In Car with Julian Reynolds/Ian Oakey - Ford Escort Mk2 BDA
Posted: June 27, 2009 12:24 AM
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Posted: June 23, 2009 1:56 PM
BHRC report, round four: Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages
Posted: June 22, 2009 3:11 PM
Gwyndaf Evans made it two wins on the trot in category three of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship when he won the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages on Sunday (21 June). Partnered by Gareth Roberts, Evans swept ahead when both Julian Reynolds/Ian Oakey and Nick Elliott/Dave Price hit trouble after they has set stunning times over the opening stages.
In category two, David Stokes/Guy Weaver turned in an excellent run to claim victory while Jonathan and Graham Gale bagged category one in their Sunbeam Tiger.
Once again the classic stages in Hafren and Myherin drew unanimous praise from the crews and the new organising team behind the rally delivered a first class event.
Category 1
Despite running first on the road throughout the rally, Gale was always top dog in category one having pushed the Tiger clear on the opening 10-mile stage that started in Hafren and finished in Sweet Lamb. Through the second pair of Hafren stages, Gale extended his lead, but it was never a case of just cruising to victory.
The first big drama came on the descent from Pikes Peak when a huge moment caused a deal of excitement inside the car. Then, fuel vapourisation struck and they struggled into the long Myherin stage. Finally, a detached windscreen wiper and misted screen made vision very difficult in the last stage to Elvis Rock, so it was a relieved Gale who returned to Newtown with victory confirmed. "That was an enormous moment coming down from Pikes Peak," reported Jonathan.
Leading the chase of the Tiger was non-BHRC crew Graham Waite/Gill Cotton, who pedalled the Volvo Amazon with typical verve to head Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911). With the Porsche still bearing the scars of the off on the Severn Valley, Nutt was happy to reach the finish without any dramas.
"The car hasn’t missed a beat," reported Paul Mankin and Des Bell after another class B4 victory to put themselves back into the overall BHRC lead, while Mike Barratt/Jody Watson took B2 in their Mini Cooper despite Watson being ill for most of the rally.
In B1, with the Sunbeam Imp of Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill out with a broken gear lever, it was down to the Saab 96s of John Parker/Caroline Lodge and Nick Pinkett/Jonathan Lodge. In a tribute to his former co-driver Bob Harrison, who died recently, Parker claimed the class on his first rally for over a year.
Category 2
The decisive moment in category two came towards the end of the second run through Hafren South when Rupert Lomax/David Alcock sportingly pulled over to let Stokes/Weaver go by. They had been only a second apart on the first stage, but a stuck throttle cost Lomax more than a minute as they drove out of the stage on the cut-off switch.
They were again closely matched over the later stages, but the damage had been done and Stokes/Weaver won by a minute and a half after a faultless performance. "Once I passed Rupert I didn't take any risks," reported Stokes after a result to end a run of troubled rallies.
Tim Mason/Graham Wild ran with the Escorts over the opening stages in their Porsche 911, but went out of the rally in mysterious circumstances in Myherin. Running first on the road after a gap following Nick Elliott's accident, they arrived at a corner to find a large log in the road and the resulting suspension damage ended their rally in a most unfortunate manner. With the Porsche out, Lomax fought back to second to maintain his title bid heading for the Isle of Man.
Into C4 victory came Jeremy Easson/Alun Cook in the mighty Ford Capri, though Easson admitted that the twisty section of Sweet Lamb was definitely not Capri territory. A couple of offs and a puncture cost Peter Smith/Russ Langthorne (Porsche 911) a good result, but they set some encouraging times in the process.
As ever, the contest for C3 glory was spectacular and fiercely competitive among the Escort Mk1s. Drew Wylie and Howard Pridmore lost over half a minute on the first stage when Wylie admitted to having not woken up. Instead, Tim Jones/Don James took the lead and had to push very hard to fend off the flying Neal James/Kevin Jones, with the margin just four seconds after a fine battle. "We had a bad stage in Myherin," said Jones after a long wait at the start of the stage. Wylie/Pridmore took third from Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes.
Vince Bristow/John Cadwallader were well on target for C2 spoils with a great run when a melted piston ended their rally. Instead, Matt Fowle/Robert Cook took the class and tenth overall in category two despite nursing their Escort home with a failing head-gasket.
Category 3
The pace among the top three Escort Mk2s in category three was sensational as Reynolds/Oakey and Elliott/Price tied on the opening stage, 12s up on Evans/Roberts. Reynolds then went 2s faster than Elliott in Hafren North before adding nine seconds to his lead on the second run through Hafren South, aided when Elliott lost the intercom. But it was stunning stuff and the many spectators out on the stages loved the spectacle.
Heading out of service towards Pikes Peak, Reynolds was 11s up on Elliott and 23s up on Evans, who felt he had lost time with a wrong tyre choice, but gave full credit to the speed of his rivals. However, Pikes Peak dealt Reynolds a crushing blow with an early puncture and they lost nearly four minutes changing the wheel. But worse was to come for Elliott on the 12-miler in Myherin. An off-camber left threw them into the ditch and the Escort went over twice. Though unharmed, Nick had breathed in some fire extinguishant and felt groggy, so the stage was halted while medical crews attended. "It was all going fairly comfortably and we'd just inherited the lead," said Elliott.
