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Report, round eight: Trackrod Historic Cup
Press release: Monday, 28 September, 2009
The fast and dusty stages of Yorkshire played host to the eighth and final round of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Trackrod Historic Cup (26 September).
Another category one victory for Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) confirmed them as overall BHRC champions, while victory in category three was a superb result for Julian Reynolds and Ian Oakey, who set a fearsome pace in their Escort Mk2.
In category two, the non-registered Stefaan Stouf and Joris Erard led the field, while maximum points for David Stokes and Guy Weaver confirmed them as category champions. Meanwhile, Darren Moon and Chris Parsons topped a fine season in their Escort Mk2 by securing the category three crown.
Category 1
With championship points as the main target, Nutt/McBride took a measured approach to the rally but started with a moderate push on the opening 16-mile stage in Dalby. However, they were still quickest and took a lead that would carry them through to the finish despite a very cautious run through the concluding 14 miles of Langdale.
"We had a bit of a try in Dalby and got a lead," reported Nutt. "After that it was a case of holding the lead. The can ran perfectly."
Although the tough stages thinned out the category one field somewhat, Nutt could never afford to relax too much as Paul Mankin and Desmond Bell kept up a spirited pursuit in their Lotus Cortina and were quickest category one car through Langdale. "Third time lucky," said Mankin after failing to finish the two previous Trackrods. "We went off twice in Dalby, but it was okay after that," reported Mankin.
Terry Cree and Richard Shores were third in the category and won class B2 in their Mini Cooper S despite finding a big hole in Langdale and bending the steering. Geoff Taylor and Steve Greenhill took their Sunbeam Imp Sport to B1 spoils as a water pipe problem sidelined the Sunbeam Stiletto of Mike Barratt and Jody Watson, while the Saab 96 of Nick Pinkett and Jonathan Lodge took B3 honours.
Category 2
Stokes and Weaver could only go for maximum points in category two and hope that Nutt faltered in the contest for the overall BHRC title. But with the Porsche running strongly, Stokes and Weaver were left to claim the category two crown after another strong rally.
However, ahead of them were non-registered Stouf and Erard after a tremendous run. "It's a great result; the last stage was awesome," said Stouf after his best ever result on gravel.
"It didn't matter about Stefaan for the championship," said Stokes. "We had a wrong slot in Cropton that cost us 10s and I wasn't going to risk going off chasing him."
Third in category two came Rupert Lomax and David Alcock in their Escort Mk1, although they dropped some time with ignition dramas and were relieved to get to the finish, still within half a minute of Stouf.
A tremendous fourth in category two and winners of C3 were Russell Morgan and Martin Kenyon in their Escort Mk1. On their first rally since retiring from the Bulldog, Morgan admitted to a steady start in Dalby, but he soon upped his pace to take control of the class. "We lost time in Dalby, but after that it went well," said Morgan, who has spent the summer concentrating on the racing career of son Adam.
Fastest in C3 through Dalby was a mighty performance from James Slaughter and Phil Peak. Unfortunately, their bid for second in C3 was ruined when a big bump in Langdale threw their Escort into a ditch, and more than two minutes were lost getting going again. Instead, Ken Forster and John Stanger-Leathes took second from Robin Shuttleworth/Ronnie Roughead and Andrew Siddall/Captain Thompson.
Another fine run from Vincent Bristow claimed class C2 in his Ford Escort Mk1, this time with Tim Sayer in the co-driver's seat. They battled all through Dalby with a stuck throttle and wore the brakes out in the process, but still took the class and ninth overall in category two.
Category 3
Right from the start of 16 miles in Dalby, the pace in category three was fierce and it was Reynolds and Oakey to the fore in their Escort Mk2. Too often this season their pace has gone unrewarded, but this time it all held together for a superb victory. The fact that they won away from Wales made it all the sweeter, although the loss of first gear made things tougher. "It was a problem out of the chicanes and slow corners," admitted Reynolds after a great drive.
The non-registered crew of Martin McCormack and Jim Goodman took second, while Nick Elliott and Dave Price retired their Escort Mk2 after the first stage. They got through Dalby, but thumped the bank on the last corner and damaged the steering. "On the next road section when I braked hard it spun the wheel out of my hands, so there was no point in carrying on," explained Elliott.
Into third came Darren Moon and Chris Parsons in their Escort Mk2 after some brake dramas, while the top five featured two non-Escorts as Steve Magson/Geoff Atkinson (Opel Ascona 400) and Rob Smith/Shaun O'Gorman (Vauxhall Chevette) both had excellent runs to show the potential of their cars.
Richard Lane and Frank Richer bagged class D3 again in their Escort Mk2, finishing 1m20s clear of Stephen Richards and Ian Withecombe as Devon-based Richards sampled the Yorkshire stages for the first time. Wayne Bonser and Richard Aston took their Escort Mk2 to third while Chris Shooter and Bev LeGood parked their Escort for the second event running with cam belt woes.
Jacob Scannell and Nina Thompson were also new to Yorkshire and they bagged D2 spoils ahead of the battling Sunbeams of Ian Coulson/Joe Jones and Pat Anderson/Robert Brook.
Added: 28th September 2009 [permalink]
Report, round seven: Historic Tour of Flanders
Press release: Monday, 14 September, 2009
While several leading crews focussed on the battle for the overall title, Steven Smith and Phil Spurge had no such concerns and duly won round seven of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Historic Tour of Flanders (11-13 September).
The Porsche 911RS won category two, while Darren Moon and Chris Parsons had an impressive run in their Escort Mk2 to win category three. In category one, another victory for Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) sets up a championship cliff-hanger with David Stokes and Guy Weaver (Escort Mk1) for the final event of the season.
Category 1
With championship scores uppermost in their minds, Nutt and McBride knew they had to be quick and safe, and that was the story of their rally. The Tuthill-tended Porsche 911 never missed a beat as they swept clear during a long tough Saturday leg in the lanes around Roeselare.
