Argyll (Tarmac) Stages Rally - 24-25 Jun 22

Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship overall lead up for grabs in Argyll

Posted: June 23, 2022 7:47 AM

Mark Kelly, Steve Wood, John Stone and Neil Roskell will have their signs set on grabbing the lead of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship when Round 3 of the series, the Dunoon presents Argyll Rally, takes place on 24/25 June.

With neither series leader Ruairi Bell nor second placed James Williams contesting the closed road event, it’s a great opportunity for the asphalt experts to steal an advantage as the UK’s premier sealed-surface series heads to Scotland for the second time in as many events.

Having scored second and fourth placed points on the Tour of Epynt and Jim Clark rallies respectively, Mark is best placed to capitalise as he heads to Argyll a close third in the drivers’ points standings. With regular co-driver Neil Colman away on holiday, Mark will be navigated by the experienced Will Atkins in his Michelin-shod and Roccia/Tile Master-backed Ford Fiesta R5+.

Steve Wood has enjoyed a fantastic start to his Protyre Asphalt campaign and has twice been the top non-R5 finisher in his City East Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Co-driven by Dale Bowen, he has recorded a fifth and a third placed points-scoring finish on the opening two rounds and arrives back in Scotland fourth in the drivers’ standings, just six points shy of the lead.

John Stone contested the Argyll Rally last year, although a damaged wheel on his Ford Fiesta RS WRC forced him out early. Back together with co-driver Tom Woodburn, he’ll return this year in his Legend Fires Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 – a car in which he has been rallying for less than a year, but one that he has really gelled with and become a serious title contender in.

Neil Roskell hasn’t got off to the start he was hoping for, but whilst he’s seventh in the drivers’ standings the ND Civils/Collins Construction Ford Fiesta R5+ pilot is just 13 points off the lead. He finished the Argyll Rally last year, so will be keen to put his road knowledge to good use as he and co-driver Andrew Roughead target maximum points.

Mark Holmes finished 32nd overall on last year’s Argyll Rally. He also scored maximum class B14 points on this year’s Jim Clark, which has given his navigator Mark Perryman the joint lead of the co-drivers’ class category. Another good performance in his Ford Fiesta S2000 will do his title chances no harm at all.

Others to look out for include Chris Ford/Matthew Daniels (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Steven Ormond-Smith/Dafydd Evans (Mitsubishi Evo 9) and David Henderson/Chris Lees in their Michelin-shod Keco-backed Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Richard Clews/Carl Williamson, who won class B14 on the Tour of Epynt, return in their ITG Subaru Impreza STi, while defending class B14 champion and current class leader Adrian Spencer drives his familiar RED Industries Subaru Impreza WRX, co-driven by Mark Hewitt.

Brad Cole/Jamie Vaughan arrive in Argyll leading class B13 in their 2.5-litre Smith & Jones powered Hydroline Solutions Escort Mk2 and will be hoping to extend their advantage and also take the lead of the Ford Escort Challenge.

Darren Atkinson/Philip Sandham, who won class B13 on the Jim Clark, are back in their Atkinsons Sandblasting/S&W Fabrication-backed Escort Mk2.

Also aiming for top Ford Escort Challenge points will be Antony Allery/Mark Runciman, Stephen Thompson/Larry Higton, Peter Jackson/Emily Easton-Page and Graham Muter/Colin Watson.

Jonathan Stepney/Aled Davies shot into the class B12 lead with a spirited drive on the Jim Clark. They hope to have solved the handling problems on their 1.9-litre engined Griffiths/Gavin Griffiths Group-backed Peugeot 205 GTi to allow them to push even harder this time.

Geoff Glover/Keith Barker have a 10-point lead in class B11; a class win on Epynt and third on the Jim Clark marking a fine start to the season in the rear-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra Mk3.

Olly Hunter bounced back from an off on Epynt to win class B11 on the Jim Clark. He’ll be partnered this time by Daniel May as he hopes to continue his good run of form in Argyll in his Vauxhall-engined Ford Escort Mk2. The 2018 class B11 champions Paul and Julian Doroszczuk will also be aiming to build on their second in class last time out in their normally aspirated Cosworth-engined Drockspeed Motorsport Escort Mk2.

Nathan Evans/Rhys Edwards join the battle for Protyre Asphalt series class B11 points in Argyll in their rapid 2-litre Evans Rallying Renault Clio 2 Cup car.

Also having their first Protyre Asphalt run of 2022 are Jonathan Davies/Wayne Jones (Vauxhall Astra) and Simon Hunter/Howard Pridmore (Opel Corsa S1400).

Reigning Scottish junior champion Johnnie Mackay rolled out of the Argyll Rally in 2019 when he was running in 35th position overall (having been seeded at number 101). Co-driven by Michael Cruickshank, the 20-year old driver from Aberdeen will be looking to stay roof-side-up this time and repeat his class N3 Epynt victory in his ISS/Kewtech Ford Fiesta ST.

Protyre Motorsport will take a large number of tyres to the Argyll Rally, including Pirelli, Michelin and Hoosier, and operate an on-event fitting service for all registered Championship contenders.

