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Preview, round eight: Trackrod Historic Cup
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Thursday, 18 September, 2008
The final round of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will take crews into the legendary Yorkshire forests for the Trackrod Historic Cup.
After three asphalt events, the BHRC returns to gravel stages for the eighth and final round of the season and, heading for Yorkshire, it is Steven Smith and Patrick Watts in the running for the overall title.
The size of the BHRC entry has inevitably been hit by the date clash with the McRae Stages, but the rally still promises to be a fitting finale to a fabulous season for historic rallying.
Category 1
Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies are expected to head the category one entry in their Sunbeam Tiger and know that only victory will keep them in with a chance of the BHRC crown. But the Tiger is well suited to the Yorkshire stages, so they will start favourites to bag category one spoils.
Leading the chase of the Tiger will be Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their Porsche 911, returning to the faithful yellow 911 after running their later 911 in category two on the recent Tour of Flanders. Joining Nutt in another 911 from the Team Tuthill stable will be Phil and Barbara Smith.
Likely to keep Nutt on his toes will be the Lotus Cortina of Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson, while Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson should cap a mighty season with another fine run in their Cortina.
Terry Cree and Richard Shores will make a welcome championship return in their Mini Cooper and are sure to be pacesetters in class B2, while class B1 will be a battle of the Hillman Imps. Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill will pit their Sunbeam Imp Sport against the Stiletto of Mike Barratt and Jody Watson, although if an entry from Gary and Jane Edgington is confirmed, they will start as likely B1 pacesetters.
Category 2
Category two is for the cars produced from 1968 to 1974 and Steven Smith and John Nichols head the title contest in their Porsche 911RS. Like Watts/Davies, they really need another maximum score to give themselves the best shot of taking the title. Ranged against them in C4 will be the 911RS of Tim Mason/Graham Wild, which will go well on Mason's local event.
Missing from the Escort ranks in class C5 will be defending champions David Stokes and Guy Weaver, following their major accident in Flanders. Instead, the Escorts of Rikki Proffitt/John Roberts and Belgian crew Stefaan Stouf/Joris Erard will challenge for C5 victory.
A fabulous entry in class C3 should deliver one of the biggest battles of the rally, with at least five potential class winners among the Escort Mk1 pack. Showing great pace over recent rallies have been the three XS Racing cars of Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne, Drew Wylie/Howard Pridmore and Andrew Siddall/Captain Thompson, but the return to the series of Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon will set the C3 bar very high. Locals Robin Shuttleworth and Mark Midgley should also be in contention in what promises to be a mighty contest, while opposition to the Escorts comes from the Toyota Celica of Robert Close/Mike Reynolds.
In C2, the Morgan/Kenyon junior team of Adam Morgan and Chris Kenyon will field their Escort Mk1.
Category 3
After a tremendous victory on the Tour of Flanders, the Ford Escort Mk2 of Darren Moon/John McNichol should be the car to beat on stages they know very well. However, the BHRC debut of Nick Elliott/Dave Price in their Escort Mk2 could give Moon a major battle on his home event.
Adding great quality to the D5 entry will be more Escorts for Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson, Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing and Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby along with the Vauxhall Chevette HSR of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
Local aces Steve Magson/Geoff Atkinson return to contest class D3 in their Opel Ascona, going up against the Escorts of Polly Patti/Chris Dewsnap and Keith Stones/Tom Hughes, while Pat Anderson/Tom Mansfield run their Talbot Sunbeam in class D2.
The Trackrod Historic Cup starts at 7.50am on Saturday 27 September from Pickering Showground. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.rallyyorkshire.co.uk
Added: 18th September 2008 [permalink]
Preview, round seven: Historic Tour of Flanders
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Press release: Monday, 8 September, 2008
Contenders in the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will cross the channel this weekend the penultimate event of the season, the Historic Tour of Flanders (13/14 September).
The third and final asphalt event of the season is always a popular event and the roads around the host town of Roeselare in Belgium provide a unique challenge for the crews. Nearly half of the 80-car historic entry is made up of BHRC contenders and with only the Trackrod Historic Rally to follow Flanders, the championship battle is finely balanced.