All of this left Evans with a clear lead but he acknowledged the pace of his rivals. "They were both going well and I wasn't going quick enough to catch them," he said. Nevertheless, a second victory on the run went to the Viking Motorsport crew.
Through to a fine second pace came Will Onions/Tim Hobbs after their best BHRC run so far. "A very good day; no problems," reported Hobbs as they ended the rally half a minute up on Paul Griffiths/Sam Collis. Out for the first time this season, Griffiths got back into the groove very well to bag third by just three seconds from Darren Moon/Chris Parsons, who spent the day working back from a steady first stage.
The D3 battle was another final stage cliff-hanger as Mark Clifford/Elgan Davies stormed through Elvis Rock to win by two seconds, having been level with Guy Woodcock/David Williams going into the last 6-miler. "That was a fantastic battle," said Clifford, before admitting to a big moment in that last stage.
In D2, Jacob Scannell/Nina Thompson got a well-deserved finish and class win in their Escort Mk2 after a series of dramas on previous events, while D4 fell to the Volvo 244 of Bill Douglas/Stephen Hancock.
BHRC preview, round four: Mid Wales Historic Stages
Posted: June 15, 2009 11:16 AM
Some of the famous stages from Wales Rally GB await crews in round four of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages on Sunday 21 June.
With a strong entry of over 60 cars, there will be great competition across all three categories as crews tackle famous stages in the Hafren and Myherin complexes. From the start in Newtown, the rally heads into the surrounding forests for 50 miles of superb gravel roads.
Category 1
Favourites for category one spoils among the pre ’68 cars is the Sunbeam Tiger of Jonathan and Graham Gale, which has shown prodigious speed already this year. However, this is far from a forgone conclusion, as the Porsche 911 of Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride will be as big a rival as ever to the V8 Tiger. In the most recent round, the Severn Valley Stages, Nutt was caught out by the Tiger’s dust and slid off the road, rolling the Porsche in the process of an uncharacteristic slip.
Leading the chase of the Tiger and the 911 will be overall title contenders Paul Mankin and Desmond Bell in their Lotus Cortina. The Newcastle-upon-Tyne crew is having a great season and another strong result will keep them in contention for the BHRC title. Ranged against Mankin/Bell in class B4 will be Welsh Historic Championship contenders Graham Waite/Gill Cotton (Volvo Amazon) and Gwilym Roberts/Gwawr Hughes (Lotus Cortina).
Heading class B2 will be the Mini Cooper S of Mike Barratt/Jody Watson, while class B1 has the Sunbeam Imp of Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill up against the two-stroke Saabs of John Parker/Caroline Lodge and Nick Pinkett/Jonathan Lodge. The fact that the co-driving Lodges are husband and wife should add to the battle of the Saabs.
Category 2
It is proving to be a great season for Rupert Lomax/David Alcock, who head to the Mid Wales as overall leaders in the BHRC after three very good results in their Escort Mk1. They will be determined to maintain that momentum, but two more Escort Mk1s in particular will offer very strong opposition. David Stokes/Guy Weaver have yet to have a proper clean run this season and will be eager to put that right in Wales, while Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard are also very quick in their similar car.
The battle for class C4 will be rejoined with the Porsche 911 of Tim Mason/Graham Wild taking on the Ford Capri RS3100 of Jeremy Easson/Alan Cook. Also getting into the frame in C4 as he gets used to his Porsche 911 is Peter Smith, partnered as usual by Russ Langthorne. This trio of C4 cars also has the potential to give strong chase to the BDA-powered Escorts in the category two field.
Class C3, for the Pinto-powered Escorts, is hugely competitive, with at least four potential winners. Tim Jones/Don James will be seeking to press home the local advantage, but Drew Wylie/Howard Pridmore are having a fantastic season and will make a real fight of it. Add in Andrew Siddall/Captain Thompson, Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes and the rising star of C3, James Slaughter with Greg McCormack alongside, and it’s going to be some battle. Further spice is added to the mix by the rallying debut of former Le Mans winner Guy Smith, co-driven by Graham Henshaw in the Escort Mk1 driven by Guy’s father Peter last year.
In class C2, Matt Fowle/Robert Cook could set the pace, but a late entry from Vince Bristow/tba will ensure a fierce contest, with Richard Williams/Richard Ekin also looking to get into the contest.
Category 3
Another superb entry for category three packs no less than 14 Escort Mk2s into the top 20 seeds, with Severn Valley winners Gwyndaf Evans/Gareth Roberts leading the way in the car from Phil Mills’ stable. But with Nick Elliott/Dave Price, Julian Reynolds/Ian Oakey and Darren Moon/Chris Parsons running as the next three cars on the road, the pace is going to be sensational.