Special Stage TV will be live streaming the action from the event on its Facebook page, with commentary from Mark James.

Based at the Dunoon Stadium, the 13 stages/62.5 stage mile event will start at 18.00 on Friday 24 June. Leg 1 contains two opening stages around Dunoon town centre and three more stages around the Cowal peninsula in the picturesque Argyll and Bute region of Scotland. The event will restart at 09.00 on Saturday 25 June, with Leg 2 containing eight stages, four ran twice, before the finish ceremony back at Dunoon Stadium at around 16:30.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: June 23, 2022 7:45 AM

Argyll (Tarmac) Stages Rally - 24-25 Jun 22 - SEEDED ENTRY LIST

Argyll Marks Midway Point of 2022 Season - KNC Groundworks Motorsport UK Scottish Rally Championship

Posted: June 23, 2022 7:42 AM

The KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship returns to the rally that re-started it all after the global pandemic, the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally on 24-25th June. Leading the huge entry of 140 crews, Freddie Milne & Patrick Walsh were top SRC crew one year ago with a drive that made everyone sit up and take notice. 2022 has not been the best year so far for the Fiesta team, hopefully they can bounce back in Argyll.

2nd on the entry list, the big news for championship leader David Bogie is the addition of Cammy Fair in the hotseat. With Jock Armstrong's Impreza still in surgery after the Jim Clark, Cammy will be sampling WRC power competitively for the 1st time.

David Henderson returns to the SRC after missing the Clark. With Chris Lees back in the hotseat David will be debuting his new Rally 2 Fiesta. Snowman winners Michael Binnie & Claire Mole are fresh off a podium finish on their home event last time out. They're seeded just in front of Mark McCulloch & Michael Hendry. The Evo powered Proton flew to 3rd on its 1st tarmac outing and there's definitely more to come from the car. Rory Young & Allan Cathers took the fight to Bogie on the Clark before their retirement. They'll be challenging once again along with John Wink, Barry Groundwater, Scott Macbeth & John Rintoul to name just a few.

Leader Angus Lawrie tops the Albyn Garage Challengers seeding, ahead of team-mate Willie Paterson and returning championship sponsor Kevin Crawford. Snowman winner Keir Beaton and current 2nd placed also returns to the drivers seat in the Impreza for this round.

Peter Stewart & Harry Marchbank are reunited and top the Autoshop 2wd battles. They are followed by John Crawford's MK2 and 1st Historic and Haddo Energy Super Senior & Escort legend Steve Bannister.

Also in the Senior fight are the Escorts of Gordon Murray, Alistair Brearley and BMW pilot Ernie Lee.

The 5 Star Vehicle Deliveries Subaru Cup will be a 4 way fight between new Points leader Mike Moates, Jordan Anderson, Martin Crombie & Orrin McDonnell.

Five Moates Offshore Junior competitors will take the start.
Championship leader Robert Proudlock has had both speed and consistency in his Adam. Nikki Addison & Rachel Matheson have been equally consistent ahead of Meghan O'Kane, the Speyside retirement hurting her championship slightly.
Unluckiest in the junior ranks, Justin Gunning has shown great pace but 2 offs in 2 events mean he needs to bounce back with a solid result in Argyll.
Finally, the wildcard for Argyll, Scott Gourlay is making his SRC driving debut in his own 205. He has tarmac experience and could ruin a few people's days.

Nikki & Meghan are also embroiled in the ladies championship battle.
Aileen Forrest's Evo 9 heads the standings after a star drive performance at the Jim Clark. Meghan took 2nd from Nikki in 3rd.
The 4th protagonist in this battle, Ashleigh Morris, took the Snowman win but hasn't had the luck since. A retirement on the Speyside was followed by 4th on the Clark after a time-consuming puncture.

Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally ready for biggest event yet

Posted: June 23, 2022 6:58 AM

Dunoon will be welcoming over 140 rally cars and crews to the Cowal Peninsula this weekend as the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally hosts one of the biggest motorsport events in Western Scotland on 24/25 June.

Taking place on the closed-public roads surrounding the coastal town of Dunoon for a second year in a row, a bumper list of entries will tackle two days of fast-paced rallying with some of the best sealed-surface rally drivers in the country taking part in the unique motorsport weekend.

Contenders in the KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship make a welcome return to the event and will be joined for the first time by the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship. The SD34 MSG Stage Rally Championship, AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Rally Championship and the HRCR Mini Sport Cup, also make up a large quantity of the impressive entry list.

Thanks to the backing from Dunoon Presents and local businesses, local and regional Councils, Police forces and authorities, the rally will offer 62 miles of closed-road action throughout the weekend. From its now traditional base at Dunoon Stadium, the event will kick off with a double-header run of the Dunoon Town stage on Friday night before two more stages take place under the cover of darkness in the surrounding countryside.

Eight more stages follow on Saturday, before returning to Dunoon Stadium at around 16:40 for the finish celebrations and champagne spray.

