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Report, round eight: Trackrod Historic Cup
Press release: Monday, 29 September, 2008
After four first-class forest stages in Yorkshire, Nick Elliott and Dave Price scored an impressive debut victory as they contested the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship for the first time.
The Cheltenham crew went quickest on the opener in Housedale and extended their lead to score a classy victory in category three.
In category one, Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies bagged another win despite a spirited challenge from Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson, while Steven Smith/John Nichols won category two in the face of a real challenge from Tim Mason/Graham Wild.
Smith and Watts will now await the deliberations of the championship stewards to know the destiny of the BHRC title, which remains undecided pending the outcome of eligibility issues with the C4 Porsches on the Tour of Flanders.
Category 1
Watts/Davies went into the rally knowing that another category one victory would keep their title hopes running, and duly took victory despite running on a range of used tyres. "It was tricky in Langdale," said Watts of the 15-mile stage that wrapped up the short, sharp event. "We had some big tank-slappers, so eased off a bit," he added.
But victory was secure, although the margin to the flying Lotus Cortina of Bean/Smithson was only 20s. With one of the drives of the rally, Bean bagged class B4 and stunned his rivals with his speed over his native Yorkshire forests. "Well pleased," said Bob of his day's work.
Pushed back into third in the category were Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911), after a couple of spins and several overshoots in an unusually untidy run. They were just 5s up on the Lotus Cortina in Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson, who were quick to acknowledge Bean's pace. "Bob's been on a mission and we couldn't keep with him, although we have tried," said Calvert.
The fight for B2 fell to James Stait/Gill Cotton, who completed a 100% finishing record in the MG Midget. However, Terry Cree/Richard Shores (Mini Cooper S) were only 12s behind despite picking up two punctures on the opening stage. It looked like their rally might be over, but the generous help of Mike Barratt loaned them the spare wheel from his Imp, albeit of a different size, but it got them running again.
Barratt and Jody Watson (Sunbeam Stiletto) were rewarded for their sporting act by winning B1 after the Imp of Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill was sidelined by diff problems.
Category 2
Despite a handling problem over the opening three stages followed by brake dramas in Langdale, Smith/Nichols (Porsche 911RS) bagged category two. "The pedal went to the floor and I had to give it a second pump," said Smith after a major overshoot at the downhill hairpin in Langdale. "For some reason it didn't get any worse and I did have some brakes," he said of the rest of the 15-miler.
Only 22s down on Smith at the finish was the 911 of Mason/Wild after a mighty performance. "We went off on the first stage and spun in Cropton," but I'm pleased with the result said Mason after his best ever BHRC result.
The Escort Mk1 pack in C5 lost Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard when they stopped in Langdale and Rikki Proffitt/John Roberts who rolled at Milner's Bend in Gale Rigg. Instead, Belgian commuters Stefaan Stouf/Joris Erard were delighted C5 winners after a fine run, with Simon Wallis/Ian Beveridge taking second in C5 after a good day in their Escort. "Excellent day," said Wallis at the finish.
However, the highest placed Escort Mk1 in the category was the C3 car of Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne, who marked the driver's birthday with a mighty run on Peter's first rally in his local forests for 30 years.
Despite a couple of moments in Langdale, Drew Wylie/Howard Pridmore (Escort Mk1) bagged second in C3 from Robin Shuttleworth/Mark Midgley as camshaft failure sidelined Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon.
However, there was consolation for the Morgan/Kenyon team as the junior squad of Adam Morgan and Chris Kenyon took C2 in their Escort Mk1 despite losing time to an electrical gremlin.
Category 3
The battle between Elliott/Price and Darren Moon/John McNichol never really got started and came to a close when Moon punctured in Cropton and stopped to change the wheel. By then, Elliott had gone clear and, having caught Moon struggling through Cropton, knew that he could ease back his pace and score a hugely impressive victory on his first run in his historic spec car.
With Moon way down the order, through to a fine second place in the category came Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing, on their first rally since the Isle of Man with their ex-works Escort Mk2. They ended the rally just 4s up on Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson, with Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby not far adrift.
"Not bad for an old chap; we've had a super day," said Slaughter. "We backed it off a bit too much on the last stage," said Tysoe, who had been 8s up on Slaughter going into the Langdale stage.
Polly Patti/Chris Dewsnap (Escort Mk2) had a good run to fifth, while another good run came from Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks, who were sixth in the Vauxhall Chevette.
Making a welcome return to rallying after a six-month break was Steve Magson, and he took his Opel Ascona to D3 victory with Geoff Atkinson alongside. They saw off the challenge of the Escorts of Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood and Mark Dickinson/Gavin Heseltine.
In D2, Pat Anderson and Tom Mansfield bagged the class in their Sunbeam Talbot, despite losing a lot of time.
Added: 29th September 2008 [permalink]
Report, round seven: Tour of Flanders Historic Rally
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Press release: Monday, 15 September, 2008
After a tremendous battle with the Escort Mk1 of Frank Cunningham and Ryland James, category two victory in Belgium finally went to the Porsche 911RS of Steven Smith and John Nichols.
The Tour of Flanders was another great event to form round seven of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic, with some challenging stages and tricky conditions when rain arrived for the final leg on Saturday.