Category 1
Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies head the category one entry in their Sunbeam Tiger and can still challenge to retain the overall BHRC title if they win the category in Belgium. However, they certainly cannot afford another non-finish, so the pressure is on the former BTCC racer and his car to have a clear run.
Running close behind the Tiger will be another crew still well in contention for the title, Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their Porsche 911.
While the pair of sports cars battle for category one, the Lotus Cortina of current championship leaders Neil Calvert and Arlene Cookson will be chasing hard and bidding for class B4 honours to keep their title bid running.
In the 1300cc category, class B2, James Stait and Gill Cotton are having a great season in their MG Midget and are well up in the overall championship standings. Last year's trip to Flanders was not a good event for the rapid MG and Stait will be eager to finish with another class win this time around.
The Sunbeam Imp of Gary and Jane Edgington and the Sunbeam Stiletto of Mike Barratt and Jody Watson top class B1 and it is the Edgingtons who should set the pace, despite being unfamiliar with the event.
Category 2
Category two is for the cars produced from 1968 to 1974 and Steven Smith and John Nichols head the key title contenders in their Porsche 911RS. Like Watts/Davies, they need another maximum score to keep their title hopes alive, but they face a mighty gaggle of Escorts, as well as the Porsche 911s of Peter Lythell/Chris Parsons and XS Racing team mates James Sutherland/Howard Pridmore.
In Escorts in class C5 will be defending champions David Stokes and Guy Weaver, ranged against Frank Cunningham and Ryland James for what could be a repeat of their fabulous battle of Flanders in 2007. However, more very rapid Escorts in the hands of Ernie Graham/Alec Cooper, Rupert Lomax/David Alcock and Craig Salter/Preston Ayres will add to what promises to be a mighty C5 battle.
The contest among the Escort Mk1s in class C3 should be another feature of category two with Flanders newcomers Tim Jones and Don James taking on the XS Racing cars of Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne and Andrew Siddall/Captain Thompson as well as Robin Shuttleworth/Mark Midgley. Adding welcome variety to class C3 will be the Saab 99 of Jim Valentine/Andy Marris, while in C2 is the Escort Mk1 of Neil Rudd/Brian Hodgson.
Category 3
Two of the quickest cars in category three will be Ford Escort Mk2s of Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper and Darren Moon/John Stanger-Leathes, but neither driver has ever rallied in Belgium before, so they face a steep learning curve when the rally starts on Saturday morning.
Ranged against the quickest of the Mk2 Escorts will be the Porsche 911RS of Adrian Kermode/Liz Jordan and more rapid Escorts in the hands of Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson and brothers Phil and Mick Squires, another crew making a debut in Belgium. Chasing the Escort pack in class D5 will more Flanders virgins in the form of the Sunbeam Lotus of Adrian and Dan Seabridge and the Vauxhall Chevette HSR of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
A tremendous entry for class D3, possibly the best ever, has five versions of the 2-litre Pinto powered Escort in contention. Picking a winner will be very difficult, with Will Onions/Tim Hobbs, Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins, Mark and Brett Clifford, Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood and Richard Lane/Frank Richer all lining up with serious intent to win the class.
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: 8th September 2008 [permalink]
Preview, round six: Harry Flatters Historic Rally
Press release: Wednesday, 23 July, 2008
Fresh from the closed public roads of the Isle of Man, contenders in the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will head for another asphalt challenge over the Epynt ranges on the Harry Flatters Historic Rally (2/3 August).
With the Epynt event marking round six of the eight-event schedule, the title contest is building up for a tremendous finale and the major players will all be pushing hard on the daunting roads, high in the Brecon Beacons.
Category 1
After radiator dramas on the Isle of Man, Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies need a strong finish to keep their title bid running on the Harry Flatters. Their Sunbeam Tiger should be the car to beat, although Epynt punishes the brakes on the Tiger and chasing hard will be Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their Porsche 911.
While the pair of sports cars battle for category 1, the Lotus Cortina of Jonathan and Graham Gale will not be far behind and will set a fierce pace in class B4 against the similar car of Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson.
In the 1300cc category, class B2, James Stait and Gill Cotton are having a great season in their MG Midget, despite an unfortunate off on the Isle of Man. They will fly over Epynt providing repairs to the Midget are completed in time, while class B1 is topped by the Sunbeam Imp of Gary and Jane Edgington. They also had a great run on the Isle of Man, but will need to have completed some engine work before heading for Epynt.