In fact, the only real worry of the day was when one of Dessie's contact lenses slipped out of position and left him struggling for vision. With that little issue fixed for Sunday's shorter leg, it was back to business as usual for a resounding category victory.
However, they could never relax too much as Rikki Proffitt and Bob Duck - a late stand-in co-driver - had a fine run in their Porsche 911. "This is my first special stage event in Europe," admitted Rikki, who loved every minute of driving the Porsche in Belgium.
Third in category one and victory in class B1 went to Gary and Jane Edgington in what was sometimes a challenging event in the Singer Chamois. Their biggest problem was a persistent misfire that hung around all day Saturday, but they came through smiling to give the little car another monster result. "Today's been good," said Gary at the finish on Sunday, relieved to finally have the car running cleanly.
They finished well clear of class B1 rivals Peter Horsburgh and Graham Carter who made a welcome appearance in their Mini Cooper. "I'm a bit rusty," said Horsburgh on his first BHRC event for over a year. They nose-dived into a field on Saturday but some willing spectators got them going again.
Category 2
Smith and Spurge bagged the lead of category two on the opening Beveren stage on Friday evening. Despite Spurge being new to Belgium, they stayed ahead throughout and their only scare came at the end of the third Izegem stage on Saturday with a high-speed spin. Somehow they avoided the ditches, but it was a big moment to end the day. Some rain on Sunday morning did no harm to their chances and they reeled off Sunday's eight stages to take a resounding victory. "We loved it; fantastic fun," said Smith.
Always leading the chase of Smith was the Escort of Stokes/Weaver and they bagged six stage wins on their way to second in category two and victory in class C5. Their biggest problem came late on Sunday when a clutch problem made going down the gearbox very difficult, and Stokes had to cut his pace accordingly.
Into an excellent third in category two came the Porsche 911 of Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne, who started the event battling with the similar cars of Peter Lythell/Gill Cotton and Derek Boyd/Maurice Beckett. However, a ditch claimed Lythell and a broken gearbox put Boyd out, so Smith was away and clear in second. "This is the second event that I've not damaged the car, so that's progress," said the Yorkshireman.
With Ernie Graham/Andy Greenland out with engine dramas and Rupert Lomax/David Alcock down the order after going off three times on Saturday, fourth in category two was fought over by the top C3 runners. After a mighty battle, Andrew Siddall and Captain Thompson scored a famous victory in their Escort Mk1 after overhauling Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes on Sunday.
"It's great to win C3 at last," said Siddall after a superb performance, which left them 20s ahead of Forster/Stanger-Leathes at the finish after being almost level overnight. Drew Wylie and Howard Pridmore were back in third as Wylie rallied in Flanders for the first time.
Ahead of Wylie in the final category two placings was the C2 winning Escort Mk1 of Vincent Bristow and Keith Fellowes. "No problems at all today," said Bristow, who had lost all his brakes on the opening loop on Saturday. "I wanted to be top six overall in the category," he said after achieving his target.
Category 3
Right from the start of the rally, Moon and Parsons stamped their authority on category three and built their lead to 2m40s by the conclusion of a tremendous run, on only Moon's second visit to Flanders. Their major concern was a clutch problem that developed late on Saturday, but the service crew sorted that over two visits to service and Moon was able to continue his excellent pace through Sunday, when he finished the rally with four stage wins on the trot. "Fantastic," was how he summed up the weekend, before adding his thanks to his service crew.
Second in the category was a good result for Will Onions and Tim Hobbs in their Escort Mk2. They lost first gear on Saturday, but a spare gearbox on loan from Mark Solloway had them running strongly once more to finish nearly two minutes up on team mates Guy Woodcock and Iwan Jones. Woodcock again bagged D3 spoils, but was kept on his toes by a strong run from Richard Lane and Frank Richer (Escort Mk2). "That's the first finish in four attempts at this rally," said a delighted Lane, who closed in on Woodcock towards the finish as the leader's clutch wilted.
Phil and Mick Squires had a good run and steadily upped their pace to take third in D5, while the battle for D4 was an all-Porsche affair as Richard Tuthill and Calvin Cooledge got their thundering 928 to a debut finish ahead of the 911 of Mike Anderson/Alan Brown.
Finally, a great performance on their first asphalt event netted D2 victory for the Escort Mk2 of Jacob Scannell/Nina Thompson. "We've done it! Absolutely brilliant," said Scannell at the finish.
The BHRC action concludes with round eight, the Trackrod Historic Cup, on 26 September.
Added: 14th September 2009 [permalink]
Report, round six: Harry Flatters Historic Rally
Press release: Monday, 3 August, 2009
It was maximum points for Julian Reynolds and Ian Oakey on round six of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Harry Flatters Historic Rally (1/2 August).
While Epynt ace Mark Solloway (non-BHRC registered) won the historic rally, title contender Gwyndaf Evans retired on the penultimate stage on his first rally over the ranges for 24 years.
In category two, David Stokes and Guy Weaver proved unbeatable in their Escort Mk1, while Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) performed a similar feat in category one.
Category 1
With only four starters in category one Nutt/McBride were expected to cruise to another win. "We had problems mainly with sheep, on the first stage we braked and then braked again as I was sure I was going to hit one. Then it moved to the right and we just missed it," said Nutt. "We had three more near misses with them on stage five too," he added.
The winning margin was almost two minutes, as Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell (Lotus Cortina) took a clear second as the only starter in class B4. "Apart from a near off on stage three on cold tyres, we didn't have any problems," said Mankin. Rikki Proffitt and Phil Harrison were still getting used to their Porsche 911, but also had a trouble free run to third overall and second place in B5. Mike Bartlett/David Leslie (Austin Mini Cooper S) made it home fourth, running solo in class B2.