In category one, Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies swept to a resounding victory in the Sunbeam Tiger, while in category three it was Belgian newcomer Darren Moon who scored a great win with John Stanger-Leathes on the notes in his Escort Mk2.
Category 1
It was something of a disappointment for Watts when he arrived in Belgium to find that he was the only runner in class B5, so full championship points were not available. But he got on with trying to push the rumbling Tiger as high up the overall order as he could and duly finished well inside the top 10 BHRC crews.
The Tiger ran beautifully, despite the usual concerns over brakes and Watts chucked it around in style "It's been a good fun event," said Watts after another fine performance.
Remarkably, second in the category went to the MG Midget of James Stait and Gill Cotton after a very trouble free rally. "No problems," said James. "It's slightly nicer in the dry," he added, after taking a dominant B2 victory.
Trouble free could not describe the rally of Neil Calvert and Arlene Cookson, however, who battled through Saturday just to keep their Lotus Cortina in the rally. A catalogue of problems nearly put them OTL and concern over a failing head gasket meant they had to ease the revs back all through Sunday. Even a trip through a hedge failed to stop them, however, and B4 victory was just reward for a tough weekend.
In B1, the Singer Chamois of Gary and Jane Edgington starred on their debut in Flanders. Relishing the fact that Flanders is flat, Gary pedalled the Imp in style and took third in the category as well as B1 spoils over Mike Barratt/Jody Watson (Sunbeam Stiletto).
Category 2
The star of Saturday in category two was Cunningham, who grabbed the lead with a storming performance on his favourite event. "I felt fabulous all day, as long as it was dry. The car was doing exactly what it was supposed to do," said Frank. But the rain that fell for the last loop of stages was his downfall as Smith/Nichols used the conditions to grab the lead.
"Down to a square left it just wouldn't stop and we went straight into a cornfield," said Frank. "We got away with probably dropping 20 seconds in there. But I was very cautious for the next two stages on that leg."
"It rained!" said a jubilant Smith at the end of Saturday, having taken a lead that he would hold through a dry Sunday. Cunningham's progress on Sunday was hindered by a broken spring, but that was changed at service with help from Smith's XS Racing crew.
David Stokes/Guy Weaver went out on Saturday after a broken TCA pitched them into an electricity pylon, thankfully without harm, Ernie Graham/Alec Cooper led the chase of Cunningham in C5 and took third in category from Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride, who had a great run first time out in Dessie's rebuilt C4 Porsche 911.
A very strong C3 category was won by the Escort Mk1 of Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne, but only after a long tussle with team mates Andrew Siddall/Captain Thompson. Both had moments in the rain, and Smith had an off again on Sunday morning, but still had things under control when Siddall hit late engine dramas. That allowed Robin Shuttleworth and Mark Midgley through to second in their Escort, while Neil Rudd/Brian Hodgson (Escort Mk1) bagged C2.
Category 3
The pace of Moon was one of the stories of the rally as he contested the event for the first time and with Stanger-Leathes alongside on the notes for the first time. A great category victory was just reward. "Brilliant! The best event I've done since coming into historics," said Moon at the end of Saturday and even a disputed 60s road penalty failed to spoil their result.
However, it could have been closer had Richard Hill and Patrick Cooper not spent over two minutes in a ditch on Saturday morning. They got back on with help from spectators and recovered to take second, staying clear of the Porsche 911RS of Adrian Kermode/Liz Jordan. The Porsche took D4 spoils, having achieved the target of getting further than the 1-mile they had managed a year earlier.
The D3 entry was tremendous and victory was reward for a mighty performance from Mark and Brett Clifford (Escort Mk2). They pushed hard, and really thought it was all over when the Escort popped out of a cut and dived into a ditch in Passendale, still going at very high speed. But it ran down the ditch and popped back out, with no damage. "We were both screaming," admitted Mark.
They had battled hard on Saturday with Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins (Escort RS2000) and the defining moment came when Evans stalled, with a failing starter motor. He lost about a minute and that was too much to give away to the flying Cliffords.
Will Onions/Tim Hobbs had a catalogue of dramas, but got to the finish for third in their Escort RS2000, just edging Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood in the process. Meanwhile, Pat Anderson/Tom Mansfield overcame gearbox woes to win D2 in their Sunbeam Talbot.
Added: 15th September 2008 [permalink]
Report, round six: Harry Flatters Historic Rally
Press release: Monday, 4 August, 2008
Right from the start of the Harry Flatters Historic Rally, Mark Solloway and Den Golding took control of the rally in their Ford Escort Mk2 and after nine stages on the classic Epynt ranges, they headed category three by almost a minute.
Round six of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally was another excellent event as crews tackled the unique challenge of Epynt. Category wins for Steven Smith/Howard Pridmore and Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies were very important in championship terms, but it is Neil Calvert and Arlene Cookson who still head the points with two rallies to run.
Category 1
It was a busy weekend for Elgan Davies, as the Flatters clashed with a friend's wedding. He missed the recce while at the wedding, dashed up to Brecon for Saturday evening's leg and then rushed off to the evening party before returning to the rally on Sunday morning.
But that didn't affect the pace of the Sunbeam Tiger and, though narrowly headed overnight by the Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride Porsche 911, Watts/Davies soon moved ahead on Sunday morning.
