RAGLAN co-driver Paul Spooner opened his 2009 rallying account with a fine win on last weekend's Red Kite Stages 2009.

Using the event as a shakedown for this year's BTRDA Rally Championship Paul co-drove Michael O' Brien to a victory in a Ford Focus WRC 03 setting fastest times on all of the event's six stages.

Various suspension and differential settings were tried during the day together with a variety of tyre compounds.

The car ran faultlessly throughout the rally and Spooner and O' Brien are now looking for continued reliability on the first round of the BTRDA championship - the Wyedean, which will be based at Chepstow Racecourse at the beginning of February.

Spooner has a very busy season lined up as in addition to the events with Michael O' Brien, he has signed up to selected rounds of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship with Steve Perez in a Ford Focus WRC.

Spooner will also partner Perez in a Lancia Stratos on selected rounds of this year's Dunlop Gambia MSA Historic Rally Championship.

The crew are also planning to enter The Barbados Carnival Rally later in the year.

Damian Cole and Paul Morris were out of luck on The Kite when the paddle shift gear change broke on their Hyundai Accent on the way to the first stage and they had to retire.

Another local crew forced to retire was Chris and Jo Tooze from Usk in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9. When holding seventh place overall after stage two, the turbo charger on the Mitsubishi blew and it was game over.

The Red Kite also ran an historic section which was well subscribed with Ford Escorts.

Stuart Clarke from Usk, with West Whalian Elgan Davies in the hot seat wheeled out his immaculate CC Groundworks backed Ford Escort Mk2.

Clarke did not have the best of luck last year but was rewarded with fourth overall and second in class on this year's Red Kite.

The car is a credit to the Clarke family who all dig in on events to keep the car running in top condition.

The historic section was won by Terry Brown from Carmarthen and Den Golding from Newport, competing in a Ford Escort RS 1800.