BHRC preview, round seven: Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally
Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship
David Stokes and Guy WeaverPress release: Thursday, 22 September 2011
For the first time, contenders in the Dunlop/Wonago MSA British Historic Rally Championship will compete over gravel stages in Scotland as the championship makes its debut on the Colin McRae Stages (Saturday 1 October). The Aberfeldy-based event will now be the final round of the 2011 championship.
Over the last two months, the leading crews have competed on the asphalt closed roads of Ulster and Flanders in Belgium, but now the focus switches back to gravel for the final event of the season; the first time on gravel since the Severn Valley Stages in early June.
The crew with the upperhand as the BHRC contenders head north is David Stokes and Guy Weaver in their Category 2 Ford Escort Mk1. Apart from a retirement on the Severn Valley with halfshaft failure, the defending champions have enjoyed a superb season and now Stokes returns to stages that he last drove over in the 1970s. Their best plan is, as ever, to go out and win Category 2 and then they cannot be beaten.
Another maximum score in Scotland will make Stokes and Weaver champions for the third time. Only one crew can now come between Stokes and Weaver and the BHRC crown and that is Rikki Proffitt/Phill Harrison in their Porsche 911 from Category 1. If Proffitt wins Category 1 and Stokes does not win Category 2, then the Porsche driver will be champion. Weaver, however, is now secure as champion co-driver.
To add to the challenge faced by Proffitt, his class opposition includes the rapid 911 of former champions Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride as well as the flying Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite and Gill Cotton. Waite has fabulous pace on gravel with his spectacular handling of the Volvo and will surely press the Porsches hard.
Elsewhere in a strong Category 1 field are more Porsches for father and daughter crew Derek and Roisin Boyd and Edmund Peel/Janet Craine as well as another Volvo Amazon for Dave Reynolds and Paul Heath. Making their BHRC debut in their Ford Cortina GT are Callum Barney and Ron Channon, while among the smaller-engined cars is the wonderful Sunbeam Imp Sport of Geoff Taylor and Steve Greenhill.
The chief rivals to Stokes and Weaver in Category 2 are Chris Browne and Liz Jordan in their Ford Escort Mk1. The Kent-based crew make the long haul north after a strong opening salvo last time out in Belgium; their local BHRC event. On the opening leg they traded times with Stokes but ended their rally on day two in a field of Brussel sprouts! Peter Egerton/Alun Cook and Jeremy Wells/Ken Bowman are other class C5 crews, while class C3 should feature a great battle between the Pinto-powered Escort Mk1s. Andrew Siddall and Carl Williamson are the crew to beat, but Dick Slaughter and Geoff Dearing, another crew from Kent, are very quick on gravel and make the trek north in search of a strong haul of championship points. Chasing the top two C3 crews will be Ian Drummond and David Holmes in another Escort Mk1.
The Category 3 field includes two of the biggest names in rallying history; Stig Blomqvist and Jimmy McRae. Legendary Swede Blomqvist and co-driver Anna Goni are in a Ford Escort Mk2 from the Viking Motorsport squad of former World Champion co-driver Phil Mills. Though not registered for the BHRC, the presence of such a famous driver as Blomqvist adds tremendously to the buzz around this rally.
McRae, on the event that means so much to his family, is again competing in the Tuthill Porsche Challenge, a sub-set of the BHRC for identical Porsche 911s from the Tuthill Porsche squad. Jimmy is co-driven by Pauline Gullick, while Andrew Barnes and Guy Simmons are in a similar class D4 911.
Rivalling Blomqvist in class D5 for the most powerful Escort Mk2s are Yorkshireman Tim Pearcey and his Scottish co-driver Neil Shanks, as well as Nick Woodman and Simon Mills, who have been showing increasingly strong pace this season in the Grant Shand-tended car, and rallying twins Phil and Mick Squires. Simon Webster and Pete Cotton are another strong Escort Mk2 pairing.