Category 2
Category two is for the cars produced from 1968 to 1974 and Steven Smith and John Nichols head the key title contenders in their Porsche 911RS. Another maximum score would give them a very strong championship position, but they face a mighty gaggle of Escorts, as well as the Porsche 911s of Peter Lythell/Chris Parsons and Irish veteran Derek Boyd, on what could be his first attempt on Epynt.
In Escorts in class C5 will be defending champions David Stokes and Guy Weaver, as well as Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard, Epynt virgin Frank Cunningham co-driven by Epynt veteran Ryland James and Rupert Lomax/David Alcock.
The contest in class C3 is likely to be one of the best of the rally, with a gaggle of very quick Escorts. Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes have a race against time to repair their car after an accident on the Isle of Man, while local aces Bob Gibbons and Neal James will be very rapid in their Escorts. Tim Jones/Don James are always quick, but lack experience of the venue, while Isle of Man based Conor Corkill could be a dark horse and Drew Wylie has proven pace, along with Peter Smith and Andrew Siddall in two more cars from XS Racing.
Category 3
Category three is for the most recent cars, those produced between 1975 and 1981, and is home to the Ford Escort Mk2s.
Two of the quickest cars will be those of Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper and Darren Moon/John McNichol, but neither driver has ever been to Epynt before, so they face a steep learning curve when the rally starts on Saturday afternoon. Conversely, Simon Tysoe and Rob Dyson have accumulated some good Epynt experience in recent times and could go very well. Phil and Mick Squires did the event for the first time a year ago and really enjoyed it, so they will be pushing for a good result this time around. Chasing the Escort pack in class D5 will be the Sunbeam Lotus of Adrian and Dan Seabridge and the Vauxhall Chevette of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
The contest for class D3, the 2-litre Pinto powered Escorts, is set to be a straight fight between Will Onions/Tim Hobbs and Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins.
However, two more major names should be confirmed on the entry list and both are potential overall winners, running either Mk1 or Mk2 Escorts. Mark Solloway is the fastest man over Epynt in historic cars, while Terry Brown has experience to spare. If they do both start the rally, they will be at the very head of the contest.
The SGC Printing Harry Flatters Historic Stages is organised by Brecon Motor Club. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.breconmotorclub.co.uk
Added: 23rd July 2008 [permalink]
Preview, round five: Isle of Man Historic Rally
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Chris Shooter, 2007Press release: Wednesday, 9 July, 2008
The stunning asphalt challenge of the closed public roads of the Isle of Man forms round five of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Isle of Man Historic Rally (17-19 July).
Aside from all the major title contenders, the rally should also mark the welcome return to rallying of Jimmy McRae on his first competitive run since his accident on the Pirelli Historic Rally in April.
Category 1
Hot favourite for glory in category one (for the pre '68 cars) is the Sunbeam Tiger of Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies. The former touring car racer has got the V8 Tiger flying along and will want to win on the island after retiring last year with a blown engine.
However, Watts knows he will be hard pressed by the Porsche 911 of Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride. Dessie is a real asphalt ace and knows the Isle of Man roads very well. On gravel, the Tiger is now more than a match for the Porsche, but things could be different this weekend.
Close behind Watts and Nutt in category one will be the rapid Lotus Cortinas, and this is set to be a three-way fight. Veteran Bob Bean, who celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this year, is having a great season and has young James Whitaker on the notes, so there is an age gap not far short of 50 years inside the car. Neil Calvert and Arlene Cookson head to the island with the overall BHRC lead, so they are eager for another strong result, while the hard-charging Jonathan Gale makes a welcome return with his father Graham in the co-driver's seat.
In the 1300cc category, class B2, James Stait and Gill Cotton are having a great season in their MG Midget and will go up against the rapid Mini Cooper of son and father team Matt and Dood Pearce. Meanwhile, in B1, the battle is between the Hillman Imps of Gary and Jane Edgington and Mike Barratt/Jody Watson.
Category 2
Category two is for the cars produced from 1968 to 1974 and it is Steven Smith and John Nichols who head the entry in their Porsche 911RS. They are real Isle of Man aces and rate this as one of their favourite rallies, so another strong run is highly probable.
