Rally North Wales set for sensational entry
Posted: March 25, 2022 11:02 AM
The WKD Trained Dogs Rally North Wales returns after a two-year hiatus this weekend [Saturday 26 March], boasting a bumper and star-studded entry for the Dolgellau based event.
Organised by Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Car Club, Rally North Wales will see around 160 cars tackle eight stages in the Dyfi, Gartheiniog and Pantperthog forests as an impressive line-up of competitors head to the market town for the annual event.
Sponsored by leading multi-disciplined dog training firm WKD Trained Dogs, crews will be flagged away from Gwyndaf Evans Motors at 08:30 on Saturday morning before heading out into the woods for 44 miles of competitive action throughout the day.
Bolstered by some of the biggest championships in the UK, the event will welcome the Fuchs Lubricants Motorsport UK British Historic Rally Championship to the region. Often marked as the fans favourite, the series provides a truly classic flavour and boasts an entertaining list of entries set to tackle the rally.
The Pirelli Ravenol Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship brings a wide variety of modern machinery to the fold as does the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship. The impressive Bowler Defender Challenge will tackle their first stage rally of the season in the all-new Land Rover Defender, whilst the BMW Mini Challenge crews tackle a shorter, more cost-effective rally during the day.
Over 60 historics will blast through the forests during the day and the top seeds are Matthew Robinson and Sam Collis in their Ford Escort MKII. With one win already under their hat this season, the pairing was in a league of their own on home soil in February but will be eager to maintain that speed on the super-fast Welsh stages.
Hot on their heels will be two-time Rally North Wales Historic winner Nick Elliott. Also in an Escort, Elliott enjoys an impressive record on the event and will be aiming for a hat-trick of wins with Dave Robson occupying the co-driver’s seat for the event. They will be chased by 2021 British Historic Rally champions Ben Friend and Cliffy whilst Adrian Hetherington and Ronan O’Neil make the trip across the Irish Sea to tackle the event.
Rally North Wales will also welcome a record-breaking three-time British Rally Champion Matt Edwards, who will contest his first rally since winning his third British title. Changing to historic machinery, he drives the spectacular Fiat 131 Abarth with Hamish Campbell on the notes. Their presence will undoubtedly be a huge draw for the fans as the forests echo to the unique machine.
The four-wheel-drive contenders are also in abundance this year with 2019 Interclub event winners Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear heading the field in their Ford Fiesta R5. Having won last time out in an ageing Mitsubishi, Hirst’s new machinery should put him in good stead for 2022. However, an impressive list of contenders follows on, including Mid Wales based Dylan Davies and Mark Glennerster in their Skoda Fabia R5 and Mitsubishi Mirage R5 pilot Tom Llewellin partnered by Dale Bowen.
A late entry from British Rally Championship contender and 2012 event winner Tom Cave will certainly keep the front-runners on their toes. Dale Furniss will co-drive in the Subaru Impreza.
The Bowler Defender Challenge also brings 14 impressive Land Rovers to the event, with James Bond stunt driver and three-time British Champion Mark Higgins leading the field. Co-driven by Claire Williams, Higgins will contest his first rally in the UK since 2016.
Crews in two-wheel-drive machinery will run at the head of the field in a reverse seeded format, with a short gap separating them from the four-wheel-drive contenders and spectators will be well catered for, with plenty of opportunities to catch the action throughout the day. There are superb viewing locations at the Dyfi, Big Ray and Gartheiniog stages with entry to each location costing £10 per car.
British Historic Rally Championship steps up a gear at Rally North Wales
Posted: March 25, 2022 10:56 AM
The Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship will see a feverish battle for maximum points this weekend, as a sensational line up of top-flight crews head for the second round of the season, the WKD Trained Dogs Rally North Wales [26 March].
After a trail blazing opening round in his home Yorkshire forests, Matthew Robinson was in a league of his own, winning each one of the Riponian stages to kick his season off in fine style behind the wheel of his Ford Escort MKII. But the world-class stages in Wales will echo to the sound of a sensational entry, all aiming to usurp Robinson and co-driver Sam Collis’ round one dominance.
Archrival after the opener Nick Elliott will be aiming to close the gap on more neutral territory and will be joined by Dave Robson in the co-drivers seat. Also piloting a MKII Escort, Elliott will have Herefordshire’s Roger Chilman and Patrick Walsh breathing down his neck after Chilman took third spot in round one.
But choose a winner if you dare, as behind the top three in the title chase is an abundance of first-class contenders eager to make their mark on Britain’s premier historic rally championship points tables.
Reigning champions Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons will be aiming to put their last stage puncture on the Riponian behind them and fight for honours in the super-fast Welsh tests, whilst Adrian Hetherington and Ronan O’Neil will also be aiming to banish the memories of the opener, both piloting Ford Escort MKII’s.
Shaking up the entry list in more ways than one, record-breaking three-time British Rally Champion Matt Edwards will contest his first BHRC since 2014, driving the spectacular Fiat 131 Abarth with Hamish Campbell on the notes. Their presence will undoubtedly bring a new feel to the series, dominated by the Ford marque in recent times.
A host of new registrations for the popular Dolgellau based event include Pete Littler and Andy Marchbank, as well as Roger Albert Clark aces Seb Perez and Gary McElhinney who took second place on the mammoth rally last November.
In Category 2 [cars between 1968-1975], all the signs of a stellar fight for honours are stamped on the entry list and round one winners Ben and Steve Smith could well come under attack by a brace of rapid Ford Escort MK1 pilots.
Adam Milner and Roy Jarvis step into the ring after a giant-killing RAC performance whilst Chris Skill also returns to the BHRC with Brian Hodgson in the co-drivers seat. Warren Philliskirk and Garry Green aim for one better after taking second at the Riponian. The maximum points haul for the BHRC2 [up to 1600cc and `B` classes] category is also likely to come from any one of these protagonists.
Category 1 [cars up to 1968] will be a lonely affair for reigning champion Bob Bean as the sole entrant in his Lotus Cortina with Mike Curry on the notes, whilst Fuchs Lubricants R.A.C Asphalt/Rally 2 Mixed Surface Rally Championship round one winners Mike Wolff and Mark Twiname will be aiming for another top score in their BMW M3.
Eight of some of the finest Welsh stages lie in wait for the crews on Saturday and fans will witness one of the most unpredictable fights for the top step of the podium in many years.
Seeded Entry List
Posted: March 25, 2022 10:56 AM
Entries Received / On Line Entry
Posted: February 11, 2022 3:29 PM
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