By the time they arrived at the finish back in Brecon, the Tiger was a minute clear of the Porsche, even though Watts declared Epynt not suited to the Tiger. "Like trying to park a double-decker bus in Tescos," was his analogy.
"We've been trying very hard," said Nutt after a very attacking performance.
A remarkable third in category one (and B2 victory) fell to James Stait/Gill Cotton in the MG Midget after a titanic battle over the final two stages with the Lotus Cortina of Neil Calvert and Arlene 'Miss Accrington Stanley' Cookson. Eventually, the gap was just 2.3s in favour of the Midget. "We really had to go for it on the last two stages," said Stait after a mighty performance.
Calvert/Cookson duly won B4 to retain their overall championship lead, despite breaking a tramp bar on Saturday evening. Second in B4 with a very strong run came Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell in their Lotus Cortina.
In B1, Gary and Jane Edgington had a tremendous run to victory as Gary made his Epynt debut in the Singer Chamois. A different engine had been fitted since the Isle of Man. "This one only revs to about 7200," said Gary.
Category 2
It all nearly went wrong for Smith/Pridmore over the big jump at the flying finish of the opening stage and a very heavy landing gave car and crew a major whack. But far worse was to come when Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes caught the jump marginally wrong, landed on the grass and rolled their Escort Mk1 four or five times. Thankfully the crew were okay and had the benefit of a check from Dessie Nutt when he arrived on the scene two minutes later.
Smith/Pridmore went into Sunday with a 4s lead over David Stokes/Guy Weaver (Escort Mk1) but were able to edge away as Stokes turned in another attacking drive to take second and win class C5. "We've broken the Pridmore jinx," said Smith at the finish, after two mechanical retirements on previous events with Howard co-driving. Second in C5 after a good event went to the Porsche of Peter Lythell/Chris Parsons.
Other than a top-end misfire, Stokes had a clear run and went clear of Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard (Escort Mk1), while Frank Cunningham/Ryland James (Escort Mk1) took third in C5.
Though not registered for BHRC points, Toby Adam/Byron Jones had a fine run to C3 victory in their Escort Mk1, with maximum points going to Drew Wylie/Neil Ewing in their Escort. An excellent third in C3 came Robin Shuttleworth/Mark Midgley, on their first attempt at Epynt with a C3 car.
However, it would have been different had the Escort of Neal James/Kevin Jones not broken its diff on the penultimate stage, bringing a great performance to an end.
Category 3
The destiny of category three was never in much doubt with Solloway/Golding turning in another epic performance in the Escort Mk2. Into the lead overnight, they went further clear on Sunday and were able to measure their pace over the closing stages to win by just under a minute. "Just a good, safe run," said Solloway, despite showing the usual commitment that makes him so popular with the Epynt spectators.
Another local legend headed the chase as Terry Brown and Kevin Evans ran second throughout in their Escort Mk2. A change of gearbox and propshaft kept them busy at main service.
One of the performances of the weekend came from Darren Moon and John McNichol (Escort Mk2), making their Epynt debut. They picked up their pace all the way through and were second fastest to Solloway on the final stage. "Very surprised," said Moon of the result. "I've enjoyed it," he added of the ranges.
Their increasing pace took Moon/McNichol clear of Simon Tysoe/Cliff Simmons as the rally progressed, but Tysoe was pleased just to finish after a run of dramas. Fourth in D5 was a good result, as Epynt newcomers Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper were next after a steady run following a cautious start on Saturday.
Class D3 was dominated by Arwel Evans and Arwel Jenkins with a typically spirited drive in their Escort Mk2, while young Conor Corkill, partnered by Howard Allison, turned in a very impressive debut run on Epynt to take second in class.
Added: 4th August 2008 [permalink]
McRae on top of the island
McRae in the fogDunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Press release: Monday, 21 July, 2008
Report, round five: Isle of Man Historic Rally
Jimmy McRae and Andy Richardson stormed to a classy victory on the Isle of Man Historic Rally over the weekend (17-19 July), winning category three in style as they drove their Porsche 911RS for the first time since crashing out of the Pirelli Rally in April.
Round five of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally ran over the closed roads on the island and was every bit as testing and demanding as its reputation suggests. For anyone driving over the finish ramp back in Douglas on Saturday afternoon, there was a tremendous feeling of achievement, whatever the final position.
In category one, Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride added another Manx victory to their record while making it a clean-sweep for the Porsches was a fine category two victory for Steven Smith/John Nichols.
Category 1
Through the opening leg of stages on Thursday evening and much of Friday, the lead contest in category one was nip and tuck stuff between Nutt/McBride and Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies in the Sunbeam Tiger. As the weather changed frequently, so did the class lead, but it all went wrong for the Tiger as the weather closed in on the second run through the Little London stage. After a clash with a sheep, worse followed when standing water put the fan into the radiator and they were out for the day.
That took the heat off Nutt/McBride and they were able to measure their pace through Saturday's stages to make certain of another victory. "Dessie's driven very well," reported his co-driver after the champagne spraying on the podium.
Right up with the leading pace on the opening legs was the Lotus Cortina of Jonathan and Graham Gale, but they went out with a broken halfshaft. That put the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton in line for second in the category, but they joined a number of others by going off on standing water on the Cringle stage on Saturday. It cost them 11 minutes and handed B2 spoils to Matt and Dood Pearce after a mighty run in their Mini Cooper.