Ranged against Smith in more Porsches are Irish veteran Dessie McCartney and French-based Peter Lythell, but it is a gaggle of Ford Escort Mk1s that will be battling for category honours. Top dogs should be David Stokes/Guy Weaver, but chasing hard will be Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard and Rupert Lomax/David Alcock.
Likely to set the pace in C3 for the Pinto-powered Escorts is the car of Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes, but their rivals include the fast-improving Peter Smith/Howard Pridmore and Drew Wylie/Neil Ewing from the XS Racing squad. In C2, for the 1600cc cars, Neil Rudd and Brian Hodgson head the BHRC contenders.
Category 3
Category three is for the most recent cars, those produced between 1975 and 1981, and is home for the Ford Escort Mk2s. However, this is also the category for McRae/Andy Richardson in their slightly later Porsche 911RS. McRae, a past master of this event when he was a multiple British championship winner, will go up against the similar car of local ace Adrian Kermode and Irishman Maurice Beckett.
A bunch of very quick Escorts will give McRae and Kermode plenty to think about, too, and it is Richard Hill and Patrick Cooper who have been flying along on the gravel rounds of the BHRC this season. However, Hill's last visit to the island - in a Mitsubishi Evo - ended with a big accident, so he's determined to keep out of trouble this time.
Other very quick Escorts include those of two of the most spectacular crews on the rally, Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing and Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson, while Frank Cunningham/Ryland James will also be great to watch in their Mk2 Escort. Offering excellent variety to the Escort pack will be the Sunbeam Lotus of Adrian and Dan Seabridge and the Vauxhall Chevette of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
The contest for class D3, the 2-litre Pinto powered Escorts, is shaping up to be a cracker as well, with Will Onions/Tim Hobbs, Mark and Brett Clifford and Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood all being serious contenders for the class.
Of course, the BHRC contingent is only a part of the historic element of the rally and a gaggle of local and Irish crews add further depth to the entry. Notable runners include John Kirkpatrick/Martyn Quine (Sunbeam Lotus), Derek and Roisin Boyd (Porsche 911) and a clutch of quick Mini Coopers including the car of Mervyn Johnston/Wendy Blackledge.
The Isle of Man Historic Rally is organised by Manx International Rally Ltd. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.mir.co.im
The historic rally starts from Douglas on Thursday evening (17 July) and finishes on Saturday afternoon.
Added: 8th July 2008 [permalink]
Preview, round four: Mid Wales Historic Stages
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Press release: Thursday, 19 June, 2008
Round four of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will pit crews against some classic forest stages on the Mid Wales Historic Stages (28/29 June).
The Newtown-based event will cover stages in the Hafren, Sweet Lamb and Myherin region, so the BHRC crews will be competing over the stages that will form the opening day of Wales Rally GB in December.
Category 1
The oldest cars in category one (pre '68) will lead the field away and a double victory on the Robin Hood and Pirelli rallies was the perfect start to the year for Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies in their Sunbeam Tiger. However, they retired from the most recent round, the Severn Valley Stages, after sliding off the road and so they will be eager to get their title bid firmly back on track.
Heading the Porsche challenge will be Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their familiar Porsche 911, with other 911s for Phil and Barbara Smith and Steve Troman/Kevin Devine.
But the Porsches will be pressed hard by the fastest of the Lotus Cortinas, notably those of Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson and Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson. Chasing the Cortinas in class B4 will be the mighty Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/Mike Reynolds.
Class B2 will again be a straight fight between the Mini Cooper S of defending class champions Terry Cree/Richard Shores and the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton, and it is Stait/Cotton who are firmly in contention for the overall title after the opening three rounds.
Two Hillman Imp variants contest class B1, including round one and three winners Gary and Jane Edington (Singer Chamois) and round two winners Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill (Imp Sport).
Category 2
Category two will be a battle between the Porsches and Ford Escorts Mk1s, although the ever-improving Lancia Stratos of Steve Perez will be a welcome addition to the field and could be a major contender. Set to head the Porsche contingent is the 911RS of Steven Smith and John Nichols, which has now won twice from three events.