Category 2
Stokes and Weaver started off in determined fashion, pulling out a 16-second lead over their rivals on the opening stage. Non-BHRC registered Toby Adam and Neil Cook (Escort Mk1) were eight seconds up on Ernie Graham/Andy Morgan after the two Saturday evening stages, but on Sunday morning Graham immediately closed the gap again to four second. Graham was poised to ease ahead when the gap became one second on stage four, only for Adam to respond and consolidate his place once more. But Graham kept up his challenge and only lost out by three seconds in the end.
It wasn't all plain sailing for Stokes however. "We were in fifth at the end of the New Road, started to brake but kept going as the throttle had stuck wide open. It had gone beyond the stop and I lost 17 seconds," he explained.
Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne (Porsche 911) ran a strong fourth for the first six stages, before Neal James and Kevin Jones came charging through to claim the place from stage eight, on their debut run in the ex-Jeff Churchill Escort Mk1 BDA. "We were struggling to get used to our new car and a ZF gearbox, so there were quite a few screams and crunches. It started to get better, so we were pleased as the first stage was really the shakedown for the car," said James.
Smith eventually fell to seventh on the final stage, as Drew Wylie/Howard Pridmore (Escort Mk1) and Derek Boyd/Simon Hunter (Porsche 911) both moved ahead. "It was a very steep learning curve and far too many Welsh and English crews with local knowledge," said class Wylie after taking maximum C3 points.
Graham and James followed Stokes in class C5, with Wylie having to keep pushing after a big challenge from Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes. Andrew Siddall/Captain Thompson had a plug lead come off on the first stage, but came back to fourth in class C3 in their Escort Mk1. Jeremy Wells/Martin Saunders also survived in their Escort Mk1, but Ian Drummond/Yvonne Coppin's Escort expired on the final run with electrical gremlins.
In class C4 former BL and Ford works driver Boyd celebrated victory on his first visit to Epynt with his Porsche 911, showing a clean pair of heels to fellow Porsche crews Smith/Langthorne and Peter Lythell/Gill Cotton. Matt Fowle/Robert Cook (Escort Mk1) had a solo run to take top spot in class C2.
Category 3
Among the BHRC registered crews, it was Gwyndaf Evans and Huw Lewis, taking the lead overnight from Julian Reynolds and Ian Oakey, but it had taken a rapid gearbox change to keep the Viking Motorsport Escort of Evans running strongly.
Behind non-registered Mark Solloway/Den Golding, Evans/Lewis led the championship contenders until the penultimate stage when the alternator fan sheared and broke an oil pipe. Eventually that cost them a finish and another maximum points' score.
Reynolds/Oakey therefore took maximum points but was a little disappointed with his pace. "We had a whining sound from the gearbox on Saturday night so changed it overnight. On Sunday mornings first leg though it must have jumped out of gear 20 times though," he said.
Darren Moon and Chris Parsons were next in their Escort Mk2, after being loaned a spare gearbox by Ernie Graham. "We were stuck in fifth on Saturday night and Ernie just came over and offered us his spare box, then Rikki Proffitt did the same," said Moon. Will Onions and Tim Hobbs Escort has a good run in unfamiliar surroundings to take third in the points' scorers. "We were like the championship winners with the top guys in the Premiership," said Onions.
Simon Tysoe/Cliff Simons were also in the wars but survived to take sixth place. "At the chicane at Fourways on stage five we got sideways and hit a big stone," they explained. Phil and Mick Squires were the final D5 finishers, "It took a while for us to remember what to do," said Squires after a break from competing. Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James retired when they got stuck in second gear at the start of stage six, Rob Smith/Shaun O'Gorman broke their Vauxhall Chevette and both Conor Corkill/Howard Allison and James Potter/Arwel Jenkins had offs in their Escorts.
In D3 Guy Woodcock/Hu Kent (Escort Mk2) the legs of Chris Shooter/Bev Le Good and with Wayne Bonser/Richard Aston retiring their Escort on the second stage, there were no other finishers in D4.
The BHRC action continues with round seven, the Historic Tour of Flanders, on 12/13 September.
Added: 3rd August 2009 [permalink]
Report, round five: Isle of Man Historic Rally
Press release: Monday, 13 July, 2009
Gwyndaf Evans completed a hat-trick of win in category three of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship when he dominated the Isle of Man Historic Rally (10/11 July).
Partnered by Huw Lewis, Evans won every one of the 18 stages in a mighty performance in the Ford Escort Mk2 of Viking Motorsport as the island roads again delivered a fabulous challenge to the BHRC crews.
In category two, Steven Smith and John Nichols had to push hard in their Porsche 911 to battle ahead of the Escort Mk1 of David Stokes/Guy Weaver, while a measured performance from Rupert Lomax/David Alcock took them to the top of the championship table.
In category one, Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride made it four Isle of Man wins in a row with their Porsche 911.
Category 1
The stage was set for a fine battle for category one between Nutt/McBride and the Sunbeam Tiger of Jonathan and Graham Gale after they shared fastest time over the opening two stages. Unfortunately, stage three was as far as the Tiger went when it slid off the road in Little London and was too badly damaged to continue. It was on a section of road that pre-event instructions said not to recce, and the Gales paid a price for following those instructions.
With the same stage claiming the Porsche 911 of Rikki Proffitt/Phill Harrison with a broken gearbox, Nutt/McBride were left with a clear run. However, it was not all plain sailing as a rattle from the gearbox during Friday heralded a problem with first gear and the Tuthill team had to take the box apart on Friday night and fit a new first gear.
"Richard and the guys did a great job," said Nutt after spraying the champagne on Saturday afternoon. "The car ran perfectly today."
