ROAD rally man Paul Buckel had to settle for second in the race for the ANWCC 1400cc drivers title.

The Accrington driver was pipped at the post by Chris Barlow on the final round, the Farrington Trophy, despite beating him on the event.

But Buckel, who had regular navigator Steve Butler with him, was upbeat about his season.

He said: “We beat Barlow on the night, but not by enough. However, I’m not disappointed as we’ve had our best season ever.

“We’ve won the semi-experts class in the SD34 Road Rally Championship, as well as taking second overall, and finished second in the ANWCC 1400cc class, second in the semi-experts and 11th overall.

“The Farrington was a very good event run in North Wales, so it was a very demanding and technical route made especially hard by the weather conditions. We had everything thrown at us, rain, snow and fog.

“By the end of the first time card, we were getting very close to OTL (Over Time Limit), but we decided to risk it and not cut the route.

“To our relief that OTL had been extended so we managed to stay in the rally.

“The second time card cost us with one wrong slot and a bit of confusion over a marshal’s instruction regarding a white, which wasn’t helped by thick fog.

“We got back to the card collection control expecting to start the third time card, only to find out it had been cancelled and that was the end of the rally.

“I don’t mind admitting that I was a little relieved as it was such a tense and difficult night.”

With the season now finished, Buckel has put his Vauxhall Nova up for sale and will joining the growing number of road rally drivers using Proton Satrias for 2010.