Among the Escorts, it will surely be the cars of David Stokes/Guy Weaver and Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard setting the pace. It has been a dire season so far for Stokes, the defending champion, with just one delayed finish to his tally from three starts. Graham, meanwhile, has three strong results under his belt and is currently top dog overall in category two.
However, another very strong contender will return to the BHRC for the Mid Wales in the form of the Escort of Rupert Lomax/David Alcock. After a famous victory on the Pirelli Historic Rally, they missed the Severn Valley due to the clashing Rally Barbados, but they are now back and looking to go very well on home ground.
However, category two is not just about classes C4 and C5. The 2-litre C3 category regularly delivers some great battles, and it is brothers James and David Young who currently top the points after a great run on the Severn Valley. Their opposition is very tough and includes Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes and strong Welsh crews of Tim Jones/Don James and Neal James/Kevin Jones.
The class C2 entry marks the return to rallying of former class pacesetter John Worthing, partnered by John Cadwallader in his Escort Mk1. On his first rally of 2008, Worthing should start as favourite over stages he knows well, with Kevin Broadhurst/Andrew Turner leading the challenge.
Category 3
Category three is all about a gaggle of very quick Mk2 Escorts, all of them capable of challenging for victory. With two wins from three starts, Richard Hill and Patrick Cooper are the men to beat, but Darren Moon and John McNichol have been right on the pace despite a complete lack of prior knowledge of the Welsh stages. If gearbox problems are resolved in time, Moon will be flying.
So too, will be Martin McCormack on his return to the BHRC having missed two events while campaigning a Citroen C2 in the BRC. The last time all three crews competed together just seven seconds split them at the finish, so another mighty battle is likely.
Other established Escort Mk2 contenders include Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing, Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson, Phil and Mick Squires, Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby, Frank Cunningham/Ryland James and James Potter/Steve Smallbone, while Paul Griffiths/Sam Collis could be right at the head of the action in their Escort Mk2.
Class D3 for the 2-litre non-multi valve cars will also deliver a fine contest, with the fastest cars getting up amongst the BD-powered cars in D5. Will Onions and Tim Hobbs (RS2000) are leading the championship standings, but have plenty of rivals including Richard Lane/Frank Richer and Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins, while BTCC racer Mike Jordan makes his Welsh rallying debut in his RS2000. A dark horse could be the Escort Mk2 of former Avenger driver Stephen French and Colin Booth.
Elsewhere in category three, welcome variety to the Escort pack will be provided by the Sunbeam Lotuses of Adrian Seabridge/Daniel Seabridge and Julian Burch/Simon May and the Vauxhall Chevette HSR of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
The Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages is organised by Newtown and District Automobile Club Ltd. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.newtown-mc.co.uk
The historic rally starts from Newtown at 4pm on Saturday, 28 June and resumes at 8am on Sunday morning.
Added: 19th June 2008 [permalink]
Preview, round three: Severn Valley Historic Rally
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Press release: Thursday, 22 May, 2008
The third round of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will take crews to Wales for the first time this year for some classic mid-Wales stages during the Severn Valley Historic Rally (Saturday 31 May).
With two very long stages making up the meat of the 45 stage miles, it's going to be a challenging event for another excellent BHRC field.
Category 1
As usual, the oldest cars in category one (pre '68) will run first on the road and a double victory on the Robin Hood and Pirelli rallies has been the perfect start to the year for Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies in their Sunbeam Tiger. They'll be going all out for a hat-trick in Wales and will start as clear favourites.
Heading the Porsche challenge to the rumbling Tiger will be Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their familiar Porsche 911, but the long fast straights in Radnor should give the Tiger crew a flying start to the rally.
However, as well as chasing the Tiger, Nutt/McBride will be working hard to fend off the quickest of the Lotus Cortinas, notably those of Bob Bean/James Whitaker and Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson. With regular co-driver Malcolm Smithson away on holiday, 21-year old Whitaker will co-drive for 70-year old Bean for the first time. Chasing the Cortinas in class B4 will be the mighty Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/Mike Reynolds.
Class B2 is likely to be a straight fight between the Mini Cooper S of defending class champions Terry Cree/Richard Shores and the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton, and it is Stait/Cotton who have taken two wins so far as Cree/Shores hit a whole range of problems. If both crews have a clear run, it could be quite a contest.