The honour of second place in category one and B1 victory came after a mighty performance from Gary and Jane Edgington in their Singer Chamois. The highlight of their rally was matching the Porsche on the very foggy Cringle stage on Saturday, despite a time-consuming overshoot. "Gary loves the fog," said Jane of one of the drives of the rally, with the car running with commendable reliability.
Things were far from good for Paul Mankin and Desmond Bell, however. Their Lotus Cortina broke a halfshaft on the start line of the first stage and then another as they tried to contest Saturday's stages. B4 victory therefore went to the Volvo Amazon of Manx veterans John and Stephen Moxon.
Third and fourth places in category one went to the non-BHRC registered Minis of Stephen Higgins/David Corlett and Shinobu Kitani/Makoto Mizoi. Maximum B2 points should have gone to Mike Barratt/Jody Watson, but they clobbered a wall on the final stage and were denied a finish.
Category 2
Stokes/Weaver set the category two pace throughout Friday, despite a couple of problems. A wrong tyre call on the 21-mile Newtown stage cost them time, as did an unscheduled trip up a bridleway in Glen Roy, but they ended the day with a 25s lead over Smith/Nichols. For the Porsche crew, the opening day was troubled with brake dramas and they nearly went out right at the start with an off on the first stage.
Saturday was better for Smith, however, and when it rained for the long Newtown stage he was able to really attack Stokes to move ahead. "We had a big moment in Newtown and backed off," reported Stokes, who ended the rally 70s down on the Porsche to win class C5.
Third in category two was the subject of a fine battle as Ernie Graham/Ashley Trimble fought to keep their Escort Mk1 ahead of the Porsche of Derek and Roisin Boyd and the Escort of Rupert Lomax/David Alcock. That was how they finished after all three crews turned in excellent performances. "We had a really good rally," said Graham. "But it is very hard to beat Steven Smith and David Stokes."
Another excellent run from Drew Wylie and Howard Pridmore was rewarded with C3 victory in their Escort Mk1, going clear of Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes. "Thanks go to XS Racing for keeping the car in one piece," said Wylie, while Forster found his Escort much improved after a change of springs on Friday night.
Despite a visit to a ditch, Peter Smith and Graham Wild took second in C5 in their Porsche 911, finishing clear of the similar car of Peter Lythell/Gill Cotton. Meanwhile, Neil Rudd and Brian Hodgson bagged class C2 after a sterling performance in their 1600cc Escort Mk1.
Category 3
Evans/Lewis stamped their authority on the event from the opening stage when they took an immediate lead. They pushed hard all day Friday to build a cushion ready for the rain that was forecast for Saturday and ended day one with a lead of over three minutes. The Escort Mk2 continued it's steamroller pace through Saturday when the rain largely stayed away and the winning margin was a whopping five minutes at the finish. "That's probably one of the most enjoyable rallies I've ever done," said Gwyndaf after a faultless drive.
Second and third in the category fell to the non-BHRC registered crews of Phil Collins/Diarmuid Falvey (Opel Ascona) and Mark Solloway/Den Golding (Ford Escort Mk2), and into fourth came Darren Moon/Chris Parsons after a hard-charging run in their Escort Mk2. "I'm pleased to get to the finish for the first time here," said Moon.
Will Onions/Tim Hobbs netted third BHRC crew in D5 after climbing a big learning curve on only Will's second visit to the island. In the dry of Friday their pace improved all the time, despite rearranging some street furniture in the Castletown stage and running without a starter motor. Next up after a strong run was the Vauxhall Chevette of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
D3 victory on the rally fell to the non-scoring Escort Mk2 of Guy Woodcock/Iwan Jones, with Woodcock using his Manx experience to good effect. The runner-up slot went to Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood after Mark Clifford/Elgan Davies retired with a broken cam follower on their Escort Mk2.
The BHRC action continues with round six, the Harry Flatters Historic Rally, on 1/2 August.
Added: 13th July 2009 [permalink]
Report, round four: Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Jonathan GalePress release: Monday, 22 June, 2009
Gwyndaf Evans made it two wins on the trot in category three of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship when he won the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages on Sunday (21 June). Partnered by Gareth Roberts, Evans swept ahead when both Julian Reynolds/Ian Oakey and Nick Elliott/Dave Price hit trouble after they has set stunning times over the opening stages.
In category two, David Stokes/Guy Weaver turned in an excellent run to claim victory while Jonathan and Graham Gale bagged category one in their Sunbeam Tiger.
Once again the classic stages in Hafren and Myherin drew unanimous praise from the crews and the new organising team behind the rally delivered a first class event.
Category 1
Despite running first on the road throughout the rally, Gale was always top dog in category one having pushed the Tiger clear on the opening 10-mile stage that started in Hafren and finished in Sweet Lamb. Through the second pair of Hafren stages, Gale extended his lead, but it was never a case of just cruising to victory.
The first big drama came on the descent from Pikes Peak when a huge moment caused a deal of excitement inside the car. Then, fuel vapourisation struck and they struggled into the long Myherin stage. Finally, a detached windscreen wiper and misted screen made vision very difficult in the last stage to Elvis Rock, so it was a relieved Gale who returned to Newtown with victory confirmed. "That was an enormous moment coming down from Pikes Peak," reported Jonathan.
Leading the chase of the Tiger was non-BHRC crew Graham Waite/Gill Cotton, who pedalled the Volvo Amazon with typical verve to head Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911). With the Porsche still bearing the scars of the off on the Severn Valley, Nutt was happy to reach the finish without any dramas.
"The car hasn't missed a beat," reported Paul Mankin and Des Bell after another class B4 victory to put themselves back into the overall BHRC lead, while Mike Barratt/Jody Watson took B2 in their Mini Cooper despite Watson being ill for most of the rally.
In B1, with the Sunbeam Imp of Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill out with a broken gear lever, it was down to the Saab 96s of John Parker/Caroline Lodge and Nick Pinkett/Jonathan Lodge. In a tribute to his former co-driver Bob Harrison, who died recently, Parker claimed the class on his first rally for over a year.