Finally, in class D3, for the Pinto-powered Escort Mk2s, Shawn Rayner and Declan Dear take on Wayne Bonser and Richard Aston. Rayner will be hoping for a clearer run than in Belgium three weeks ago when they battled to the finish against a whole catalogue of dramas.
The Colin McRae Stages is organised by Coltness Car Club. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.coltnesscarclub.com
Added: 22nd September 2011 [permalink]
BHRC preview, round six: Historic Tour of Flanders
Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Rikki ProffittPress release: Thursday, 1 September 2011
The asphalt stages of the Flanders region in Belgium are the next challenge for the Dunlop/Wonago MSA British Historic Rally Championship as crews prepare for the Historic Tour of Flanders (9/10 September).
While Rikki Proffitt (Porsche 911) continues to head the overall points, the balance of power has shifted towards David Stokes (Ford Escort Mk1) following the recent Ulster Historic Rally. Stokes is now the only driver in the BHRC with the potential to score a championship maximum and so his target in Belgium is another top score in Category 2.
Standing proudly at the head of the overall title race is the Category 1 Porsche 911 of Proffitt, who will renew a partnership with Graham Wild for the Belgian event. Proffitt and Wild first teamed up a year ago in Flanders and should be strong, but they will be pushed hard to fend off the similar car of Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride. After a storming run on their home event, the Irish crew will go to Belgium aiming to win again and will be favourites for Category 1. Two more Porsche 911s pack out the BHRC field in Category 1, with Derek and Roisin Boyd and Edmund Peel/Janet Craine aiming to chase the cars of Nutt and Proffitt.
Stokes and Guy Weaver will surely set the pace in Category 2 with their Ford Escort Mk1 following a tremendous run in Ulster. Ranged against them will be similar cars for Chris Browne/Liz Jordan, Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne and Peter Egerton/Andrew Bargery. Browne and Jordan have bags of Belgian experience and should be the biggest rivals to Stokes, but Smith/Langthorne should also be firmly in the battle and ready to pounce if Stokes has any problems.
Up among the class C5 Escorts will be the Pinto-powered cars from class C3, with Dick Slaughter/Preston Ayres and Andrew Siddall/Carl Williamson likely to be challenging for the Category 2 podium. Slaughter makes a welcome return to asphalt and is partnered by an equally experienced co-driver in Ayres, while Siddall/Williamson had a mighty run in Ulster and should be just as strong in Belgium.
However, C3 is not just about the Pinto-powered Escorts as the BMW 2002Ti of Terry Cree/Richard Shores is getting quicker and quicker and its pace on asphalt will be watched with great interest. Meanwhile, in C2 the Escort Mk1 of Vince Bristow/Jane Edgington will absolutely fly and will be attacking the more powerful C3 cars.
Category 3 is more wide open than it has been for several seasons and five crews got into Flanders with a serious chance of victory. Three Ford Escort Mk2s, a Porsche 911 and a Sunbeam Lotus are all in the hunt for what should be an excellent contest. Heading the Category 3 field is the Sunbeam Lotus of Guy Anderson and Kim Baker and this fresh car could be a real contender if there are not too many new car teething troubles. Anderson did the event a year ago in his father's Sunbeam Ti and showed great pace, so the more powerful car should fly.
The Escorts are for Phil and Mick Squires, Martin Jones/Kevin Owens and Nick Woodman/Tim Sayer and any of them could win the category. The Squires brothers have the greater experience of Flanders, while Jones and Owens have done very little rallying in the last year or two. Meanwhile, former motorbike racer Woodman is building his experience and has enlisted the local knowledge of Sayer for his first rally in Belgium. Lining up against the Escorts is the Porsche 911 of Adrian Kermode and Maurice Beckett.