Three Hillman Imp variants contest class B1, including round one winners Gary and Jane Edington (Singer Chamois) and round two winners Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill (Imp Sport), while Mike Barratt/Jody Watson will be hoping that their Sunbeam Stiletto is ready to rally again after a disastrous engine failure just before the Pirelli.
Category 2
Steven Smith and John Nichols turned in a mighty performance to win category 2 on the Robin Hood and their Porsche 911RS could well be the car to beat once more. Smith will be keen to get his campaign back on track after falling victim to a dreaded Kielder ditch on the Pirelli.
However, the quickest of the Escort Mk1s will be flying along and it is the cars of defending BHRC champions David Stokes/Guy Weaver and Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard that should be the best of the pack.
Stokes/Weaver have had a tough start to the season with two non-finishes after mechanical dramas, so they will be determined to score a strong result on the Severn Valley to get their season on song.
However, category 2 is not just about classes C4 and C5. The 2-litre C3 category is already delivering some mighty contests this season, and it was Ken Forster and John Stanger-Leathes who took their Escort Mk1 to a fine win on the Pirelli. But on the opening event, the Robin Hood, Welsh crew Tim Jones/Don James scored a fine win and will be eager to repeat that victory on home ground.
Other major challengers include the Escorts of Neal James/Kevin Jones, James Young/David Young and Robin Shuttleworth/Mark Midgley.
The Class C2 pace should be set by Vince Bristow/Tim Sayer (Escort Mk1), but youngsters Adam Morgan and Chris Kenyon are getting quicker and quicker as they build their experience.
Category 3
With the Porsche 911RS of Jimmy McRae absent after its accident on the Pirelli, category 3 is all about a gaggle of very quick Mk2 Escorts, all of them capable of challenging for victory. Robin Hood winners Richard Hill and Patrick Cooper and Pirelli winners Darren Moon and John McNichol will be right at the head of the battle, although Moon has never seen this part of Wales before.
Other established contenders include Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing, Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson, Phil and Mick Squires, Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby, Jason Lepley/Howard Pridmore, Frank Cunningham/Ryland James and Chris White/Chris Dewsnap, while Welsh legend - and pensioner - Terry Brown, partnered by the slightly younger Den Golding, will use his knowledge of these stages to good effect.
Class D3 for the 2-litre non-multi valve cars should also deliver a tremendous contest, with the fastest cars getting up amongst the BD-powered cars in D5. Richard Lane/Frank Richer pulled off a fine victory on the Robin Hood, but will face a big challenge from Pirelli winners Will Onions/Tim Hobbs in their RS2000. Also out to fight for D3 honours will be Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins and father and son crew Mark and Brett Clifford.
Elsewhere in category 3, welcome variety to the Escort pack will be provided by the Sunbeam Lotus of Adrian Seabridge/Daniel Seabridge, the Vauxhall Chevette HSR of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks and the Rover SD1 of Steve Holtom/Adrian Jay.
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: 22nd May 2008 [permalink]
Preview, round two: Pirelli Historic Rally
Press release: Thursday, 10 April, 2008
The second round of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will pit crews against the challenge of the mighty Kielder forest complex in Northumberland for the Pirelli Historic Rally (18/19 April 2008).
The crews will tackle four stages on Friday evening and a further three stages on Saturday, starting and finishing with a ceremonial flourish in Carlisle city centre.
Category 1
As usual, the oldest cars in category one (pre '68) will run first on the road and a resounding victory on the Robin Hood was just the start that Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies wanted in their Sunbeam Tiger. They'll be going all out to make it two wins from two starts on the Pirelli, as the Porsche 911 pack chase hard.
Heading the Porsche challenge will be Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their familiar Porsche 911, with Dessie sure to enjoy being back in the driver's seat after co-driving for his son Michael on the Circuit of Ireland over Easter. Another very quick 911 will be the car of John Keatley/Maurice Beckett, but the quickest of the Lotus Cortinas are really taking the fight to the Porsches.
In particular, the Cortinas of Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson, Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson and Jonathan Gale/Graham Gale are bang on the pace and Bean will be looking to continue his Robin Hood battle with Dessie Nutt. Clearly, reaching his 70th birthday that weekend has not slowed Bob down in any way!