Category 2
The decisive moment in category two came towards the end of the second run through Hafren South when Rupert Lomax/David Alcock sportingly pulled over to let Stokes/Weaver go by. They had been only a second apart on the first stage, but a stuck throttle cost Lomax more than a minute as they drove out of the stage on the cut-off switch.
They were again closely matched over the later stages, but the damage had been done and Stokes/Weaver won by a minute and a half after a faultless performance. "Once I passed Rupert I didn't take any risks," reported Stokes after a result to end a run of troubled rallies.
Tim Mason/Graham Wild ran with the Escorts over the opening stages in their Porsche 911, but went out of the rally in mysterious circumstances in Myherin. Running first on the road after a gap following Nick Elliott's accident, they arrived at a corner to find a large log in the road and the resulting suspension damage ended their rally in a most unfortunate manner. With the Porsche out, Lomax fought back to second to maintain his title bid heading for the Isle of Man.
Into C4 victory came Jeremy Easson/Alun Cook in the mighty Ford Capri, though Easson admitted that the twisty section of Sweet Lamb was definitely not Capri territory. A couple of offs and a puncture cost Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne (Porsche 911) a good result, but they set some encouraging times in the process.
As ever, the contest for C3 glory was spectacular and fiercely competitive among the Escort Mk1s. Drew Wylie and Howard Pridmore lost over half a minute on the first stage when Wylie admitted to having not woken up. Instead, Tim Jones/Don James took the lead and had to push very hard to fend off the flying Neal James/Kevin Jones, with the margin just four seconds after a fine battle. "We had a bad stage in Myherin," said Jones after a long wait at the start of the stage. Wylie/Pridmore took third from Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes.
Vince Bristow/John Cadwallader were well on target for C2 spoils with a great run when a melted piston ended their rally. Instead, Matt Fowle/Robert Cook took the class and tenth overall in category two despite nursing their Escort home with a failing head-gasket.
Category 3
The pace among the top three Escort Mk2s in category three was sensational as Reynolds/Oakey and Elliott/Price tied on the opening stage, 12s up on Evans/Roberts. Reynolds then went 2s faster than Elliott in Hafren North before adding nine seconds to his lead on the second run through Hafren South, aided when Elliott lost the intercom. But it was stunning stuff and the many spectators out on the stages loved the spectacle.
Heading out of service towards Pikes Peak, Reynolds was 11s up on Elliott and 23s up on Evans, who felt he had lost time with a wrong tyre choice, but gave full credit to the speed of his rivals. However, Pikes Peak dealt Reynolds a crushing blow with an early puncture and they lost nearly four minutes changing the wheel. But worse was to come for Elliott on the 12-miler in Myherin. An off-camber left threw them into the ditch and the Escort went over twice. Though unharmed, Nick had breathed in some fire extinguishant and felt groggy, so the stage was halted while medical crews attended. "It was all going fairly comfortably and we'd just inherited the lead," said Elliott.
All of this left Evans with a clear lead but he acknowledged the pace of his rivals. "They were both going well and I wasn't going quick enough to catch them," he said. Nevertheless, a second victory on the run went to the Viking Motorsport crew.
Through to a fine second pace came Will Onions/Tim Hobbs after their best BHRC run so far. "A very good day; no problems," reported Hobbs as they ended the rally half a minute up on Paul Griffiths/Sam Collis. Out for the first time this season, Griffiths got back into the groove very well to bag third by just three seconds from Darren Moon/Chris Parsons, who spent the day working back from a steady first stage.
The D3 battle was another final stage cliff-hanger as Mark Clifford/Elgan Davies stormed through Elvis Rock to win by two seconds, having been level with Guy Woodcock/David Williams going into the last 6-miler. "That was a fantastic battle," said Clifford, before admitting to a big moment in that last stage.
In D2, Jacob Scannell/Nina Thompson got a well-deserved finish and class win in their Escort Mk2 after a series of dramas on previous events, while D4 fell to the Volvo 244 of Bill Douglas/Stephen Hancock.
The BHRC action continues with round five, the Isle of Man Historic Rally, on 10/11 July.
Added: 22nd June 2009 [permalink]
Report, round three: Severn Valley Historic Rally
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Monday, 1 June, 2009
The battle for the top prize on round three of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Severn Valley Historic Rally (Saturday 30 May) came down to a straight fight between Welshmen Gwyndaf Evans and Julian Reynolds.
Evans claimed back the lead he had lost earlier in the day with a faultless charge through the final stage in Radnor, claiming category three victory for his Viking Motorsport Escort MK2 by just 3.5s. Other category wins went to Graham Waite/Gill Cotton (Volvo Amazon) and Rupert Lomax/David Alcock (Ford Escort MK1), a result that puts Lomax to the top of the championship table.
Category 1
Despite spinning on the first stage in Cefn and twice in Crychan, Jonathan and Graham Gale (Sunbeam Tiger) pulled out a three-second lead over Waite/Cotton, but the roles were reversed through Halfway. "I nursed my tyres through the stage, and just gave it what I could," said Gale. The result was Waite emerging with a lead of just a fifth of a second, but after Gale fitted new rear tyres it went back in his favour as they headed for service. "It was too dry for us really and too much uphill where the Tiger's power told," Waite replied.
Although Gale started the last stage through Radnor with three seconds in hand, it was Waite who grabbed the victory. "We went off after going flat out over a crest into a hairpin," Gale explained. He restarted in front of Waite but moved aside rather than delay his rival.
One notable absentee was the Porsche 911 of Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride. "We caught Gale's dust and I misjudged where the next bend was, then went off backwards into a ditch," said Nutt. So third overall in the category was the Hillman Imp of Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill. "We had no clutch in Gwibedog but it had been great until then. The rear suspension legs cracked too in Halfway, so we will have to look after it," said Taylor.
Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell (Lotus Cortina) held third on the opening stage, but after picking up a misfire in Crychan, they punctured later in the same stage. "We tried to carry on and then lost the tyre and had to stop. We had a spare rear but the puncture was a front, so it made the next two stages very interesting," said Mankin.
As well as Nutt, stage two had also claimed the Minis of Terry Cree/Richard Shores and Peter Williams, with head-gasket and clutch problems respectively. Meanwhile, Mike Barratt/Jody Watson (Mini Cooper) got ahead of Philip and Barbara Smith (Porsche 911) on stage four. "It was so dry that the dust got in Barbara's throat and she couldn't read the notes," said Philip. Nick Pinkett and Jonathan Lodge were also in the wars after rolling their two-stroke Saab 96 in Gwibedog. "It had been perfect until then. It's my first time in this car for two years and I rolled it," said Pinkett.
Taylor caught Barratt in Radnor, but retained a safe third. "With the clutch gone and the dust we're not going for heroics," said the class B1 victors. Although Barratt retained class B2 victory, he lost fourth to the Smiths. "We were losing the exhaust a bit but really pleased with how things went," said Barratt as Mankin and Pinkett completed the finishers.
Category 2
Having come so close to victory on the previous round, Lomax and Alcock proved unbeatable in Wales in their Escort Mk1. They held the category lead from start to finish, while winners last time out, Tim Mason and Graham Wild, had to be content with a day-long second in their Porsche 911.
"We had a couple of overshoots on the second and third stages, but I had reasonable grip," said Lomax as he arrived in service with a 25.7s lead over Mason. "We punctured three miles from the end of stage four; I was trying so hard on my return to the Welsh forests," Mason replied.
It was a much tighter affair behind the lead pair, with Drew Wylie/Howard Pridmore (Escort Mk1) in third after Cefn, before slipping behind the similar car of Tim Jones/Don James in the battle for C3 spoils. However, the class contest changed dramatically when Wylie's car got became beached on a rock on stage four. "We were stuck for four minutes and had no spectators to help," said Wylie. Jones also spun and stalled at a hairpin, but still arrived at service in third place ahead of the C5 Escort Mk1 of Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard.
However, Graham had David Stokes/Guy Weaver closing in, after they had lost time in Cefn when Darren Moon's rolled car restarted just in front of them. "We had got a steering problem too," reported Stokes. "When you turn it, it won't pull back without a lot of effort," he said.
Though still ahead, Lomax expected to lose time on the final 16-mile stage in Radnor. "I had three-quarter throttle stuck wide open, but we gained more time instead of losing it," he said. The final winning margin over Mason was 41.4s, "I did spin and stall again though," said the Porsche driver. The victory not only gives Lomax the lead in category two, but also the overall lead in the championship.
Stokes had a final flourish through Radnor, which took him from fifth to third. "The steering was just as bad, but it was a character building day," he said. Graham held onto fourth; "not quite quick enough," he concluded. But for C3 winner Jones, only dropping from third to fifth was a relief. "It was a huge moment, I lost it at a hairpin and was left hanging over fresh air," he explained.
Jones still held on to the class C3 victory over the Escort Mk1 of James Slaughter/Phil Peak. "We had two good stages, ran out of tyres, slid off on stage four, so had new tyres for Radnor. It's my best result ever, even though we had gear selection problems at the end," said Slaughter. Philip Wylie/James Whitaker claimed third in class over Neal James/Kevin Jones on the final stage. "We really went for it and it almost worked," said James. "Brilliant, even though I started the last stage in reverse," Wylie added.
Mason topped C4 from fellow Porsche crew Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne. In class C2 the Escort Mk1s of Vince Bristow/Dean Mitchell and John Worthing/John Cadwallader duelled for supremacy. Bristow lost out on stage two having led on the opener, despite having no brakes. "I had to remember to pump them until we could fix it in service," he said. From stage four he was in charge, with Worthing still holding on to second despite a roll in Radnor when he clipped the bank at a tight hairpin.
Category 3
Evans/Phil Pugh started the day with a 1.8sec lead from Cefn in their Escort Mk2 over Reynolds/Ian Oakey, while Darren Moon/Chris Parsons were out of contention after only 300 yards. "I took my eye off the ball where the dust was hanging and we ended up our roof," said Moon.
Ryan Barratt/Barry Ferris (Escort Mk2) held third initially from fellow Irishmen Seamus O'Connell and Paul Wakely, but O'Connell was struggling for grip and fell back in Crychan.
Despite a spin in Cefn, which was matched before going off backwards in Crychan, Nick Elliott/Dave Price (Escort Mk2) moved up to third, but by service after four stages, Barratt had regained his lost place. "We just couldn't get into a rhythm," said Elliott. "We struggled for grip too and had a 360 on stage two before stalling under braking on stage four," Barratt added.
But once again Radnor proved to be the decider, with Reynolds starting the stage with just 2.7s in hand over Evans. "I had an idea Gwyndaf would get me," Reynolds admitted. "I was probably trying too hard and overshot a bit," he added. But Evans was a popular victor and was quick to sing the praise of his car. "It so much better than on the Bulldog, the engine changes have made it more comfortable to drive," he said.
Elliott maintained his spinning record but managed to claim third. "We stalled too, but just couldn't turn it around today after the early problems," he admitted. Barratt reached the finish in fourth and topped D3, after losing his Escort's alternator and water pump belts with a nose-dive at a yump. But he was later excluded over engine irregularities, promoting O'Connell to fourth. "I finally woke up on that last stage," said O'Connell.
Will Onions/Tim Hobbs were set for fifth after changing their Mk2's ignition pack in service to cure a misfire. But they ended up on three cylinders and lost out to Simon Tysoe/Cliff Simmons at the end.
