Trackrod Forest Stages - 29-30 Sep 17

Pritchard and Clarke clinch BHRC hat-trick

Posted: November 6, 2017 10:52 AM

ason Pritchard and Phil Clarke have won the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship for the third time in a row after a nail-biting climax on the final round, the Trackrod Historic Cup (September 29/30).

It was a winner-takes-all showdown in the Yorkshire forests between Pritchard/Clarke and Nick Elliott and Dave Price and Elliott was seven seconds up when he slid off for over a minute on the fourth stage. After seeing his rival off the road, Pritchard and Clarke were able to ease their pace and take maximum points to become the first crew to take a hat-trick of BHRC titles.

The rally started with 11-miles of Dalby in the darkness of Friday evening, made muddy and slippery after heavy rain. Remarkably, Pritchard and Elliott were just eight-tenths of a second apart by the end of the stage as Pritchard took a slender advantage.

Saturday morning started with 14 miles of Langdale and Elliott went five seconds faster, which grew in the following Staindale stage to take a 7.5s margin into stages in Gale Rigg and Cropton. Elliott continued his attack in Gale Rigg but a tricky corner caught Elliott out and the Escort went off backwards into the undergrowth. The car was undamaged but stuck and Pritchard, running next car, went by as Price organised recovery with spectators.

A minute and a half was lost and that dealt a fatal blow to Elliott’s title bid. Heading into the second run of Dalby, Pritchard had 67s in hand and, with a measured performance, arrived at the finish on Filey sea front 56s up on his season-long rival.

“It was close! It was a good fight all year and the conditions in Yorkshire made in difficult at the end,” said Pritchard. “We just did what we had to do and that was all we could. It was a case of whoever cracked first and fortunately for us, that was Nick. But that’s rallying and anything can happen. It’s thanks to everyone who puts in the hours to get us here. Phil and I have the easy part! It is some achievement to win a hat-trick of BHRC titles and it’ll be a while before that record is broken, I’m sure.”

Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver completed a very impressive BHRC campaign with third overall on both the rally and in the championship. Like most crews, they found the Friday night stage a real challenge, but were quick all through Saturday, with second fastest in Dalby less than three seconds down on rally winner Steve Bannister after 11 miles.

Elliott/Price finally finished fourth while Steve Bennett and Osian Owen were fifth despite dropping nearly a minute with an overshoot and a spin on Friday night. They were nicely on the pace on Saturday. Rounding out the top six were Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons in another giant-killing performance in the Pinto-powered Escort Mk2.

Terry Cree and Richard Shores bagged class C3 spoils in their BMW 2002 after a strong run while Stuart Cariss/Linda Cariss (Ford Escort Mk1) topped class C2 with a spirited performance. Their rivals Mal Bayliss and Siobhan Pugh were out early on Saturday with a suspected fuel pump problem.

Results

Posted: November 6, 2017 10:49 AM

Trackrod Forest Stages - 29-30 Sep 17 - RESULTS (Main Field)
Trackrod Forest Stages - 29-30 Sep 17 - RESULTS (Historic & Land Rover)

Results on Line (Trackrod 2017) | Results by: Tynemouth Computer Services Rally Results

Mintex MSA BHRC showdown in Yorkshire

Posted: September 25, 2017 6:09 AM

The 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship will conclude in style with a winner-takes-all final on the Trackrod Historic Cup in the famous Yorkshire forests (29/30 September).

This season has been all about two crews: defending double champions Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke and pretenders to the crown, Nick Elliott and Dave Price. Now the Ford Escort Mk2 crews head to Yorkshire to finally settle the matter and whichever crew takes maximum BHRC points, they will be champions. Pritchard and Clarke have a three-point lead over Elliott and Price and, with 30 points for first and 25 points for second, the top BHRC score on the Trackrod will earn the title.

The Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club promotes the MSA BHRC under a five-year contract and 2017 will be the third year of that agreement. The calendar covers five gravel and three asphalt rallies, with a double-header on the Isle of Man in September to make nine rounds. The team at Special Stage will film all eight events to give the BHRC some of the best TV exposure in British rallying.