Class B2 is likely to be a straight fight between the Mini Cooper S of defending class champions Terry Cree/Richard Shores and the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton, and it was Stait/Cotton who took a clear win on the Robin Hood when the Mini crew hit major problems.
Three Hillman Imp variants contest class B1, including round one winners Gary and Jane Edington (Singer Chamois). Mike Barratt/Jody Watson (Sunbeam Stiletto) and Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill (Imp Sport) will be challenging hard.
Category 2
Steven Smith and John Nichols turned in a mighty performance to win category 2 on the Robin Hood and their Porsche 911RS could well be the car to beat once more. However, the quickest of the Escort Mk1s will be flying along and it is the cars of defending BHRC champions David Stokes/Guy Weaver and Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard that should be the best of the pack.
Stokes/Weaver had a bad weekend on the Robin Hood when sidelined by a major misfire on the opening leg, so they will be looking to get their season properly underway on the Pirelli.
The Porsche 911Rs of Andrew Haddon/Mark Crisp is another contender for category 2 victory, while the Escort Mk1 of Rupert Lomax/David Alcock is getting quicker and quicker.
However, category 2 is not just about classes C4 and C5. The 2-litre C3 category is shaping up to deliver some mighty contests this season, and local crew Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes should join the action after missing the opening event as they prepared their Escort Mk1 with a fresh Pinto engine. Major challengers include the Escorts of Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon, Tim Jones/Don James, Neal James/Kevin Jones, James Young/David Young and Robin Shuttleworth/Mark Midgley.
Class C2 is well and truly up for grabs at the moment, with the pace likely to be set by Kevin Broadhurst and Andrew Turner (Escort Mk1). They suffered a disastrous engine fire on the Robin Hood but hope to have the car ready again in time for the Pirelli.
Category 3
The standard of entry in category 3 is every bit as good with four-time British Rally champion Jimmy McRae leading the field in the Prepfab Porsche 911RS. This freshly prepared car is one of the first 911s to run on a gravel event in category 3 and is sure to give the Mk2 Escorts a major fight for category spoils. As before, Andy Richardson partners McRae in the Stobart-backed entry.
Lining up to challenge McRae will be a gaggle of very quick Mk2 Escorts, all of them capable of challenging for victory. Robin Hood winners Richard Hill and Patrick Cooper set a stunning pace and are likely to be the benchmark, while Darren Moon/John McNichol were sensational on the Robin Hood and came very close to overall victory.
Other established contenders include Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing, while Phil and Mick Squires will make a late start to the season after missing the Robin Hood after Phil suffered a hand injury in the workshop. Other leading runners in Escort Mk2s include Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby, Jason Lepley/Howard Pridmore, Frank Cunningham/Ryland James and Chris White/Chris Dewsnap.
Class D3 for the 2-litre non-multi valve cars should also deliver a tremendous contest, with the fastest cars getting up amongst the BD-powered cars in D5. Richard Lane/Frank Richer pulled off a fine victory on the Robin Hood, but will face a big challenge from Will Onions/Tim Hobbs in their RS2000.
Elsewhere in category 3, welcome variety to the Escort pack will be provided by the Sunbeam Lotus of Adrian Seabridge/Daniel Seabridge and the Vauxhall Chevette HSR of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
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: 9th April 2008 [permalink]
Stunning entry for Robin Hood
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Press release: Friday, 29 February, 2008
Preview, round one: Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages Rally
The most competitive entry in the history of the championship will make the opening round of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship one of the most eagerly awaited rallies of 2008.
Two former World Rally champions will grace the entry as over 90 cars line up for the Alternative Sign Centre Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages over the weekend of 8/9 March.
It is a truly stunning entry for the opening round of the BHRC and comes very close to matching the record 100-car entry for the 2007 event. The field is packed with fabulous cars and drivers; historic stage rallying just gets better and better!
Category 1
As usual, the oldest cars in category one (pre '68) will run first on the road and heading the field away will be Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their familiar Porsche 911. However, a pair of Sunbeam Tigers will be chasing very hard as Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies are pursued by Paul Kynaston/Gary Bulley. This will be the first time that the two Tigers have gone fully head to head, as their only previous meeting on the Somerset Historic Stages was cut short when Kynaston hit engine trouble. Now, after a long break, Kynaston is back for the event he has won four times before and is determined to show Watts had it should be done.
