Riponian Rally - 5 Feb 06

Posted: January 25, 2006 10:27 PM

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25/01/06
RIPONIAN SHAPING UP TO BE A CLASSIC
With less than a week to go until entries officially close, already a number of leading crews have stated their intentions of heading to North Yorkshire for the annual Riponian Rally which gets underway on Sunday 5th February.

So far, Mitsubishi Cup front runners Tim Pearcey from Harrogate and his County Durham counterpart Tony Thompson will do battle over the 14 stages on the Ripon Motor Sport Club event, sponsored for a tenth successive year by Ripon Land Rover, part of the Ripon Farm Services Group.

Joining them will be local businessman David Brown who makes a rare appearance in his Ford Puma Evo 4 x 4 whilst Northallerton’s Chris Blake (Ford Escort Cosworth), Paul Walker from Ripon (Subaru Impreza) and Midlander Donovan Jenkin (Ford Escort WRC) will be well to the fore as will the winners of the 2005 Kall Kwik Rally, County Durham’s Stephen Petch and co driver Michael Wilkinson in their SGP Motorsport Subaru Impreza.

In the two wheel drive classes, the Mark 1 Ford Escorts of Nick Cook from Whitby will take on Pickhill driver Chris Wise whilst other drivers vying for class honours will include Jonathan Kitchen (Ripon) and Gavin Spencer (County Durham). The Ford Escort Mark 2’s of Northallerton drivers Charlie Taylor and Darren Grimston will also be doing battle, as will the Talbot Sunbeams of fellow Northallertonian Jonathan Bean and Bedale’s Nick Dale.

2006 will see Ripon Motor Sport Club once again maintain their successful format of recent years with two opening tests around the Lightwater Valley Theme Park near Ripon before ten stages on the western fringes of the North Yorkshire Moors prior to returning to Lightwater for the last two stages of the event which is a qualifying round of three regional championships, including the Walkers Garage/Tecno 2 ANECCC Stage Rally Championship and the Kent Cams ANCC Forest Rally Championship. In addition, the Competition Cars Insurance EMAMC Multi-Venue Championship is now is included into the 45 stage mile event.

Former winners Kevin Procter from Leeming and his Northallerton co driver Mike Gilby have confirmed they plan to enter in their WRC based Ford Puma Evo 4 x 4 and with demand for the remaining places now increasing, all remaining prospective competitors are urged to submit their entries by Monday 30th January latest by contacting the Entries Secretary Lynsey Walsh on 01845 525985 (before 9pm) or via e-mail at info.riponian@ntlworld.com. Marshals are also required and further details can be obtained from Chief Marshal Dave Walmsley on 07831 596292 or at marshal.riponian@ntlworld.com.

Spectators meanwhile will be well catered for with no less than eight of the fourteen stages being accessible. After the two Lightwater Valley stages, the cars head off for College Moor before visiting Roppa before the return loop around lunchtime. The surviving crews then return for traditional mid afternoon blasts around Lightwater Valley before the prize presentation in the shopping village.

Clerk of the Course Lee Hudson commented: “Entries have been filtering in rather than flooding in but we have received 44 confirmed to date and are only a few down on what we had at the same stage last year. We are starting to see them pick up now and I’m confident we’ll have a very good entry lining up at the start a week on Sunday.”

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15/01/06
ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR 2006 RIPON LAND ROVER RIPONIAN RALLY

The little-used forests on the western fringes of the North Yorkshire Moors will once again be reverberating to the sound of rally cars when the annual Riponian Rally gets underway on Sunday 5th February. Traditionally the first major forest rally of the year in the region, 2006 will see Ripon Motor Sport Club once again maintain their successful format which will see the event incorporated into two regional championships, including the Walkers Garage/Tecno 2 ANECCC Stage Rally Championship and the Kent Cams ANCC Forest Rally Championship.

In addition, Ripon Land Rover, part of the Ripon Farm Services Group and based at Hutton Bank in the city, where scrutineering and documentation will take place the day prior, will be sponsoring the popular event for the tenth year in succession and again some of the top names in rallying are expected to be heading for the Lightwater Valley start.

Former winners Kevin Procter from Leeming and his Northallerton co driver Mike Gilby are expected to enter in their WRC based Ford Puma Evo 4 x 4 whilst local hero Tim Pearcey from Harrogate is a regular on the event also in his Mitsubishi Lancer, as is local dairy farmer Charlie Payne (Subaru). Last year, Procter missed out on victory by a mere ten seconds to County Durham businessman Barry Johnson (Subaru WRC) with Ulsterman Brendan Crealey (Ford Focus WRC) in third ahead of both Payne and Pearcey.

Demand for the ninety places is expected to be high and prospective competitors are urged to submit their entries at the earliest opportunity by contacting the Entries Secretary Lynsey Walsh on 01845 525985 (before 9pm) or via e-mail at info.riponian@ntlworld.com. Marshals are also required and further details can be obtained from Chief Marshal Dave Walmsley on 07831 596292 or at marshal.riponian@ntlworld.com.

Spectators meanwhile will be well catered for with no less than eight of the fourteen stages being accessible. After the two opening tests around the Lightwater Valley theme park, the cars head off for College Moor before visiting Roppa before the return loop around lunchtime. The surviving crews then return for traditional mid afternoon blasts around Lightwater Valley before the prize presentation in the shopping village.

Commenting on their continued involvement, Managing Director of Ripon Farm Services Group Mr Geoff Brown said: “As a local company we like to support local events and it is a pleasure to see the Riponian continuing to grow in reputation. This is the tenth time that we have supported Ripon Motor Sport Club’s premier event and are delighted to see that it goes from strength to strength.”

The company will have a stand at Lightwater Valley and staff will be on hand throughout the day to offer demonstrations. For further information or to book a test drive contact Ripon Land Rover on 01765 646464.

Clerk of the Course Lee Hudson commented: “We are delighted to welcome Ripon Land Rover and Ripon Farm Services Group as rally sponsors once again and we are all looking forward to the event. The stages are in excellent condition and we are sure they will prove a fair and challenging test for all competitors. On behalf of Ripon Motor Sports Club I’d like to thank all residents and landowners en-route, to which we are grateful and look forward to welcoming both spectators and competitors alike to the 2006 Riponian.”

Ripon Motorsports Club