Beyond the tense battle for the overall championship battle, the Trackrod Historic Cup will deliver some cracking historic action as the BHRC pays its annual visit to the classic Yorkshire forest stages. Drivers like Rudi Lancaster, Steve Bennett and Simon Webster have all shown fine Yorkshire pace in previous seasons and will be chasing Pritchard and Elliott.

Adding tremendous depth to the BDG-powered Mk2 pack will be the cars of Barry Stevenson-Wheeler/John Pickavance and Phil and Mick Squires, while lining up against the BDG-powered Ford Escort Mk2s will be the Pinto-powered version of Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons. Despite getting out of breath on the long straights in Dalby, their pace is such that they will be aiming to take some more scalps from the more powerful cars.

A welcome return to the championship in the Capital Construction Category 2 is the Ford Escort Mk1 of husband and wife Chris Browne and Ali-Cornwell-Browne, and they are joined by the next generation of rallying Browne, son Josh in his Pinto-powered Escort Mk2. For both cars, this is a pre-Roger Albert Clark Rally shakedown and a rare chance to get acclimatised to forest rallying in the dark once more.

Up against Chris Browne in Category 2 will be the mighty Datsun 240Z of the irrepressible Jeremy Easson and Mike Reynolds along with the rapid BMW 2002 of Terry Cree and Richard Shores.

In the 1600cc division of Category 2, there will be another instalment in the season-long contest between the Escort Mk1s of York-based Stuart and Linda Cariss and Welsh crew Mal Bayliss and Siobhan Pugh. Bayliss is overdue a good finish after a frustrating season of mechanical dramas but the local husband and wife crew will be hard to beat on familiar stages.

The Trackrod Historic Cup is based in Filey with scrutineering on Friday afternoon followed by the rally start at 7pm and one 11-mile special stage. The rally resumes at 8.30am on Saturday and the crews will return to Filey from around 3pm.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: September 20, 2017 4:43 PM

Trackrod Forest Stages - 29-30 Sep 17 - SEEDED ENTRY LIST

Momentum builds for Trackrod Rally Yorkshire

Posted: September 7, 2017 9:51 AM

As the entry list rapidly approaches the 100-mark, the organisers of the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire (September 29/30) report that everything is in place for a warm welcome to competitors.

Along with stages in prime condition, the event’s host town of Filey has embraced the rally and the local councils have been very supportive. The rally is seen as a great addition to the ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ initiative.

Clerk of the Course Rod Parkin, from the organising Trackrod Motor Club, said:
“We’re delighted to report that the forest stages are in exceptionally good condition. We’ve worked closely with the North Yorkshire Moors Forestry Commission and the stages have received considerable work since last year.

“Everyone in rallying is delighted that Rally4Wales is really improving the Welsh stages, but the Forestry Commission is doing an excellent job in Yorkshire and the stages are in fantastic condition. There has also been work done to allow more spectator access to the stages.” Further attention to detail will be highlighted by toilet facilities for crews adjacent to the arrival control for each special stage.

As in recent years, Rally Yorkshire comprises two events: the Trackrod Historic Cup will run over six stages and cover approximately 55 competitive miles on Friday evening and Saturday, while the Trackrod Forest Stages, with five stages and a total mileage of around 45 miles, will run on Saturday. The Saturday route is all single-usage of the forest roads.

The Filey-based rally will be final round of both the RAVENOL BTRDA Rally Series and the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, as well as a round of several regional championships.

Regulations and on-line entries are available from the event website, link below.

Entries Received

Posted: August 30, 2017 9:40 AM

Available at:

www.rallies.info/webentry/2017/trackrodhist/

Regulations published for Trackrod Rally Yorkshire

Posted: August 3, 2017 12:24 PM

Regulations will be published by Friday 11 August for the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire on September 29/30.  