Class B4 went to non-BHRC registered David Mylchreest/Allan Cathers in the MGB, while a measured performance in the light of on-going misfire problems netted second in class for the Lotus Cortina of Neil Calvert and Arlene Cookson. Importantly, they stayed at the head of the BHRC overall points as Arlene co-drove on the island for the first time in a decade.
Class B1 was all about the Imps of Gary and Jane Edgington and Mike Barratt/Jody Watson. Both crews finished, which was a major achievement, and the Edgingtons took the class by a healthy margin after an attacking drive. Despite an engine that was consuming oil at an increasing rate, they also took a remarkable fifth place overall in the category.
Category 2
It all started badly for Smith/Nichols on the opening stage on Marine Drive when an errant seagull smashed the Porsche's windscreen, while uncharacteristic road penalties added to their woes. With no replacement on the island, the XS Racing crew had to make a borrowed screen from a later 911 fit.
Once that was sorted, the Porsche and its crew ran faultlessly, giving chase to McRae in overall terms, but also measuring the need to bag maximum championship points. "We struggled a bit with set-up, but we had a very fair run," reported Smith after wining C4 from the 911s of Derek Boyd/Roisin Boyd and Dessie McCartney/Andrew Holmes.
Second in the category with a fine performance came David Stokes and Guy Weaver (Escort Mk1). "That's about where we thought we'd be," said Stokes after a remarkably trouble-free event.
Out of contention in C5 with a broken halfshaft after a spectacular run went the Escort of Rupert Lomax/David Alcock, while engine dramas accounted for Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard on Friday morning.
The contest for C3 was a topsy-turvy affair and the lead changed three times in less than a mile. Out after a clash with a bank on the Orrisdale stage went Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes and less than mile further on Drew Wylie/Neil Ewing parked their Escort Mk1 with a starter problem. Instead, fellow XS Racing crew Andrew Siddall/Captain Thompson moved ahead on the driver's first Isle of Man event. But, cruelly, an engine problem on the very last stage cost them three minutes and into victory came Peter Smith/Howard Pridmore, another XS crew with a driver making his island debut.
Neil Rudd/Brian Hodgson had a good run to take C2 in their Escort Mk1.
Category 3
McRae started as meant to go on with fastest time on the opening stage and was never headed once the meat of the event got underway on a very foggy run over Little London on Friday morning.
It proved to be a very problem-free run for McRae/Richardson, until the final stage of the rally. Heading into the Classic stage they had 50s in hand over Smith/Nichols, but going over the top of the stage at Injebreck, the Porsche shed another fan belt.
"The last six miles were very nervous," said McRae. He backed off as much as possible to nurse the car home and only dropped six seconds, despite finishing with a very hot engine.
On only his second visit to the Island, Richard Hill - co-driven as usual by Patrick Cooper - was as spectacular as ever in his Escort Mk2 and took second in category three as well as D5 spoils. However, a rather battered Escort showed how hard he had been trying, with notable damage from an off on the Orrisdale stage. The same corner claimed Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing, while Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson had earlier inverted their Escort Mk2.
Ian Corkill, co-driven by his daughter Rivka, came through to second in D5, while third in the class was reward for Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks (Vauxhall Chevette HSR).
The D3 class was also action-packed, with pacesetters Will Onions/Tim Hobbs out with a blown engine and Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins sidelined by clutch failure. Instead, another mighty Isle of Man drive from Mark and Brett Clifford netted D3 victory and tenth overall in their Escort Mk2, two minutes up on Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood.
Added: 21st July 2008 [permalink]
McCormack's fight back in Wales
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Press release: Monday, 30 June, 2008
Report, round four: Mid Wales Historic Stages
Martin McCormack returned to the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship for the Mid Wales Historic Stages on 28/29 June and turned in a mighty drive to claim category three spoils.
On an event that once again drew rave reviews from the competitors, McCormack and Joe Agnew charged back into the lead after delays on the opening day, while an equally strong recovery drive after an even bigger delay from Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper netted third in the category behind Darren Moon/John McNichol.
David Stokes/Guy Weaver finally shrugged off their bad luck with a great run in category two, but were edged back to second by Steven Smith/John Nichols, while Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies bagged another category one win in their Sunbeam Tiger.
Category 1
The rally opened with two stages on Saturday afternoon and crews went straight into the amazing Pikes Peak stage, a long climb up the mountain via a series of wide-open hairpins. Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride set the pace in their Porsche 911 despite a puncture towards the finish and ended the first leg with a lead over the rumbling Tiger. "I'm surprised we took time off Patrick," said Nutt before the restart on Sunday morning.
The opening two stages in Hafren on Sunday were in superb condition and Watts really got into his stride to take over the lead of the category. He duly went on to build his advantage to nearly a minute.
"Perfect; we enjoyed ourselves," said Watts back at the finish in Newtown. Nutt dropped time in Myherin when a stone jammed between the wheel and the caliper, but still took second, clear of a tremendous battle for class B4.
Into the last stage it was level between Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson (Lotus Cortina) and Graham Waite/Mike Reynolds (Volvo Amazon) and it took a big push from Calvert to grab the class from the charging Volvo. Then, there was a late scare for the Cortina crew when the car refused to restart for the run to the finish and they only just made it to the final control on time.