Following Barratt's exclusion, Richard Lane/Frank Richer took class D3 from Mark Clifford/Elgan Davies, after Guy Woodcock/Iwan Jones spun and took 45s to restart as they held on to third.
The BHRC action continues with round four, the Mid Wales Historic Stages, on 21 June.
Full results from the Severn Valley Historic Rally are at: http://www.tynecomp.co.uk/Results/MSA_gravel_09/severnvalley/2/
Added: 1st June 2009 [permalink]
Report, round two: Pirelli Historic Rally
Press release: Monday, 20 April, 2009
Darren Moon and Chris Parsons were the big winners on round two of the 2009 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Pirelli Historic Rally (17/18 April).
In a repeat of Moon's 2008 victory, they took their Ford Escort Mk2 to victory in category three after a tremendous performance. Other category victories went to the Porsches of Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride and Tim Mason/Graham Wild after six challenging stages in the Kershope and Kielder forest complexes.
Category 1
Running first on the road was a tough start for Jonathan and Graham Gale (Sunbeam Tiger) as the opening Glen Dhu stage was covered in loose gravel. They battled on, but were caught out towards the end of the stage and the Tiger slid off. It was undamaged, but could not be recovered before they went OTL. They restarted under super rally rules on Saturday to get some more time in the car.
Instead, Nutt/McBride headed the category one cars by nearly a minute overnight despite finding conditions very tough in the Kershope stages. "There was no grip anywhere; I'm really glad to have survived those two stages," said Nutt.
The Porsche 911 crew took that advantage into Saturday's leg of four stages in the main Kielder complex and were able to control their pace to ensure a clear victory.
Into a fine second place in the category, class B4 victory and the overall championship lead, went the Lotus Cortina of Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell. They had a clear run as Mankin arrived hot foot from a return holiday flight from Hong Kong, and finished a minute and a half down on Nutt.
Equally impressive was third overall in category one and B1 victory for the Sunbeam Imp Sport of Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill. They lost class rivals Gary and Jen Edgington when the Singer Chamois fell victim to a particularly rough section of stage two, The Valley. A rock damaged the engine bay and wrecked the carburettors and, despite a mighty effort, they were out of the rally.
Class B2 went to Mike Barratt/Jody Watson, another crew to suffer on the rough section of SS2 in the Mini Cooper, while Nick Pinkett/Jonathan Lodge claimed B3 in their V4-powered Saab 96.
Category 2
Rupert Lomax/David Alcock set the category two pace throughout much of the rally in their Escort Mk1, but were denied victory by a rotor arm failure on the Pundershaw stage that opened Saturday's competition. They dropped 90 seconds changing the arm, but still clawed their way back to third at the finish.
Instead, it was Mason/Wild who bagged the spoils after coming close before and suffering a run of minor problems on recent events.
"It was probably the tidiest I've ever driven," said Mason after a controlled performance. Staying clear of punctures helped their progress and category two victory was a just reward.
However, just 14s down on the Porsche was the best of the class C3 pack, the Escort Mk1 of Drew Wylie/Howard Pridmore. Once again, C3 proved to be one of the most competitive of all the classes and Wylie drove a storming event to finish 50s up on Tim Jones/Don James. However, after three stages Wylie was dead level with the Escort of Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon. But Morgan went out with engine trouble in SS4 and Wylie was left with a clear run to class victory. "I was pleased about the company we were keeping," said Wylie.
Lomax/Alcock still took class C5, with second place going to Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson on their first BHRC event with the ex-Jeremy Easson Escort Mk1. Easson and co-driver Alun Cook, meanwhile, took second in C4 with their Ford Capri RS3100 despite dramas with fuel vapourisation.
A great performance from Vince Bristow/Bob Duck secured a commanding class C2 in their Escort Mk1 as Matt Fowle/Steve Chapman and Richard Williams/Richard Ekin battled for second.
Category 3
The formbook for category three was really shaken up on the opening two stages of Friday evening. Nick Elliott/Dave Price set the pace on the first stage to take an immediate lead, but slid off on the second stage and ended their rally in a ditch.
But things were not much better for Julian Reynolds/Ian Oakey in the battle of the Mk2 Escorts. They hit major gearbox problems on the first stage and struggled through to service for a change of 'box. However, overheating woes and an off on Saturday morning brought their rally to a halt.
Instead, Moon and Parsons were turning in a great performance and upped their pace on Saturday morning to build a lead they would hold all the way back to the finish in Carlisle. "That's the first time I've got three Kielder in three attempts," said Parsons.
But it was never easy for Moon as Seamus O'Connell and Mark Glennerster mounted a major charge on Saturday after dropping time on Friday's stages. At the finish the gap was just 15s after O'Connell set fastest time on the final two stages.
Third overall in category three and clear class D3 victory came after a stunning performance by championship newcomers Ryan Barrett and Barry Ferris in their Pinto-engined Escort Mk2. Despite not knowing the region at all, they absolutely flew through Saturday's stages. Second in D3 went to Richard Lane/Frank Richer.
Third in D5 was another good Kielder result for Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing, who stayed clear of James Potter/Arwel Jenkins in one of the best BHRC results to date for Potter.
The BHRC action resumes with round three, the Seven Valley Historic Rally, on 30 May.
Full results from the Pirelli Historic Rally are at: http://www.tynecomp.co.uk/Results/MSA_british_09/Pirelli/3/index.html
Added: 20th April 2009 [permalink]
Report, round one: Bulldog Historic Rally
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Elliott/PricePress release: Monday, 30 March, 2009
The 2009 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship got off to a fantastic start on the Bulldog Historic Rally (Saturday 28 March) as a fabulous field of cars made a fine spectacle in the Welsh forests.
