ANDY Marchbank and Hugh Hunter’s defence of their BTRDA Rally title ended in disappointment at the Cambrian Rally, but they will contest next year’s Rally of Great Britain after deciding to up the ante on their racing career.

Little Sutton co-driver Marchbank and driver Hugh Hunter were out of the Gold Star series title race well before the final race after Hunter’s wife fell ill during the season and they missed some early meetings.

But they have led every race they have competed in and have been pipped to top spot by some talented guest drivers on the way.

Now they plan to move into a higher racing class next season, possible with a new car, and will also enter Rally GB, after beating some established World Rally Championship stars at the Cambrian Rally.

“Miko Hirvonen, who was competing for the WRC title, drove car 0, a non-competing car,” said Marchbank. “But five other WRC teams entered the full race and we beat all but one of them, Mads Ostberg.

“I felt a bit cheated because winning is everything, second is nothing and they were only in our race as a warm up for the Rally GB.

“But we beat enough of them to feel like giving them a taste of their own medicine next year and entering their event.”

It was the second time Marchbank had been left to rue second spot.

He and Hugh travelled up to Scotland to compete in the Colin McRae Stages Rally and saw top spot again taken from them – by four-time British champion Mark Higgins.

“It has been a positive season,” said Marchbank. “It could have been the best season ever the way we were racing but that’s rallying for you.

“We were faster than Steve Holmes in his Vodka Kick Subaru and we beat Steve Perez. It is unfair for Hugh, an amateur driver, to be put up against full-time professionals and lose out on first places as a result but in an eight-year-old car we beat some of World Rallying’s brightest talents.

“Next year, whatever car we are in, will be exciting and we will be looking to win big.

“It will come down to cost, but Hugh wants to get into a 2003 car to up the pace, after all, he was second to Mads who was driving a works Subaru worth £650,000.

“Hugh is a talented driver so next season could be really interesting.”