The Filey-based rally will be final round of both the RAVENOL BTRDA Rally Series and the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, as well as a round of several regional championships. Entries will open when the regulations are published and there is expected to be strong demand for places on the popular rally.  

As in recent years, Rally Yorkshire comprises two events: the Trackrod Historic Cup will run over six stages and cover approximately 55 competitive miles on Friday evening and Saturday, while the Trackrod Forest Stages, with five stages and a total mileage of around 45 miles, will run on Saturday.  

Clerk of the Course Rod Parkin, from the organising Trackrod Motor Club, said:
“We’re delighted to report that the forest stages are in exceptionally good condition. We’ve worked closely with the North Yorkshire Moors Forestry Commission and the stages have received considerable work since last year.  

“Everyone in rallying is delighted that Rally4Wales is really improving the Welsh stages, but the Forestry Commission is doing an excellent job in Yorkshire. With two months to go to the rally, the stages are in fantastic condition. There has also been work done to allow more spectator access to the stages.”  

Regulations and on-line entries will be available from the event website by Friday 11 August, link below.

Single use bonanza for Trackrod Rally

Posted: July 14, 2017 9:01 AM

Competitors on the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire (September 29/30) will enjoy one of the highest percentages of single usage rallying on a UK forest event in 2017.

The route for Saturday’s Trackrod Forest Stages, for contenders in the RAVENOL BTRDA Rally Series and the Maxxis MSA English Rally Championship, contains no double-usage of forest roads as the event covers 45 miles of stages in the famous Yorkshire forests.

Meanwhile, the Trackrod Historic Cup will start with a 10-mile stage in the darkness of Friday evening before following the same 45-mile route on Saturday. This year’s rally will be based in the historic East Coast town of Filey with the two-day event finishing with a ceremonial awards presentation during Saturday afternoon.

Scrutineering will take place in Filey with Rally HQ and documentation located at the Evron Centre. The Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship cars will start late on Friday afternoon for a challenging forest stage in the Dalby complex.

On Saturday morning, the historic section of the field will be joined by competitors from the Trackrod Forest Stages for two sets of two different stages with central servicing, concluding with a final 10-mile stage.

Clerk of the Course Rod Parkin, from the organising Trackrod Motor Club, said:
“Double usage of forest stages is common nowadays, but we remain committed to delivering the best roads possible for our competitors. I’m delighted to confirm that, once again, there will be no double use during Saturday as competitors tackle 45 miles of prime Yorkshire forest stages.”

Rally coasts into new sea-side setting

Posted: June 16, 2017 4:34 AM

The county’s biggest and most diverse rally, Trackrod Rally Yorkshire on September 29/30, will be based in and around the historic East Coast town of Filey with the two-day event finishing with a ceremonial awards presentation during Saturday afternoon.

It will be a welcome return to the Yorkshire coast for the rally, which features a vast array of cars from the 1960s to the present day. As in recent years, Rally Yorkshire comprises two events: the Trackrod Historic Cup over six stages and covering approximately 55 competitive miles, and the Trackrod Forest Stages, with five stages and a total mileage of around 45 miles.

Scrutineering of the rally cars will take place in Filey with Rally HQ and documentation located at the Evron Centre. The Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship cars will start to assemble, for spectators to view and competitors to sign autographs, late on Friday afternoon before being flagged away for a challenging forest stage in the Dalby complex.

On Saturday morning, the historic section of the field will be joined by a wide range of competitors from the RAVENOL BTRDA Rally Series and the Maxxis MSA English Rally Championship. Competitors are then due to enter the North York Moors forests for two sets of two different stages with central servicing, concluding with a final and potentially decisive 10-mile stage. There will be no double use stages on Saturday.

Clerk of the Course Rod Parkin, from the organising Trackrod Motor Club, said:
“We are delighted to bring the colour and spectacle of rallying to Filey and are thrilled at the help and support we have received from the local Council and businesses in the area.”

Club Website

Posted: June 16, 2017 4:33 AM

Trackrod Motor Club