Finally, there should be another class battle in D3 for the Pinto-powered Escort Mk2s. Chris Shooter and Bev LeGood have decent Flanders experience, while Shawn Rayner and Declan Dear are pretty new to asphalt and will be making a Belgian debut. In D2, Pat Anderson and Tom Mansfield run their Sunbeam Talbot.
After three stages running into the darkness of Friday evening, the event continues with a full day of rallying over 11 stages before finishing late on Saturday evening. The Historic Tour Flanders is organised by the Autoclub Midden Vlaanderen. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.omloopvanvlaanderen.be
Added: 1st September 2011 [permalink]
BHRC preview, round five: Ulster Historic Rally
Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Wednesday, 10 August 2011
After rave reviews for the 2010 event, contenders in the Dunlop/Wonago MSA British Historic Rally Championship return to the Todds Leap Ulster Historic Rally (19/20 August) for round five of the championship.
The event marks the start of the asphalt element of the championship and comes after four gravel rallies in and a strong BHRC contingent is within the 48-strong historic event for the Antrim-based rally.
Category One
Starting the event proudly at the head of the overall title race is the Category 1 Porsche 911 of Rikki Proffitt and Phill Harrison. Proffitt has had his best ever season so far, but is surprised to be leading the championship by the significant margin of 16 points. Proffitt has been consistently quick across the four gravel rallies to date, but knows that the Ulster Rally will be one of his toughest challenges as he goes up against two local aces. Former champions Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride have endured a troubled start to the season with their Porsche 911, but will surely be bang on the pace on their home rally. Equally, local legend and former Ulster Rally winner Derek Boyd and his daughter Roisin will be strong in their 911.
Elsewhere in Category 1, for the pre '68 cars, the Lotus Cortina of Paul Mankin and Peter Scott is overdue a strong run after being plagued by misfires, while brothers John and Stephen Moxon take their Volvo Amazon to Ulster for the first time after competing on the Isle of Man every year for three decades. At the bottom of the engine size ranks is the rapid Sunbeam Imp Sport of Geoff Taylor and Steve Greenhill.
Category Two
A non-finish after a driveshaft failed on the Severn Valley Stages has dented the title bid of reigning champions David Stokes and Guy Weaver in their Category 2 Ford Escort Mk1, but they know that a strong run this weekend will shoot them right back into contention. The big rivals to Stokes are Belgians Stefaan Stouf and Joris Erard and Rupert Lomax/Dave Alcock in their similar Escorts. Stouf and Erard don't have benefit of a year's experience on this rally, but they are very quick on asphalt and should push Stokes hard, while the ever-spectacular Lomax is another strong contender. Chris Browne and Liz Jordan are another quick pairing in class C5, while local crew Keith McIvor and David Burns will surely be bang on the pace in their class C4 Porsche 911.
In class C3, for the Pinto-engined Ford Escorts, it is Andrew Siddall and Carl Williamson should set the pace as they return to the BHRC after recent rallying trips to Barbados and Sweden. Ian Drummond and Yvonne Coppin offer opposition in their Escort Mk1, along with England-based Ulsterman Philip Wylie, who is partnered by seasoned co-driver Howard Pridmore in another Escort Mk1. Lining up to challenge the Escort domination of class C3 is the increasingly rapid Porsche 914 of Welsh crew Richard Morgan and Tim Madeley, who went to Ulster last year and loved the whole experience. In class C2, for the 1600cc cars, youngsters David Kirby and Ben Friend head the entry.
Category Three
Category 3 is for the cars from 1975 to 1981 is dominated by the Ford Escort Mk2s. Top of the pack and challenging for the overall BHRC title are Will Onions and David Williams, who had a superb run a year ago on their first visit to Ulster. A good weekend this time could really set Onions up for an overall title bid over the second half of the season and with an extra half set of points to be won in Ulster, it is all to play for.
