Three category champions in the 2016 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship have been confirmed following the seventh and eighth rounds of the season on the Isle of Man Historic Rally (15-17 September).
With only one round remaining, the Trackrod Historic Cup (30 September/1 October), the winners of Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 have been announced. However, the destiny of the overall title will only be decided in the famous Yorkshire forests.
After a sensational season, Northern Irishman Paul Barrett and Welsh co-driver Dai Roberts are secure as champions in the RSR Historic Engineering Category 3, for cars built between 1975 and 1981. Their Pinto-powered Ford Escort Mk2 has delivered consistent giant-killing performances and they are the first crew for at least a decade to win Category 3 with only Pinto power against the more powerful BDG Escorts.
In the Capital Construction Category 2, for cars from 1968 to 1974, Simon Tysoe and Paul Morris are now unbeatable in their Ford Escort Mk1. In Tysoe’s first full championship assault they have been both fast and consistent and racked up strong scores in every round until 12 minutes in a ditch dropped them down the order on the second part of the Isle of Man double-header. Nevertheless, they cannot be caught on the final rally of the season.
Father and son Bob and Dale Gibbons are the deserving champions in the Vintage Car Radiator Company Category 1 for pre-1968 cars. The South Wales crew have enjoyed a tremendous season in their Ford Cortina Mk2 GT and capped the year with a mighty performance on the Isle of Man. They won Category 1 on the overall event by more than four minutes and finished well inside the top 20 from more than 50 historic finishers.
Like all the award winners from the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the category winners will receive their award at the championship awards’ night at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield on Saturday 22 October.
The rallying career and character of David Stokes will be remembered with a new end-of-season award within the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship.
This special award, supported by Castrol, will celebrate the life of the four-time BHRC champion who was challenging for a fifth crown when taken ill last summer. After a short battle with cancer, David died in February.
The annual award will be presented to the individual who displays 'spirit and enthusiasm for the BHRC in the style of David Stokes'. The winner could be a driver, a co-driver, a mechanic, an official or a marshal and will receive a generous package of Castrol products as well as a trophy.
The award will be judged at the end of the season by a panel of judges including David’s co-driver Guy Weaver, David’s younger brother Andrew, Donald Smith from Castrol and BHRC manager Colin Heppenstall.
Guy Weaver said: “This award is designed to encapsulate David's philosophy of inclusion for everyone in historic rallying. He would offer help and advice to anyone, no matter where they were in the field and he was always keen to encourage newcomers. I hope the winner is proud to receive this new award and to follow in the wheeltracks of the legend that was David Stokes.”
BHRC confirms Holton Homes Clubman Challenge
Posted: February 13, 2016 10:06 AM
The popular Holton Homes Clubman Challenge will be an integral part of the 2016 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, offering competition for crews using no more than six tyres on each gravel round of the championship.
As the BHRC starts its second season under the management of the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club, the Clubman Challenge is an important initiative to contain costs for competitors and help reduce damage to forest roads.
To be eligible for the Challenge, drivers must use no more than six tyres per rally. Any punctured tyres will count as part of the six-tyre allocation. For each car competing in the Clubman Challenge, six tyres will be marked at scrutineering at each event and only these tyres may be used during the rally. Any tyres from a previous event that the competitor wishes to use must be taken to scrutineering and re-marked as part of the set of six for that event.
The Holton Homes Clubman Challenge will run alongside the main MSA British Historic Rally Championship and will be a class and category-based challenge, allowing crews from any of the categories to be the Clubman Challenge champions.
"This will be the third season of the Clubman Challenge and it has proved to be a great success. It brings a degree of rallymanship into the equation as the type of tyres, compounds, tyre pressures and driving style will all come into play," said Championship manager Colin Heppenstall. "It is an important initiative in helping to contain the cost of competing."
The 2016 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship starts on the Red Kite Stages on Sunday 21 February and more details are available from www.redkitestages.co.uk
Video: 2016 British Historic Rally Championship Preview
Posted: February 7, 2016 1:47 PM
BHRC 2016 dates confirmed
Posted: November 30, 2015 5:49 AM
The dates for the 2016 MSA British Historic Rally Championship have been confirmed, with an eight-event schedule covering six gravel and two asphalt rallies.
The Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club is promoting the MSA BHRC under a five-year contract and 2016 will be the second year of that agreement.
The calendar builds on the success of the 2015 season and features a slightly later start as the Red Kite Stages moves back three weeks. Rally North Wales, round two in early April, will take the BHRC contenders into the outstanding Dyfi and Gartheiniog stages.
In what is sure to be a popular move with crews, the championship will return to the superb stages in South Wales for the Red Dragon Stages, a revised event from the experienced team at Port Talbot Motor Club. Asphalt events will continue to be the Harry Flatters Rally on Epynt and the Isle of Man Classicagh, while a longer gap between the Isle of Man and the season concluding Trackrod Historic Cup will make things a little easier for competitors.
In addition to the main BHRC, the competition will also include a five-round Welsh Challenge and a Northern Challenge to include the Isle of Man. The popular Clubmans Challenge will be run across the six gravel rallies for crews using no more than six tyres per rally.
"I'm very pleased with the calendar, which is an evolution of this year?s schedule," said championship manager Colin Heppenstall. "We?re again running Welsh, Northern and Clubmans Challenges for crews who may not have the resources to contest the full season. We will shortly confirm sponsorship and TV arrangements."
The championship will be officially launched at Autosport International at the Birmingham NEC (14-17 January) when championship registrations will be open.
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