Clutch problems on Saturday cost Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson a chance of joining the contest, but they still took third in class in their Lotus Cortina.
B2 was a straight fight between Terry Cree/Richard Shores (Mini Cooper) and James Stait/Gill Cotton (MG Midget). Until the water crossings in Sweet Lamb, Stait had been trading times with the B4 pack and reckoned third overall was within reach. But the Midget didn't like the deep water and the time lost helped Cree/Shores to class victory.
"The best event," reckoned Geoff Taylor after taking B1 spoils in his Sunbeam Imp Sport, partnered by Steve Greenhill. Into second, and delighted just to finish, came Mike Barratt/Jody Watson (Sunbeam Stiletto).
Category 2
Putting a torrid season firmly behind them, Stokes and Weaver were on the attack from the start and headed the category overnight, four seconds up on Smith/Nichols, while Tim Mason/Graham Wild were well in touch in third in their Porsche 911.
Through Hafren, Stokes and Smith were virtually level and it was not until the 13-miler in Myherin that the Porsche edged ahead. Then, it all nearly went wrong for Stokes when he slid off at the flying finish of the Sweet Lamb stage and it took eight minutes to get back on, but fortunately they were over the flying finish line, so their result was not affected.
Smith/Nichols duly claimed the category after a fine run, while C5 spoils and a top finish were long overdue for the Escort crew. Sadly, Mason's ill-luck struck again, having set a pace well in touch with Smith for much of the event. Then, a puncture in Sweet Lamb cost them eight minutes and a top result. Into third in the category went Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard (Escort Mk1).
In C3, Tim Jones and Don James were dominant winners in their Escort Mk1, winning by nearly two minutes over Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne, who had a good run in their XS Racing run Escort Mk1.
"The stages were very good and we were driving to make sure of the class," said Jones, after leading rivals Neal James and Kevin Jones went out on Saturday afternoon with gearbox failure. Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes got their Escort to the finish but time lost due to an electrical gremlin and then a puncture left them well down the order.
The new partnership of Vince Bristow/Ian Harden was easily clear in C2, their Escort Mk1 a long way clear of the similar car of Kevin Broadhurst/Andrew Turner.
Category 3
The action in category three kicked off on the opening stages as McCormack/Agnew lost third gear and then had the fire extinguisher go off, while Hill/Cooper hit a post and damaged their steering. McCormack was 40s down, but Hill was two and a half minutes down overnight. Instead, Paul Griffiths/Sam Collis led at the end of the first day after a storming start, but Darren Moon/John McNichol were only three seconds behind in their Escort Mk2.
On Sunday morning it was all about McCormack and Hill as they flew through the pair of Hafren stages. McCormack was 18s quicker than Hill and they were both well clear of the rest in a stunning display. That pace soon put McCormack into the lead and he was able to measure his pace through the later stages on his way to a resounding victory. "We were really flying. It felt so good and the adrenalin was pumping," said Martin.
Griffiths should have bagged second, but lost around two minutes driving four miles of Sweet Lamb with a puncture, so it was Moon/McNichol in second after a tremendous performance on their first run through these stages. Hill's mighty recovery drive netted third in category three and fastest times on the final two stages.
In a typically competitive D5, a gaggle of quick Escorts packed out the next places with Terry Brown/Den Golding fourth from Griffiths/Collis and Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing.
An inspired Arwel Evans, co-driven by Arwel Jenkins, blitzed D3 and finished well up among the D5 cars in their Escort RS2000, while second after a time-consuming puncture were Will Onions and Tim Hobbs in their RS2000.
Added: 30th June 2008 [permalink]
Hill/Cooper on top on Severn Valley
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Monday, 2 June, 2008
Report, round three: Severn Valley Historic Stages
Starting with an 18-mile opening stage through Radnor forest, round three of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Severn Valley Historic Stages (Saturday 31 May), was a great event with classic stages proving popular with the crews.
Richard Hill/Pat Cooper pulled out a massive 24 second lead by the end of the first stage on their way to category three victory over Darren Moon/John McNichol, while the Porsche 911RS of Steve Smith/John Nichols took a commanding category two win.
With Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies sliding their Sunbeam Tiger off the stage and out of the rally on the penultimate corner of Radnor, Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride took a dominant category one victory in their Porsche 911.
Only eight of the 62 starters failed to make it back to the Builth Wells finish.
Category 1
"It was just so slippery, we were first on the road and cleaning the surface. The entrance to the penultimate bend was deceptive, I was too quick and it was either roll or head for the bushes," said Watts, after his rally came to an early conclusion. Nutt/McBride were left with a 14-second lead over Bob Bean/James Whittaker (Lotus Cortina). "We stalled at a hairpin too and seemed to take an age to restart," said Bean.
Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell (Lotus Cortina) initially held third over the similar car of Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson. "We had a misfire but fixed in it service," said Calvert. While Nutt continued to pull clear, Calvert closed in on his rivals, taking both Bean and Mankin on stage three to secure second in the category and class B4 spoils.