Elliott won the season-opening Bulldog Rally, while Moon won in Kielder, so Reynolds will be very keen to make it four winners from four events. But that’s certainly not the end of the strong Mk2s, as packing out the top 10 are Paul Griffiths/Sam Collis, Terry Brown/Den Golding, Will Onions/Tim Hobbs and Simon Tysoe/Cliff Simmons. It is a stunning line-up, and the quality continues well beyond the top 10 with crews like Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing and Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James.
In D3, the pace of Irish Escort Mk2 crew Ryan Barrett and Barry Ferris will be mighty and they will be very tough to beat if they have a clear run. Guy Woodcock/Iwan Jones and Richard Lane/Frank Richer head the opposition, while the Escort Mk2 of Jacob Scannell/Nina Thompson leads D2.
Regulations published for the Mid Wales Stages Rally
Posted: April 23, 2009 2:41 PM
The build up to the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages has stepped up a gear following the publication of the regulations for the Newtown and District Automobile Club event on Sunday 21 June.
As a round of no less than seven championships, the 150-car entry list is expected to fill up rapidly and event organisers are urging crews to enter as soon as possible to guarantee an entry. Entries are now open and close for seeding purposes on 9 June and close finally on 18 June.
The Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Historic Stages will be round four of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, round six of the Brian Dennis Motorsport Welsh Historic Rally Championship and a round of the ANWCC Historic Stage Rally Championship.
The concurrent Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages is a round of four championships: the LICO Welsh Clubmans Forest Rally Championship, the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship, the ANWCC Ladies Rally Championship and the ANWCC All Rounders Championship.
"We were keen to get our event regulations out in good time," said event clerk of the course Chris Tomley. "We have tried very hard to contain costs to ensure that the rally remains good value for the competitors. I am very pleased to confirm that we have held the modern entry fee at the same level as 2008, which is £385, and reduced the historic entry fee to £425."
The Mid Wales Stages offers competitors the only chance of the year to tackle classic forests used on Wales Rally GB, including Hafren and Myherin. Central servicing will be located at the Sweet Lamb rally complex near Llangurig, with the rally again based at Coleg Powys in Newtown. The historic event will cover 55 miles in six stages, while the modern event will take in 45 miles in five stages.
More details will be available from the event website from which Regulations and Entry form can also be downloaded
The 2009 Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages and Mid-Wales Historic Stages (Sunday 21 June) will be a round of no less than seven national and regional championships as competitors get a rare chance to tackle the classic stages in the Hafren and Myherin forest complexes.
The Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Historic Stages will be round four of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, round six of the Brian Dennis Motorsport Welsh Historic Rally Championship and a round of the ANWCC Historic Stage Rally Championship.
Meanwhile, the concurrent Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages is a round of four championships: the LICO Welsh Clubmans Forest Rally Championship, the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship, the ANWCC Ladies Rally Championship and the ANWCC All Rounders Championship. In addition, special awards will be presented within the modern event for Peugeot Challenge and Formula 1000 cars.
The Newtown and District Automobile Club event will run on Sunday 21 June, following scrutineering and documentation on Saturday 20 June. The historic event will cover 55 miles in six stages, while the modern event will take in 45 miles in five stages.
The Mid-Wales Stages has a long and proud history, having first been run in 1977. Now, 32 years later, the event remains one of the most popular Welsh forest events on the calendar. The 2009 event will follow the established format of rally HQ at Coleg Powys in Newtown, with Central servicing at Sweet Lamb.
Regulations will be available during April and more details will be available from the club's website below:
Newtown region to benefit from Mid Wales Stages Rally
Posted: March 26, 2009 9:11 PM
Traders in the Newtown area of Mid-Wales will earn around £100,000 from the annual Mid Wales Stages run by Newtown and District Automobile Club on Sunday 21 June.
The special stage rally, which puts up to 150 cars into competition over the gravel forest roads in the Hafren and Myherin complexes, will give Newtown a massive mid-summer boost as competitors, their support crews, officials and spectators spend money in and around the town.
Up to 1000 bed nights will be booked in hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs in and around Newtown, while other spending will be a timely boost to local restaurants, garages and shops.
The event organisers, using figures generated by the Welsh Assembly Government, estimate that the rally will bring around £100,000 into the local economy, as competitors arrive during Saturday for pre-event administration and scrutineering.
As well as being a round of several Welsh rally championships, the Mid Wales Stages Rally is also round four of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship. This is one of the most significant and prestigious championships in British rallying and television coverage of the British Historic Rally Championship will also bring the region to the attention of a significant audience.
"Over 130 crews are expected to tackle this popular event, bringing with them their service crews and supporters," said clerk of the course Chris Tomley from Newtown and District Automobile Club. "All of them require accommodation, food and drink in the surrounding area for Saturday night and during the event. Add to this the volunteer officials, marshals and safety crews on the stages and at rally HQ, which comprise another 300 people, and one can see the considerable benefit this event makes to the local economy."
The Mid Wales Stages offers competitors the only chance of the year to tackle classic forests used on Wales Rally GB, including Hafren and Myherin. Central servicing will be located at the Sweet Lamb rally complex near Llangurig, with the rally again based at Coleg Powys in Newtown.
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