But Onions has a gaggle of rivals, including 2010 Ulster Historic Rally winner Connor Corkill who is partnered by Mark Perryman in his Escort Mk2. Having sat out the first half of the season due to university studies, Corkill is now eager to go rallying again and should be a major force. Another big rival to Onions is his good mate Rob Smith, partnered as usual by Shaun O'Gorman in his Vauxhall Chevette. Like Onions, Smith had precious little asphalt experience when he went to Ulster a year ago, but he loved the event and goes back this time as a strong contender.
More rapid Escort Mk2s are entered for Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks, Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks, Alan Walker/Jez Rogers, James Slaughter/Geoff Dearing and Nick Woodman/Simon Mills, while a couple of very rapid Porsche 911s add to the depth of quality of the Category 3 field. Jimmy McRae, a former winner of the Ulster Rally, needs little introduction as one of the most successful and experienced competitors in British rallying. Although he's a bit light on recent asphalt experience, Jimmy is a true legend of the sport and, partnered by Pauline Gullick, will be a key contender in both the overall rally and the Tuthill Porsche Challenge.
Also Porsche 911-mounted will be Manxman Adrian Kermode with local co-driver Maurice Beckett and they could rival the very best of the Escorts, while the superb Opel Ascona 400 of Steve Magson and Geoff Atkinson is also showing excellent pace this season and adds to the glorious variety of Category 3. That variety takes in the raucous Mazda RX7 of Jake Scannell and Adrian Stevens, which will make its asphalt rallying debut.
Away from the top two classes of Category 3, in class D3 it is Graham Waite and Gill Cotton to the fore in their ex-Magson Opel Ascona. They usually run Waite's Volvo Amazon in Category 1 and fly on the gravel events. But the big Volvo is not ideal for asphalt evens so they have switched to the Opel for this rally.
The Ulster Historic Rally is organised by the Northern Ireland Motor Club Ltd. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: ulsterrally.com
The historic rally starts from Antrim on Friday afternoon (19 August) and finishes on Saturday afternoon.
Added: 10th August 2011 [permalink]
Preview: Harry Flatters Historic Rally
Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Monday, 25 July 2011
Round one of the Water End Properties Asphalt Cup will run on the SGC Printing Harry Flatters Historic Rally on Sunday (31 July).
Although not a full round of the Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the event will be contested by crews chasing the asphalt element of the BHRC. The Harry Flatters starts the asphalt part of the season, with events to follow in Ulster, Flanders and on the Isle of Man.
The mighty challenge of the Epynt ranges awaits an excellent entry of more than 20 historic crews, topped by local aces Mark Solloway and Den Golding in their Ford Escort Mk2.
Heading the championship contenders away will be David Stokes and Guy Weaver in their Ford Escort Mk1 and they also head the category two field. Stokes has a very good knowledge of Epynt and will be hard to beat in category two, where his rivals include the similar Escort of Chris Browne and Liz Jordan and the Porsche 911s of Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride and Peter Lythell/Preston Ayres.
Wayne Bonser and Richard Aston will campaign their 1600cc Escort Mk1 in category two, while returning to the sport after a couple of years away will be Steve Loveridge in his very potent Mini Clubman.
In category three, a fine entry of title contenders is headed the Vauxhall Chevette of Rob Smith/Shaun O'Gorman, while Connor Corkill/Mark Perryman are out for the first time this season in Corkill's Escort Mk2 now that his university work is out of the way. More quick Mk2 Escorts are entered for Tomos Davies/Eurig Davies and Phil Squires/Mick Squires, while Alan Walker and Jez Rogers are using the rally as a warm-up on asphalt ahead of the Ulster Rally. Battling with the Escorts in category three will be the Porsche 911 of Adrian Kermode and Maurice Beckett.
The SGC Printing Harry Flatters Historic Rally is organised by Brecon Motor Club. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.breconmotorclub.co.uk
Added: 25th July 2011 [permalink]
Preview: Swansea Bay Historic Rally
Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Monday, 11 July 2011
Round five of the Water End Properties Gravel Cup will run on the Pro-Art Signs Swansea Bay Historic Rally on Saturday (16 July).
