Returning to Yorkshire for the 7^th round of the HRCR Clubmans Championship, Ripon Motor Sport Club put on a 140 mile route on maps 99 and 100 with 5 regularities and 14 tests. Start and finish were at the Thirsk Auction Mart with lunch taken in the picturesque Masham Market Town. As usual in Yorkshire the sun was out and the shorts were on (for some) for what was to be a very enjoyable day’s motorsport.

A strategically positioned PC on the last regularity turned the leader board upside down allowing Dan Willan/Andy Pullan in their Volvo PV544 to take the top spot on the podium. It hadn’t been all plain sailing for Dan & Andy as they, like many had spun on the first visit to the grass tests.

Dan Willan and Andy Pullan (Volvo PV 544) managed to find the elusive codeboard.  Photo by Tony North

The event opened up with 2 pre-plotted regularities. All looked pretty straight forward but hands up who went on a scenic tour around the industrial estate missing the NAM junction out into the countryside. We did and counted at least 3 others around us however there was enough distance to the first control to recover the lost time. Already in trouble with fuel issues were Mark Goodwin and Anthony Davies in their TR7 with bonnet up and a lot of head scratching going on, which appeared to be their main occupation for the day.

The first batch of 4 tests on grass provided good spectating for the marshals with spins and lurid slides being the order of the day. Thankfully it was dry as the last time I remember it being used, it was just after a downpour. It was then onto West Tanfield for the morning coffee halt. Early leaders were Gavin Rogers/Cath Woodman with Dan & Jason Stone second and Leigh Powley/Brian Goff third.

Immediately after coffee, competitors made their way to the Lightwater Valley Quarry site where another 4 tests had been set out. Jason and Daniel Stone were setting the pace on the tests as competitors made their way to regularity 3, instructions (by way of tulips) for which had been handed out at the coffee halt. This took competitors into Bedale and finished just north of Masham where the lunch halt was a timely rest to recharge the batteries for the afternoon. At lunch Gavin Rogers/Cath Woodman were still leading the event ahead of James Griffiths/James Howell and eventual winners Dan Willan/Andy Pullan third.

Gavin Rogers and Cath Woodman (Reliant Scimitar), leaders at lunch. Photo by GF Rally Images. 

The final 6 tests, 2 at the grass track site and 4 back at Lightwater Valley concluded the test schedule for the day with Leigh Powley/Brian Goff taking the test honours. So it was all down to the last 2 regularities and in particular the last one. As is becoming popular on HRCR rounds this was a plot and bash affair with part 1 handed out at the start followed by part 2 at IRTC17. Part 2 provided the proverbial ‘sting in the tail’. Almost immediately after the second handout a spot height just off the main road took crews down a short white where a code board was the reward for those who had been both quick and accurate with their plotting. I must admit it took us a while to figure it out but satisfying to get the code board on the time card. With only 13 crews finding this PC and a hefty penalty for those who had missed it, it managed to turn the leader board on it’s head.

Having missed the PC on the last regularity, Gavin Rogers and Cath Woodman handed the win to Dan Willan/Andy Pullan. John Haygarth/John Youd, despite picking up an uncharacteristic test maximum on the first visit to the grass tests, didn’t stop them taking the second step on the podium. Whilst back in the good old days John Youd has won night road events outright this was his best Historic Rally result to date. A first win will hopefully be just around the corner.

Les Andrew/Henry Carr overcame a fuel pump problem during the first visit to the grass tests to finish third overall with Les being the first Championship registered expert driver home. Paul & Sandra Heaney were first in the novice class and an excellent 19^th Overall.

Dan Willan continues to lead the HRCR Clubmans Drivers Championship with Les Andrew leading the Expert Class and Paul Heaney the novices. Brian Goff leads the navigators championship with Suzanne Barker first expert and Sandra Heaney first novice.

Many thanks to Ripon Motor Sport Club and all the marshals for putting on a good day’s motorsport and an event worthy of being in the Championship.

Photos above by kind permission of Tony North

Photos above by kind permission of GF Rally Images

Simon Malins