"Lovely conditions and an enjoyable trouble free event," Nutt concluded after taking the category win by over a minute. Philip and Barbara Smith were second in B5 behind Nutt in their 911. "We took a post and the tapes out on the last stage on a fast downhill section," said Smith. Stephen Troman/Kevin Devine (Porsche 911) were third, having punctured on the opener. "We did our best to catch up and had a wild and exciting ride on stage three," said Troman.
Bean, Mankin and Graham Waite/Mike Reynolds (Volvo Amazon) followed Calvert home overall in B4, while James Stait/Gill Cotton kept their Midget's nose ahead of Terry Cree/Richard Shores (Mini Cooper S) all day to win B2. "We were more aggressive in the drier conditions, and it was my first finish on this event in eight attempts," said Stait. "We had three spins on the last three stages and got stuck behind a car with a puncture," Cree replied.
B1 became more of a battle for survival, with Mike Barratt's Singer Chamois having broken its transmission the night before the rally. Gary and Jane Edgington managed to break their Chamois' rear suspension on the second stage, but still limped through the rest of the day to take the win over Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill (Imp). "The fan belt came off at the end, and we didn't want to risk restarting it," said Taylor after arriving at the finish by tow rope. They had already lost time at the start with an early puncture.
Category 2
Smith/Nichols proved unbeatable in their Porsche 911RS, only dominating the category all day. "With no one else in our class we wanted a good overall finish, but it wasn't worth risking too much. I got my head down at the end though, just making sure that I kept Ernie Graham behind me," said Smith.
Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard started cautiously too. "We decided to back off for some of the hairpins in Radnor. We didn't have any spins or get any damage," he said.
The Escort Mk1 of Drew Wylie/Neil Ewing Escort had third initially, but lost out to James and David Young and Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes by the end of stage two. "We were a bit cautious when we went past the place we had rolled last year," said Forster. But Young consolidated his place in third, taking C3 honours from Forster and Wylie. "We had a bit of a moment on the last stage, no other problems really and an excellent rally," said Young.
Neal James/Kevin Jones had a good into sixth with their Escort, comfortably ahead of C2 winners Vince Bristow/Tim Sayer (Escort). "We had a slow start as I was getting used to a new navigator," said Bristow. Adam Morgan/Steve Kenyon had led the class on the opener, before slipping back prior to their Escort's engine blowing. Robert and Jonathan Hoult (Escort) sealed second, but finished with a blown exhaust. Neil Rudd/Brian Hodgson claimed third. "It's still a cross-flow scrap engine, so that's not bad," said Rudd.
In only his third ever rally Sebastian Hack managed second in C5, with Martin Kenny/David Stocking's Escort third, despite breaking their gearstick. Unfortunately, a troubled year for David Stokes and Guy Weaver continued with a very time consuming puncture and subsequent dramas with the jack when they stopped to change the wheel.
Category 3
It was a straight fight between the two crews that shared wins the opening two BHRC rounds. Although Hill/Cooper had little experience of the Welsh forests, Moon/McNichol had none. With 24 seconds in hand on the first stage, Hill was already on his way to victory. He was quickest on all but one stage and by the finish was well over a minute clear. "I couldn't get into stage three at all, it wasn't anything drastic as I recovered and the car never missed a beat," said Hill.
Moon tried everything to close the gap but had to accept second best on this occasion. "I had a spin but was really trying on that first stage. I reckon I would be a lot better if I could have had a re-run. But on the last stage I have never had so many near misses, with two wheels over fresh air a few times," said Moon.
Jason Lepley/Howard Pridmore (Escort) held third for the first couple of stages, but started to slip back and finished with an off on the last stage. Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins (Escort RS2000) moved up to clinch the place and class D3, which they had taken over when Paul Griffiths/John Madoc-Jones (Escort Mk2) retired with a broken exhaust on their Escort on stage two.
"We had been playing catch up after losing the brakes on the first stage when a stone broke one of the pipes. A brilliant result for us in road rally car though," said Evans.
Phil and Mick Squires Escort just held off Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby for fifth. "We had a misfire through the last few stages, it felt like a plug lead was off or something," said Squires. "I had a lucky escape in Radnor when I got away with going airborne and clipping a bank," Taylor added. With Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing (Escort Mk2) picking up a last stage puncture, Polly Patti/David Gamblin (Escort Mk2) completed the top six.
In class D3 Will Onions/Tim Hobbs followed Evans home second, well clear of David Roberts/Dei Jones. Pat Anderson/Tom Mansfield (Talbot Sunbeam Ti) ran solo in D2 as did debutants Steve Holtom/Adrian Jay with their class D4 Rover SD1. "My first rally for 24 years and my navigator's first Seven Valley since 1987 and in a car that had been in barn for six years. Apart from losing the brakes on the first stage it was great and we finished," said Holtom.
Added: 2nd June 2008 [permalink]
Moon rises in Kielder
Press release: Monday, 21 April, 2008
Report, round two: Pirelli Historic Rally
The Kielder region proved up to its daunting reputation on round two of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Pirelli Historic Rally on 18/19 April.
While the unforgiving ditches caught out some of the leading contenders and mechanical dramas accounted for others, a tremendous performance from Darren Moon and John McNichol (Escort Mk2) netted category three spoils. Unfortunately, a major accident befell Jimmy McRae/Andy Richardson (Porsche 911RS) on the penultimate stage when battling for the category.
In category one, Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies set a scorching pace in the Sunbeam Tiger to win the category and set times that put them up with the top six category two and three crews.
