite heavy rain which created testing conditions for the crews. The field was split into two separate rallies, one for the two wheel drive cars and another for the more powerful four wheel drive machinery with both contesting 10 high speed stages before a return to the rally base in Aldershot.

In Tempest4 Dodd from Poole was the early leader easing ahead of three times winner Will Nicholls from the Isle of Wight. But Nicholls was determined to pressure the ANCRO champion and took the lead after a storming time on the second visit to the Ash Ranges.

But his lead was short lived when engine failure forced Nicholls into retirement and handed Dodd a comfortable lead in his Hyundai WRC with the Group N driver Robert Swann second overall, Martyn England third and touring car driver Rob Collard in fourth.

In Tempest2 eventual winners David Harris and Rupert Barker led after stage one in their Ford Escort Mark 2.

Rally manager Barry Guess said it has been an incredible day which started with Tempest2 driver Stephen Richardson arriving at the start in the nick of time having flown in on Saturday morning from a last minute business trip to America. "We have seen so much action here at the Tempest," said Barry.

"Suzuki has been a magnificent sponsor and bringing Capirossi over here was tremendous." He said the wet weather had created a real spectacle for spectators who had braved the heavy rain.

Suzuki Tempest 4 Results (4WD)
1 Marcus Dodd  Alun Cook  Hyundai Accent WRC 0:50:11       
2 Robert Swann  Garrod Darren  Subaru Impreza0:52:38  
3 Martyn England  Ian England  Mitsubishi Evo 9 RS 0:54:00   
4 Rob Collard  James Sunderland  Subaru Impreza 0:54:14
5  arl Simmons  Guy Simmons  Subaru Impreza 0:54:15 

Suzuki Tempest 2 Results (2WD)
1 David Harris  Rupert Barker  Ford Escort Mk2  0:57:33       
2 Stephen Richards  Ian Withecombe  Ford Escort  0:57:38
3 Ian Roberton  Hollie Roberton  Nissan 240RS  0:58:54
4 Graham Samuel  Bryan Hull  Ford Escort Mk1 1:01:17
5 Simon Smith  Sylvia Earle  Ford Escort 1:01:17