Leading the crews away from the start line of the first stage through Dunoon high street will be the 2021 third-placed crew of Freddie Milne and Patrick Walsh in their Fiesta R5. Their previous experience of the tricky lanes in the region will come into play as they also aim to get their Scottish Championship aspirations back on track.

But it's former SRC champion David Bogie who will be chasing an asphalt win in his MINI WRC with Cameron Fair in the co-drivers seat. Second overall last year, Daniel Harper also pilots a MINI WRC with Chris Campbell on the notes, and starts as the number three seed this time around.

Leading National Asphalt crew away is Mark Kelly and Will Atkins who bring their Ford Fiesta R5 to Argyll with number four on the doors, with David Henderson and Chris Lees in a similar machine in fifth. Such is the quality of the field, you could pick any one of the top twenty as a favourite for a win this weekend.

Fans will be able to watch the action from both at home or on the stages with a dedicated Facebook LIVE broadcast package from the championships and a wide range of stage-side viewing locations during the rally. Almost every stage is accessible to view but for those following the rally from home, the event’s Facebook page will be sharing all the broadcasts throughout the weekend.

Programmes are available from a wide variety of locations in Dunoon, detailing spectator information and timings in addition to a handy online guide to plan ahead HERE.

The Argyll Rally made a return to the British rallying calendar in 2017 after a thirteen-year sabbatical. First known as the Burmah Rally, the event originated in the early 1970s when the British Rally Championship assembled in the region and saw classic battles in the local forests with names such as Roger Clark and Jimmy McRae at the front of the field.

Latterly, it was run by Lanarkshire Car Club but didn’t take place after 2004 until being reborn in 2017 by Mull Car Club in the nearby forests. However, with falling entry numbers and limited forests available, an alternative solution was sought, and the event moved onto the closed public roads in the region thanks to the passing of a Parliamentary law to allow roads to be closed for timed motorsport events.

Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally back for more in 2022

Posted: May 17, 2022 9:47 AM

The popular Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally will make a sensational return to the British rally calendar on 24/25 June as the Dunoon based closed-road event launches details of their 2022 offering.

Running for three years as a forest rally, the event made a dramatic shift to a closed-road sealed surface event in 2021 and organisers Mull Car Club have this week, released the regulations with a host of impressive changes for the action-packed weekend of motorsport.

Dunoon is set to host some of the best drivers in the UK as the rally not only welcomes back the KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship but has also attracted the attention of the popular Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship. They will be joined by the SD34 MSG Stage Rally Championship, AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Rally Championship and the HRCR Mini Sport Cup, meaning a bumper list of entries is likely once again.

In addition to the new series’ joining the event, a transformation in the route will see a new look to the rally format, offering a dynamic challenge to crews, whilst retaining all the popular features which were welcomed during the inaugural running last year.

Thanks to the backing from Dunoon Presents and local businesses, local and regional Councils, Police forces and authorities, the rally will offer 62 miles of closed-road action throughout the weekend. From its now traditional base at Dunoon Stadium, the event will kick off with a double-header run of the Dunoon Town stage before two more stages take place under the cover of darkness around the Cowal Peninsula.

Friday night rounds off with a new and scintillating 14.5-mile blast to test the crews to the limit before an overnight halt offers up some respite. Eight more stages [four tests repeated] follow on Saturday, before returning to Dunoon Stadium at around 16:40 for the finish celebrations.

In 2022, the rally will also be launching a local Carbon Offset programme which will see a significant number of trees being planted in the area in conjunction with the Scottish Woodland Trust.

Chris Woodcock, Argyll Rally Clerk of the Course said, “We are very excited to be bringing the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally back to the region and the rallying calendar in 2022.”

“We had many challenges to overcome last year thanks to the pandemic and of course the first time we had moved the rally onto the public roads, but it was a huge success for the community. Now restrictions have been lifted we can offer the area, spectators and of course drivers a fantastic and entertaining weekend in one of the most spectacular parts of the country.”

“With the impressive range of rally championships and desire from competitors across the UK to make the trip to Dunoon this June, I`m confident of the event being the best one yet”.

The Argyll Rally made a return to the British rallying calendar in 2017 after a thirteen-year sabbatical. First known as the Burmah Rally, the event originated in the early 1970s when the British Rally Championship assembled in the region and saw classic battles in the local forests with names such as Roger Clark and Jimmy McRae at the front of the field.

Latterly, it was run by Lanarkshire Car Club but didn’t take place after 2004 until being reborn in 2017 by Mull Car Club in the nearby forests. However, with falling entry numbers and limited forests available, an alternative solution was sought, and the event moved onto the closed public roads in the region thanks to the passing of a Parliamentary law to allow roads to be closed for timed motorsport events.

More information for spectators and details on the Carbon Offset Programme will be released in due course.

Entries Received / On Line Entry

Posted: May 17, 2022 9:45 AM

www.rallies.info/webentry/2022/argyll/

Regulations Available / Entries Open: 8th May @ 9am

Posted: May 6, 2022 11:23 AM

Argyll Stages - www.argyllrally.co.uk