Meanwhile, in category two, a fine run for Rupert Lomax/David Alcock (Escort Mk2) brought them a first BHRC victory on their debut event in the region.
Overall, the event was well received by the 65-strong historic entry, with everyone enjoying the stages in the main Kielder complex. Only the poor state of the opening two stages detracted from the rally.
Category 1
With a big attack on the opening stage, Watts/Davies went immediately 20 seconds clear of the category one field and were able to maintain their pace through the following six stages to score a commanding win.
By the time they emerged from the final nine miles in Pundershaw, Watts was 1m20s clear of the Porsche 911 of John Keatley/Maurice Beckett, although there was a late scare for the Tiger crew. "We hit a bridge with a back wheel, but got away with it," said Watts. "But we didn't go loony today," he added.
The battle for second was between the Porsches of Keatley and Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride and it was Keatley who grabbed the upperhand on Friday evening. Despite an attack on Saturday's stages, Nutt could not catch his countryman and the eight-second gap even grew a little.
Bob Bean and Malcolm Smithson were one of the casualties of conditions in SS1 and a large pothole threw their Lotus Cortina off the road. Instead, Neil Calvert and Arlene Cookson had a trouble free run to B4 spoils. "It was a steady run; we did what we came to do," reported Calvert at the finish.
The B2 contest never really got going as the Mini Cooper S of Terry Cree/Richard Shores suffered badly on the opening leg with a cracked sump and a time consuming off. Meanwhile, James Stait/Gill Cotton had a good run in the MG Midget to go well clear, which was fortunate as they had an off of their own on Saturday and spent three minutes on a tree stump, but still took the class by a minute. "Those stages were much better," said Cree on the second leg.
B1 honours went to the Sunbeam Imp Sport of Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill, with their result aided when the Singer Chamois of Gary and Jane Edgington shed a wheel on Friday evening.
Category 2
It didn't take long for the drama to start in category two, with David Stokes/Guy Weaver (Escort Mk1) hobbled by an electrical gremlin thought to a dodgy master switch. Then, early leaders Steven Smith/John Nichols slid the Porsche 911RS into a ditch just before the end of the opening leg, all of which boosted Lomax/Alcock into a well-earned category lead overnight. "We go well on the twisty stuff," said Lomax after a very impressive run on his first attempt at these stages.
Leading the chase was the Escort of Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard and they were 25s down overnight after dropping time on stages three and four with badly worn tyres.
It was nip and tuck stuff on Saturday, but with the second of three stages cancelled, Graham didn't have enough time to attack and the gap was still 18s at the finish. "It's gone to plan," said Lomax after a first BHRC victory.
As well as chasing Lomax, Graham had to watch for the pursuing Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes (Escort Mk1) in the leading class C3 car. First time out with Pinto power, Forster was flying along and finished just three seconds behind Graham after a tremendous run. "We had a slow first stage with the new car, but after that it was brilliant," said Forster, who also paid tribute to his co-driver's contribution. "John's notes were faultless," he added.
Chasing Forster in the hugely competitive class C3 were the Escort Mk1s of Tim Jones/Don James and Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon. Morgan was left to rue a slow start on Friday evening, but was closing in on Jones at the finish.
C2 delivered a very welcome class win for Kevin Broadhurst/Andrew Turner, as Broadhurst finished a BHRC event for the first time since 2004. He didn't think much of the Friday stages, but picked up pace on Saturday and was elated just to finish, let alone win the class by 25s from Neil Rudd/Brian Hodgson (Escort Mk1).
The contest for C4 was a topsy-turvy affair and it was Tim Mason/Graham Wild who took the class in their Porsche 911. "I love the Kielder stages," said Tim, but after some tremendous times they lost six minutes when the centre pulled out of a wheel. However, with Andrew Haddon/Mark Crisp hobbled by a gearbox stuck in second, Mason pressed on and stunned everyone by being overall fastest through Pundershaw. Without the delay they could well have won category two.
Category 3
McRae was surprised to be leading at the end of Friday after having the Porsche's fan belt come off twice. They carried on through the stages, but watching the gauges hurt their pace. "We backed off a bit and maybe that was a good thing," said Jimmy.
However, others had bigger problems including Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper who parked their Escort M2 with a radiator problem at the end of stage two. A Kershope ditch claimed Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson (Escort Mk2), while a similar fate befell Frank Cunningham/Ryland James.
Meanwhile, Moon/McNichol dropped time on the last stage of Friday evening. "We did nine miles on wrecked tyres," said Moon at the end of the leg. They lost 24s to drop 11s behind McRae and set up a big battle for Saturday. They were virtually level on the first of Saturday's stages, The Shanks, but it all went wrong for McRae when the Porsche plunged off the road near the end of Archie's Rigg.
That left Moon taking a 23s lead into the final stage in Pundershaw, but it wasn't over as Jason Lepley/Howard Pridmore were still charging along in their Escort Mk2, despite being unsettled after stopping at the scene of McRae's accident. "We'd planned to change tyres for the last stage," said Jason, but there was no chance to do it. Nevertheless, they were just 10s behind Moon at the finish having clawed back 13s in nine miles.
A splendid third went to Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing (Escort Mk2). "Fairly uneventful, but a good run," reported Slaughter at the finish.