Although not a full round of the Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the event will be contested by crews chasing the gravel element of the BHRC. Following the opening four gravel rounds of the BHRC, the Gravel Cup continues on the Swansea Bay and then concludes with the McRae Stages on 1 October.
Heading the field away on Saturday morning will be reigning Gravel Cup champion Nick Elliott, partnered by Chris Brooks in his Ford Escort Mk2. With six stages in the Rheola, Resolven and Walters Arena complexes ahead, Elliott's main rival will be the Escort Mk2 of Will Onions/Dave Williams. Elliott is clearly the man to set the pace, but Onions is pushing hard to close the gap and a victory last time out on the Severn Valley Rally was a great result for Onions.
Other leading class D5 cars include the Escorts of Richard Lane/Frank Richer, Jonathan Brace/Tim Samuel and James Potter/Bob Duck. In class D3, for the Pinto-engined cars, Shawn Rayner/Declan Dear will go head to head with Polly Patti/Chris Dewsnap and Wayne Bonser/Richard Aston.
David Stokes and Guy Weaver are first on the road in category two in their Ford Escort Mk1 and should take a straightforward victory if the car runs strongly. Their category opponents include Jeremy Wells/Ken Bowman (Escort Mk1) and class C3 contenders Peter Egerton/Alun Cook and Mark Holmes/Tony Lindsay.
A slim category one field includes the flying Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/Gill Cotton and the Porsche 911 of Rikki Proffitt/Phill Harrison. Proffitt currently leads the overall BHRC title race after a fabulous opening half of the season, while Waite is always spectacular on gravel with the mighty Volvo.
The Pro-Art Signs Swansea Bay Historic Rally is organised by Port Talbot Motor Club. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.swanseabayrally.com
Added: 11th July 2011 [permalink]
BHRC preview, round four: Severn Valley National Historic Rally
Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Sunday, 29 May 2011
A fabulous 70-car entry will gather in Builth Wells on Saturday (4 June) for round four of the Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Severn Valley National Historic Rally.
The final gravel rally before the summer break and a switch to asphalt will pit crews against classic Welsh forest stages at a time when the overall title contest is building nicely.
Simon Wallis and Graham Wride will lead category one away in their Lotus Cortina, while David Stokes and Guy Weaver are first on the road in category two in their Ford Escort Mk1. In category three, the Ford Escort Mk2 of Julian Reynolds and Ian Oakey will lead the way.
Category 1
Category one - for the pre '68 cars - is providing some tremendous competition this season and it is the Lotus Cortina of Wallis and Wride that has set a mighty pace on the gravel events to date. But they have plenty of rivals, including current category leaders Rikki Proffitt and John Stanger-Leathes in their Porsche 911. Consistently strong pace has put Proffitt and Stanger-Leathes to the top of the overall BHRC standings after three rallies and they are determined to maintain that title bid over the balance of the season.
Following Wallis into the stages will be the ever-spectacular Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite and Gill Cotton, which should fly on these stages despite its power disadvantage, while Paul Mankin and Peter Scott are overdue a good result after a run of engine drama to date this season.
It has been a trying year to date for former champions Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their Porsche 911. They have struggled to find their regular form over the opening three rallies, so will be aiming for a return to front-running pace on the Severn Valley.
There will be domestic rivalry in category one as Gwilym Roberts is co-driven by Debby Myers in his Lotus Cortina and Nick Pinkett is partnered by Debby's husband Hugh in his Saab 96. Meanwhile, brothers John and Stephen Moxon venture onto Welsh gravel with their Volvo Amazon and Edmund Peel and Janet Craine field their Porsche 911.
Category 2
The contest at the head of category two for the cars from 1968 to 1974 should be one of the best of the rally with three Escort Mk1s going head to head. Stokes and Weaver currently have the upper hand with three victories from three rallies, but they are under major attack by Rupert Lomax/David Alcock and Stefaan Stouf/Joris Erard.
