A COURAGEOUS fightback by Daniel Harper and Les Reger on the last day of the Network Q RAC Rally has been rewarded with a class victory.

The Mini Cooper men went into yesterday's final leg in South Wales in 81st position overall, and holding a forty one second in class A5.

Within two stages however, their lead had been cut to just four seconds before disaster struck on SS20 at Resolfen.

Their Mini Sport of Padiham-run car suffered a cracked windscreen and then spun off into a ditch, with the resulting thirty-second delay dropping the pair down the class leaderboard.

But a brilliant last-stage surge saw Daniel and Les turn the deficit into a one minute and three second victory over Japanese driver Masahiro Takasaki in Nissan Micra.

"It's been a tough rally, but the result is brilliant. I reckon we'll be having a beer or two to celebrate when we get home! " said Daniel.

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