Next up in category three and taking a fine D3 victory were Will Onions and Tim Hobbs in their Escort RS2000, after a straightforward rally. They had 1m20s in hand over Richard Lane/Frank Richer.
Added: 21st April 2008 [permalink]
Hill heads Robin Hood
Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship
Press release: Monday, 10 March, 2008
Report, round one: Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages Rally
The 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship got off to a magnificent start on the Alternative Sign Centre Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages over the weekend (8/9 March).
A mighty 90-car field, big crowds, two former World Champions and a tie for victory at the head of category 3 made it a memorable event. Ultimately, it took a tie-break to confirm Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper as winners over Martin McCormack/Liam Moynihan. Meanwhile, a performance that matched the Escort pace assured Steven Smith/John Nichols category 2 victory and Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies romped to category 1 honours.
Category 1
The anticipated Sunbeam Tiger battle at the head of category 1 never really materialised as Watts/Davies pulled out a commanding 46s lead during the three stages on Saturday evening. Paul Kynaston/Gary Bulley lost time through a wrong tyre choice and the driver being rusty, and completed a troubled weekend by retiring on Sunday after over-revving the engine.
For Watts it was a welcome result after finishing an engine rebuild on Friday evening. "It means I don't have to take the engine out again; I'm fed up with doing that," said Watts at the finish.
The battle for second in category 1 was only resolved on the final stage when a big push from Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride took their Porsche 911 ahead of the flying Lotus Cortina of Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson. "I had to extract several digits," admitted Nutt, having gone into Birklands one second behind. For Bean it was a fine way to celebrate his 70th birthday. "I'm quite happy with the class B4 win; the car has been perfect," said the veteran.
Class B2 was a two-way contest and it was the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton that took a clear win after the Mini Cooper of Terry Cree/Richard Shores lost time when a front hub split on the first stage. Stait had a scare when the gearbox drain pull fell out and they lost most of the oil after stage six, but they managed to fix the problem.
In B1, the Singer Chamois of Gary and Jane Edgington topped an excellent entry and survived a clash with a log pile to come home clear a class winner.
Category 2
With two former World Champions in category 2, there was a lot to play for and it was Smith/Nichols who emerged for victory after a masterful performance. They were on it from the start and had a 19s lead at the end of Saturday evening, and that had grown to over half a minute by the end of the rally. The margin could have been bigger still, as they lost first gear over the last two stages and dropped more than 10s. Into the final stage, they were ahead of the category 3 Escorts, but then lost time getting the car out of the slow corners. "I'm quite proud of that result; apart form first gear, everything else worked fine," said Smith.
Mark Solloway/Den Golding were running second, despite a puncture in Clipstone South, until a broken halfshaft on the final stage put them out of a big battle with Bjorn Waldegard/Peter Martin in the VK Lancia Stratos. The Swedish legend claimed C5 spoils after a mighty run, which gave the Stratos its best result to date.
Andrew Haddon/Mark Crisp were right in contention in their Porsche 911RS and had the honour of finishing between Waldegard and Stig Blomqvist/Pauline Gullick (Escort Mk1) in the final category standings. Out on Saturday night with a misfire went the Escort Mk1 of David Stokes/Guy Weaver.
Class C3 is shaping up for a cracking season and it was BHRC newcomers Tim Jones/Don James who took victory in their Escort Mk1, keeping clear of series returnees James and David Young (Escort Mk1). Neal James/Kevin Jones were third and could have been closer had they not dropped time with a misfire on Saturday evening.
Vincent Bristow/Dean Mitchell (Escort Mk1) blitzed class C2 with a typically attacking performance.
Category 3
For Hill/Cooper, even getting to the start was an achievement after major engine dramas in the run up to the rally. However, it was Julian Reynolds/Ian Oakey who returned to service on Saturday evening with a 5s lead over Hill. Sadly, that was about as far as Reynolds went as the gearbox on his Escort Mk2 jammed in reverse gear as they tried to re-start on Sunday morning and their rally was over.
Now it was Hill/Cooper battling with McCormack/Moynihan and there was nothing in it, with Hill taking a 2s lead into the final stage. That was gone by the end of the Birklands stage, but Hill got the verdict having been faster on stage one. "Martin's a quick lad," said Hill after a storming drive. "It sure doesn't get any closer than that," countered McCormack, who was getting used to a fresh car.
Almost matching the pace of Hill and McCormack were Darren Moon and John McNichol, who had a mighty run in their Escort to be just 7s down at the finish and really establish themselves as BHRC contenders. Peter Slights and Joyce Champion were fourth, while another highly notable performance netted fifth for Simon Tysoe/Rob Dyson, their best result to date.
Jimmy McRae and Andy Richardson used the event as a shakedown for the new Porsche 911RS from Prepfab and set a series of fastest stage times to show the car's pace. Unfortunately, road penalties cost them any chance of a good result and then fuel problems on the final stage stopped the car.
In D3, Richard Lane/Frank Richer had a superb run to win, although their task was eased when rivals Will Onion/Tim Hobbs had to stop and change a puncture in Clipstone North. Arwel Evans/Arwel Jenkins took second in D3 on a return to the BHRC in Evans' Escort RS2000.
Added: 10th March 2008 [permalink]
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