Lomax has suffered some bad luck so far but has the pace to win, while Stouf is getting quicker and quicker as his experience of the Welsh forests builds. Stokes remains a formidable benchmark, but he knows he will need another maximum attack to fend off his challengers. Other front runners in class C5 include Chris Browne and Liz Jordan in their Escort Mk1 and the similar car of Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne.
The contest for class C3 is without Andrew Siddall this time as he is away competing on Rally Barbados, but there should still be a great contest between the Escorts of Tim Jones/Don James and Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing. Chasing them will be BHRC newcomers Mark Holmes and Tony Lindsay in their Escort Mk1, while brothers James and David Young should be quick. Taking the fight to the Escorts will be the BMW 2002 Ti of Terry Cree and Richard Shores.
Class C2, for the 1600cc cars, will be a battle between the Escort Mk1s of Nick Danks/Martin Corbett, Rex Ireland/Adrian Scadding and David Kirby/Sean Kennedy, while the Lancia Fulvia of Steve and Tony Graham runs in class C1. The Lancia will again run at the tail of the category one pack.
Category 3
The contest at the head of category three for the 1975-1981 cars has been dominated by two crews to date this season and this event will mark another instalment in the fabulous battle between the Ford Escort Mk2s of Nick Elliott/Chris Brooks and Reynolds/Oakey. Both crews are performing superbly this season and there will be little to choose between them again over these classic Welsh stages.
However, the chasing pack is working hard to close the gap to Elliott and Reynolds and a gaggle of quick Escorts will be in hot pursuit, headed by Will Onions/Dave Williams. More rapid Escorts are campaigned by Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks, Alan Walker/Jez Rogers, Richard Lane/Frank Richer, Nick Woodman/Simon Mills and Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James.
But category three is not just about Escorts and three cars from class D4 stand out as big threats the Fords. Making a welcome return to competition will be Richard Tuthill in a Porsche 911 and he could just be the man to take the fight to Elliott and Reynolds. Back after engine problems on the opening rally of the season is the Vauxhall Chevette of Rob Smith/Shaun O'Gorman, while the Opel Ascona of Steve Magson/Geoff Atkinson should also be right up there.
In class D3, the Escort Mk2 of Stuart Clarke/Andy Ballantyne should set the pace, battling hard with the non-BHRC registered car of Guy Woodcock/Hu Kent, while Shawn Rayner and Declan Dear will be aiming to close in further on the class pacesetters.
The 1600cc Escort Mk2 of Vince Bristow and Tim Sayer will start alone in class D2, but their aim will be to beat as many more powerful cars as possible.
The Severn Valley Historic Rally is organised by Midland Manor Motor Club Ltd. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.severnvalleynational.co.uk
Added: 29th May 2011 [permalink]
BHRC preview, round three: Pirelli Historic Rally
Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Contenders in the Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship head north on Saturday (30 April) for round three, the Pirelli Historic Rally, where the tremendous challenge of Kielder forests awaits the crews.
While the Kielder stages are very different to the Welsh forests, home to the opening two rallies of the season, the level of competition across all three categories will be no less intense.
Simon Wallis and Graham Wride will lead category one away in their Lotus Cortina, while David Stokes and Guy Weaver are bidding for a hat-trick of wins in category two in their Ford Escort Mk1. In category three, the Ford Escort Mk2s of Nick Elliott and Julian Reynolds will renew their spectacular rivalry.
Category 1
Category one - for the pre '68 cars - has a new car at the head of the pack as Wallis and Wride run first on the road after showing fabulous speed over the opening two rallies. They don't know the Kielder stages as well as Wales, but will surely set a cracking pace as they strive to fend off the Porsche 911 of Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride. After a troubled couple of rallies, Nutt will be eager to return to winning form in what is proving to be a very open season for category one.