Chasing the three sports cars will be the rapid Lotus Cortinas of Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson and Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson, and with Bean celebrating his 70th birthday on the first day of the rally it will be a special occasion for the rapid pensioner.
Class B2 is set to be a straight fight between the Mini Cooper S of defending class champions Terry Cree/Richard Shores and the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton, and there is likely to be very little to split the two rapid 1300cc cars.
Meanwhile, the up to 1-litre class B1 is very well supported with a Mini Cooper, two Saab 96s and three Imps. John Parker/Robert Harrison will star in their two-stroke Saab, while former Mini crew Mike Barratt and Jody Watson switch to a Sunbeam Stiletto.
Category 2
With two former World Rally champions in the top three cars, the category two entry is quite incredible. Add in some of the fastest Mk1 Escorts around and several very rapid Porsche 911s and the stage is set for a mighty contest.
Heading the field will be Stig Blomqvist and Pauline Gullick in the Escort from David Sutton's team and the legendary Swede will be very tough to beat. Meanwhile, two cars back will be fellow Swedish legend Bjorn Waldegard in the VK-backed Lancia Stratos, with Peter Martin guiding the 1979 World Champion through the stages.
Splitting the Swedes will be the Escort of Mark Solloway/Den Golding and this could be the fastest car of all in category 2. However, more potential winners in Escorts include defending BHRC champions David Stokes/Guy Weaver, Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard and Jeremy Easson/Alun Cook, so it really is wide open.
Then there is the Porsche contingent to consider, with Steven Smith/John Nichols and Andrew Haddon/Mark Crisp sure to set a fierce pace as they go up against the Escorts.
However, category 2 is not just about classes C4 and C5. The 2-litre C3 category is shaping up to deliver some mighty contests this season, although potential frontrunners Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes will miss this event as they prepare their Escort Mk1 with a fresh Pinto engine.
Russell Morgan and Martin Kenyon should be the benchmark in their Escort Mk1, but they have plenty of challengers including the Escorts of James Young/David Young, Tim Jones/Don James, Neal James/Kevin Jones and Ian Drummond/Tom Ward.
Class C2 is well and truly up for grabs at the moment, with the pace likely to be set by Kevin Broadhurst and Andrew Turner (Escort Mk1). Trying to make it a family double will be youngsters Adam Morgan and Chris Kenyon, who will run alongside their class C3 leading fathers.
Category 3
The standard of entry in category 3 is every bit as good with four-time British Rally champion Jimmy McRae starting first in the Prepfab Porsche 911. This freshly prepared car is one of the first 911s to run on a gravel event in category 3 and is sure to give the Mk2 Escorts a major fight for category spoils. As before, Andy Richardson partners McRae in the Stobart-backed entry.
Lining up behind McRae will be a gaggle of 14 Mk2 Escorts, all of them capable of challenging for victory. Picking a pacesetter here isn't easy, but Irish flyers Martin McCormack and Liam Moynihan will be sensationally quick. So too, will be Julian Reynolds and Ian Oakey, while Peter Slights/Joyce Champion can never be discounted. Add in dark horses Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper and Paul Griffiths/George Gwynn, along with established contenders like Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing and Jason Lepley/Howard Pridmore and the fans are in for a real treat.
Class D3 for the 2-litre non-multi valve cars should also deliver a tremendous contest, with the fastest cars getting up amongst the BD-powered cars in D5. Top seeds are Will Onions/Tim Hobbs in their RS2000, but Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins and Richard Lane/Frank Richer are strong contenders.
Elsewhere in category 3, welcome variety to the Escort pack will be provided by the Open Ascona of Steve Magson/Geoff Atkinson, the Sunbeam Lotuses of Julian Burch/tba and Adrian Seabridge/Daniel Seabridge and the Vauxhall Chevettes of Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks and Mark Creswell/Rachel Brockington.
The Robin Hood is organised by Lindholme Motor Sports Club Ltd and for more details about the event, please visit the website at: www.robinhoodforeststages.co.uk
Added: 29th February 2008 [permalink]
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