The big winners of the day were category victors Jonathan Gale/Graham Gale (Sunbeam Tiger), David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Ford Escort Mk1) and Nick Elliott/Dave Price (Ford Escort Mk2).
The response to the historic event from the fans out in the forests was overwhelming and the Bulldog has set the scene for a great season of historic rallying. The event received widespread acclaim from the BHRC contenders, with the only negative comments relating to a section of re-graded stage in Dyfi.
Category 1
It was tricky to predict how Jonathan Gale would get on during his first event in the ex-Patrick Watts Sunbeam Tiger, but that question was emphatically answered at the end of the opening eight-mile stage in Aberhirnant. The Messagelabs-backed Tiger was a massive 27s faster than the rest of category one and that set the seal on victory, adding to the celebrations for Graham Gale's 69th birthday.
However, this was never an easy victory for the Gales as Stuart Rolt/Richard Pomfret (Porsche 911) gave valiant chase. But an error on the opening stage cost Rolt a chance of victory on one of his rare forays into the BHRC. "I knocked the ignition switch off on the first stage," admitted Rolt after dropping 25s. "After that we went very well." However, even a stall on a hairpin in Dyfi didn't unsettle Gale on his way to a fine victory.
Graham Waite/Gill Cotton (Volvo Amazon) clinched class B4 victory as well as third in the category with a mighty performance, finishing half a minute up on Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911). "A few hairy moments, but a really good day," said Waite.
Only father and son crew Phil and Stuart Smith made it to the finish from the class B2 field, with Phil driving his Mini Cooper for the first time in four years. A broken wishbone sidelined the MG Midget of James Stait/Fin Mackintosh.
One of the battles of the rally came in B1 as Gary and Jane Edgington scored a mighty last stage victory in their Singer Chamois. Over the first three stages Geoff Taylor and Steve Greenhill set a cracking pace in their Sunbeam Imp, and going into the final eight miles in Dyfnant they were 14s ahead. But Edgington drove an amazing stage to be 26s faster and take the class. Their stage time was third fastest in category one. "I drove better than I ever have in my life," said Edgington. "He took his brain out," added Taylor as he congratulated his rival.
Category 2
David Higgins nearly didn't make his BHRC debut after injuring his hand in the workshop on Thursday, but after spending Friday morning at hospital, he managed to make the start. However, gripping the wheel was still a problem as he led the field into the four long stages.
Getting used to route notes rather than their own pace notes was another adjustment for Higgins and Ieuan Thomas, and was a factor in them going off at high-speed in Dyfi. They dropped two minutes and damaged the back of the car, but got out of the stage with a slender lead over Rupert Lomax/David Alcock (Escort Mk1). Higgins then went quickest in Dyfnant to settle the result by 15s. "It wasn't a great rally for us, but it was great fun," said Higgins.
Lomax was very happy with his result, but it was a bad day for David Stokes/Guy Weaver who went off at the same place at Higgins and badly damaged their Escort Mk1.
Third in category two, and first in class C4, went to the wonderful Ford Capri RS3100 of Jeremy Easson/Alun Cook after a great BHRC debut. "It's been a proper rally and a real laugh," said Easson after a fine run. However, Tim Mason/Graham Wild (Porsche 911) had been looking good for C4 spoils until forced to stop and change a puncture in Dyfi.
The tremendous C3 field made it one of the toughest classes on the event and it was a great performance from Tim Jones and Don James that netted victory, as well as fourth overall in category two. Driving out of Dyfi on a front puncture cost them around 20s, but they were still 1m27s up on Drew Wylie/Howard Pridmore as Andrew Siddall/Captain Thompson took second and third ahead of Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes, who took their freshly built Escort Mk1 to fourth.
Series newcomers Richard Williams/Richard Ekin made a great start to their BHRC campaign by winning C2 by over a minute from Neil Rudd/Brian Hodgson.
Category 3
The line-up in category three was amazing, and the pace was fierce right from the start as Elliott/Price attacked Aberhirnant to take an immediate eight-second lead over Julian Reynolds/Ian Oakey. That set the tone for the rally, and Elliott continued to attack through the two long stages in Gartheiniog and Dyfi to build his lead to 26s before the final Dyfnant stage. "We put a marker down for ourselves on the first stage, but it was the long stages that really mattered," said Elliott after his second win in two BHRC outings.
Having had a late engine change immediately before the rally, Reynolds was running without a rev counter and rev limiter, which forced a degree of caution. "That unsettled us a bit, but Nick was flying," said Reynolds.
Gwyndaf Evans/Clive Jenkins were getting quicker and quicker over the early miles of the rally in the Escort Mk2 from Viking Motorsport, but a spin in Dyfi left the car beached and they were OTL by the time they found enough spectators to get the car running again.
Into a fine third came Seamus O'Connell and Dai Roberts in their Escort Mk2, with the Irishman loving the flowing Welsh stages. Also new to the area was Darren Moon who, with Chris Parsons alongside for the first time, was on a steep learning curve but bagged a good fourth.
Simon Tysoe/Cliff Simmons, Will Onions/Tim Hobbs and Stuart Clarke/Nigel Gardner packed out the next places in their Escorts as top quality ran well beyond the top 10. Best of the non-Escorts, despite a wing-crunching off was the Vauxhall Chevette of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
Local crew David Lloyd-Robert/Dei Jones bagged a fine class D3 win on their BHRC debut, though the charging Adrian Young/Keith Fellowes were never far away in their Escort.
Finally, championship newcomers Jacob Scannell/Nina Thompson clinched D2 with a good performance in their Escort Mk2.
The BHRC action resumes with round two, the Pirelli Historic Rally, on 17/18 April.
Full results from the Bulldog Historic Rally are at: http://www.tynecomp.co.uk/Results/MSA_british_09/Bulldog/2/index.html
Added: 30th March 2009 [permalink]
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