More than capable of challenging for victory is the Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite and Gill Cotton, while Paul Mankin - on his home event - is partnered by Peter Scott in his Lotus Cortina. Electrical dramas have cost Mankin the last two rallies, but if all is well, he is another contender in their absorbing contest.
Then comes Rikki Proffitt in his Porsche 911, maximum scorer last time out on the Bulldog Rally. His pace should be boosted by the fact that co-driver John Stanger-Leathes is also on home ground and has been competing in Kielder for decades.
Dave Reynolds is joined by Bob Duck in his increasingly rapid Volvo Amazon, while brothers John and Stephen Moxon make a welcome appearance on gravel in their Amazon. Geoff Taylor and Steve Greenhill head the smaller-engined cars in their Sunbeam Imp Sport.
Category 2
A year ago Stokes and Weaver had a terrible start to their season and lost victory in Kielder when the car was sucked into a ditch within sight of the finish. This time around, they arrive in Carlisle riding high after two wins and now want to complete the hat-trick. But the opposition is strong and headed by the Escorts of Rupert Lomax/David Alcock and Stefaan Stouf/Joris Erard. Having upped their pace on the Bulldog, Stouf and Erard should be stronger still in Kielder, where they have built up some recent experience.
The contest for class C3 seems likely to be fought out between the Pinto-engined Escort Mk1s of Andrew Siddall/Carl Williamson and Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing. Slaughter ended last year's event with a roll, so will be keen to stay the right way up this time, while relative newcomers Mark Holmes and Tony Lindsay are showing encouraging pace in their class C3 Escort Mk1.
Irish crew Keith McIvor and David Burns are learning about the British forests in their Porsche 911 and head class C4, while C2, for the 1600cc cars, will be a battle between the Escort Mk1s of Nick Danks/Martin Corbett and David Kirby/Sean Kennedy.
Category 3
The score in category three currently stands as a win apiece for Reynolds/Ian Oakey and Elliott/Chris Brooks, but Kielder could really turn the form book on its head. Neither crew is particularly at home in the area, nor has that much experience of Kielder. A year ago, Elliott crashed out and so it is hard to predict how this one will turn out. Though not BHRC registered, the presence of Steve Bannister and Louise Sutherland at the head of the field adds another dynamic and Bannister has plenty of Kielder experience.
The event also offers several other crews a shot at battling for victory, notably 2010 winners Will Onion and David Williams. They turned in a superb performance last year and will be very strong, while Paul Griffiths/Paul Williams, Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks and Alan Walker/Jez Rogers are all strong contenders in their Escort Mk2s.
Making a welcome BHRC return to run within the Tuthill Porsche Challenge will be Jimmy McRae, partnered by Pauline Gullick, and he should head the D4 class along with the rapid Opel Ascona 400 of Steve Magson/Geoff Atkinson.
A fearsome pace in class D3 is being set by the non-registered Guy Woodcock/Hu Kent in their Escort Mk2, while the contest for top D3 points should be between the Escorts of Wayne Bonser/Richard Aston, John Worthing/John Cadwallader and Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood.
The Pirelli Historic Rally is organised by the Cumberland Sporting Car Club and for more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.pirelliinternationalrally.co.uk
Added: 26th April 2011 [permalink]
BHRC preview, round two: Bulldog Historic Rally
Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Simon Wallis/Graham WridePress release: Thursday, 24 March 2011
The 2011 Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship will be back in Wales on Saturday 2 April for round two, the Bulldog Historic Rally.
Once again, a superb field has been assembled for the historic rally, including the appearance of former WRC ace Francois Delecour in a Porsche 911 to celebrate the start of the Tuthill Porsche Challenge, which runs over five events within the BHRC.
With the Escort Mk2s of Julian Reynolds and Nick Elliott heading the field away in what will surely be a repeat of their mighty battle from the opening round, the scene is set for another fabulous event covering over 50 stage miles on classic Mid Wales gravel roads.
