By Derek Hill & Paul Willetts

DURSLEY rally star David Stokes insists he has no intention of retiring after winning his fourth national motorsport title in the Isle of Man at the age of 67.

Stokes and co-driver Guy Weaver were crowned Mintex MSA British Historic champions for 2014 after securing a fine third overall and first in category two on the Manx Historic Stages.

“I totted up the mileage I have done in the rally car on the way back on the ferry from the Isle of Man and it came to just over 600 miles this year plus many more driving to events all the country, and I’m ready for more,” said Stokes who runs Draycott Bakery.

Stokes and Wolverhampton-based Weaver had already set a precedent a year ago when they captured the British Historic Championship title for the third time and have now set a target that will be hard to match.

The pair, whose relationship goes back nine years, have used the same car on every event.

“It has been repaired quite a lot and has had two new body shells along the way,” admitted Stokes, who had a relatively easy ride to victory as he led the historic category from start to finish and was quickest on every test on the closed public roads.

Stokes has owned his Ford Escort RS1600 since he returned to rallying in 2002.

When he decided to tackle the historic championship, which entails travelling all over the country, he acquired a 40ft long bread van and converted it into a mobile home.

“It looks huge but it’s no longer than any of the large lorries you see all over the place.

"It sleeps six and my wife, younger brother and a mechanic pile in and away we go.”

The three-day Manx event offered the 100-plus competitors166 competitive miles on the Manx lanes.

The opening leg offered four tests on the Thursday evening in darkness.

Thankfully the forecast of fog held off and Stokes was soon into his stride on an island where he first rallied in 1969, opening up a 34-second lead over championship rival Stanley Orr, the Irishman co-driven for the first time by Phil Sandham.

Friday consisted of an epic 13 tests with Stokes setting fastest times on the Castletown and Castle Rushden tests before darkness saw the classics of Druidale, Andreas and Tholt y Will stages.

Stokes' lead was increasing with every mile, but he still could not afford a slip up, which would then allow Orr back into the title race.

Saturday's third and final leg consisted of just seven stages in the Curraghs area.

Again, the Escort RS1600 never missed a beat and as they crossed the finish line of the last stage behind the TT Grandstand, they knew the title was theirs.

"We are over the moon to wrap up the title for a fourth time. It's a proper team effort, as without the rest of the team none of this would be possible," said Weaver.

The season doesn't end there as the duo head to Yorkshire this weekend for the Trackrod Stages, the final round of the WWRS RAC series, where a category win could see them finish runners-up in that Championship.

The week after that they head for Aberfeldy in Scotland for the final round of the MSA historic series, the McRae Stages, before doing the three-day Wales Rally GB National Rally in November.

Stokes and Weaver will receive their awards at a Champions Gala Evening at the RAC in Pall Mall, London, after Christmas, which will be attended by the winners of every other British motor sport series.