Category 1
Category one - for the pre '68 cars - featured a marvellous contest on the Mid Wales Stages and ended with victory for the Lotus Cortina of Simon Wallis and Graham Wride.
Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride set the early pace until a transmission problem put their Porsche 911 out. Instead, Wallis/Wride stormed through to win and take maximum class B4 points in the Cortina. But they were not far clear of the spectacular Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/Gill Cotton, which was consuming oil at a prodigious rate by the end of the rally. Also well in contention in what promises to be a very open season in category one were Rikki Proffitt and John Stanger-Leathes, despite a misfire on their Porsche 911. They will all be back in action in the Bulldog, while Paul Mankin and Peter Scott will be aiming to join the contest in their Lotus Cortina after spark plug dramas on the Mid Wales. Among the smaller engined cars in category one, the Sunbeam Imp of Geoff Taylor and Steve Greenhill will shine.
Category 2
David Stokes and Guy Weaver (Ford Escort Mk1) are the benchmark for category two after a fine victory on the Mid Wales, but will be chased by the similar Mk1 Escorts of Rupert Lomax/Dave Alcock, Stefaan Stouf/Joris Erard and Chris Browne/Liz Jordan. This is the home rally for defending champion co-driver Weaver, so another victory would be particularly sweet.
In class C3, for the Pinto-powered Mk1s, Welshpool-based Tim Jones and co-driver Don James scored the first strike of the season on the Mid Wales, but can expect tough opposition from Andrew Siddall/Carl Williamson and Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing. Having switched to the Pinto-powered Mk1 previously rallied by his son James, Slaughter senior took to his new mount in typically spectacular style on the Mid Wales.
In class C2, for the 1600cc cars, it was Matt Fowle and Jane Edgington who took victory with Fowle's Escort Mk1 on the season opener, despite a misfire. Rex Ireland, with last-minute stand in co-driver Vince Bristow led the chase of Fowle. Adrian Scadding should be back alongside Ireland this time and joining the battle will be the Escort Mk1 of Nick Danks/Martin Corbett.
Category 3
A month ago, category three victory was won, and lost, by the smallest of margins in a mighty contest of the Ford Escort Mk2s, with victory only decided on the final stage of the rally as Reynolds and Ian Oakey overhauled Elliott and Chris Brooks to win by a single second after nearly an hour of flat out rallying on. The fact that Reynolds clawed back five seconds on the last stage to win by just one second has left Elliott very determined to turn the tables on the Bulldog.
But this is not simply a two-horse race and a gaggle of very quick Escort Mk2s will be chasing Reynolds and Elliott as well as cars like the Opel Ascona of Steve Magson/Geoff Atkinson. In the Escort ranks, prime contenders include Will Onions/Dave Williams, Paul Griffiths/Paul Williams, Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks and Alan Walker/Jez Rogers. Though relatively new to the BHRC, Walker showed superb pace on the Mid Wales and could go even better on this event, run by his home motor club.
New onto the stages this weekend will be the cars in the Tuthill Porsche Challenge, for identical 3-litre 911s. This is set to grow over the coming weeks, but gets off to a good start with cars for friends and rivals John Lloyd and Andrew Barnes and a very special entry for former WRC star Francois Delecour. In class D3, for the Pinto-powered Escort Mk2s, another big contest is likely as Guy Woodcock and Hu Kent take on Stuart Clarke and Andy Ballantyne in another instalment of their on-going rivalry.
In class D2, a BHRC debut for the Escort Mk2 of Vince Bristow and Tim Sayer will surely set a cracking pace and humble some of the more powerful cars.
The Bulldog Historic Rally is organised by Wolverhampton and South Staffs Car Club and starts at 7am on Saturday 2 April from Welshpool. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.bulldog-rally.co.uk
Added: 24th March 2011 [permalink]
