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2007 ANCRO MSA National Gravel Rally ChampionshipPosted: December 4, 2007 11:27 AM - 8475 Hits
Posted: December 4, 2007 11:27 AM
04/12/07 BENNETT AND WILLS CLAIM MAJOR ANCRO PRIZES Following on from the generosity of ANCRO stalwarts Marcus Dodd and Steve Perez, two lucky drivers are set to claim their prizes after success in the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship. At the start of 2007, Dilys Trevethick, the then Marketing Manager of ANCRO, came up with some initiatives to attract more 2WD and smaller capacity cars into the series. This year's champion driver Marcus Dodd and 2004 champion Steve Perez agreed to back the categories by putting up generous prizes with Marcus offering a prize drive in his Hyundai Accent WRC for the winning 2WD crew and Steve supplying a trip to John Haugland's ice driving school along with his VK Rally Team for the winner of the 1400cc category. Winning the HPM Motorsport 2WD Challenge was Andover farmer Rod Bennett, who along with co driver Henry Richardson from Ripon took their Fiat Stilo Abarth to victories on The Brick & Steel Border Counties, Severn Valley Stages and Bulldog Rallies whereas the Newton Abbott pairing of Kevin Wills and Lorna Hill clinched the VK1400 Challenge in their Nissan Micra with victory on the Severn Valley Stages and runner placings on the RBS International Manx and Swansea Bay Rallies. Despite the caveat of a minimum of eight registered contenders falling one car short, Bennett’s prize is to spend a day with the HPM Motorsport Team testing and will include hospitality and the opportunity to drive Dodd’s Championship winning Hyundai Accent WRC. Although only a handful of competitors registered for the VK1400 Challenge during its inaugural season, Perez has magnanimously agreed to honour his pledge and Wills is looking forward to meeting up with the VK Team who are currently ensconced on the East African Safari Rally where Steve is competing. ANCRO wish to thank both Marcus Dodd and Steve Perez for their kind help in supporting grass-roots rallying and hopefully, both Challenges will continue in 2008. An announcement regarding the 2008 ANCRO Championship along with dates and classes will be made in due course once plans are finalised. Both Bennett and Wills will collect their prizes along with all the other winners at the annual ANCRO Gala Awards Dinner which takes place next Saturday (8th December) at the Paramount Hotel in Daventry. 05/03/07 As part of their ongoing policy to attract more competitors back into the fold, the organisers of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship have added some more fantastic prizes to the series. On the back of the recently announced HPM Motorsport 2WD Challenge donated by Rallye Sunseeker winner Marcus Dodd, whereby the top 2WD car in the championship gets to use his Hyundai Accent WRC on a future event, The Association of National Championship Rally Organisers (ANCRO) has agreed another major incentive, this time with another former champion Steve Perez who runs the successful company which supplies Vodka Kick. As a result, The VK 1400 Challenge will run for the remaining rounds of the Championship whereby the winner will get an all expenses paid trip to the John Haugland Rally School in Norway over winter. “We wanted it to be a little bit different so what better than to prepare for the 2008 season with some expert tuition and the chance to get some much sought after experience on snow and ice. We thought about offering a prize drive but there is already that incentive in the series so we have decided to offer this as that way, the winner can get to test their own car” said Steve. The winner of the VK 1400 Challenge will get their car transported out to Norway, as well as a three day intensive course of tuition in conjunction with the VK Vodka Kick Rally Team and all flights and hotels will be paid for. In addition, the runner up in the VK 1400 Challenge will get a tyre contract and additional support from Hankook for the 2008 season. . With competitors best five scores out of the six remaining rounds counting, there will be a discounted entry fee and free management pack equating to £200 per event, block seeding and prize money for the top three winners at each event. There will be no additional registration fee for registered competitors. As well as the two main prizes, there are additional ones on offer from the new Nicky Grist Co Driver’s Academy, including a professional course for the winners, plus incentives for second and third place finishers and as well as these, all 2WD crews, irrespective of engine size will qualify towards the HPM Motorsport 2WD Challenge. The VK 1400 Challenge will commence with The Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally later this month (March 24th) which comprises round two of Hankook GRC and is open to all N1, A5 and B9 cars complying with FIA Regulations. Unlike other 1400cc Championships, as is normal with the Hankook GRC, there are no fuel or tyre restrictions and there is no upper age limit for competitors. International flavour as Hankook Gravel Rally Championship (GRC) spreads its wings Killarney Forestry included in Championship. The UK’s leading gravel rally championship – the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship - is spreading its wings this year with rounds in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and Ireland. News of an Irish round to complement the six British-based rallies creates a new level of interest for competitors – and brings together Hankook’s key rally series - the Hankook GRC and the Hankook National Forestry Championship in Ireland. As well as the English-based season opener in the shape of Rallye Sunseeker (Bournemouth) and finale, the Bulldog Rally (Oswestry), the Hankook GRC visits Scotland for the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally as well as two traditional sorties to Wales with the Severn Valley Stages Rally and the Swansea Bay National Rally in mid summer. There’s the annual trip across to the Isle of Man for the RBS International Manx Rally and included in the vacant September date for the first time is the Killarney Forest Stages Rally to be held in South West Ireland. The addition of a round in Ireland is the latest in a string of positive developments for the ANCRO-organised Championship which this year sees a sponsorship deal with global performance tyre manufacturer Hankook. Although the Killarney Forest Stages Rally will form part of two separate championships, Hankook motorsports manager Mike Patterson said he was delighted that the event would be a focal point for both series. The Hankook GRC also welcomes back the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge after a year’s sabbatical and plans are underway to announce innovations and prizes to entice two-wheel drive competitors into the Hankook GRC arena as well as the eagerly awaited 1400cc Championship. As usual there are categories for both driver and co-driver in most types of vehicles including Group A, Group B and Group N as well as Juniors, Ladies, Manufacturers and of course the Subaru Group N Trophy. This year registered competitors will count their best SIX scores towards the overall championship, meaning only one round can be dropped (as opposed to the two rounds allowed in 2006). Once again, the Hankook GRC is the only UK based National gravel series to have no tyre restrictions and already entries are flooding in for the opening round of the series in Bournemouth on February 23/24 with Rallye Sunseeker. For a set of championship regulations, please contact Championship Registrar as follows: Tel: 01530 231446 (+44 1530 231446) Email: ancro@valthompson.co.uk Championship Rounds and Dates below More Details on the championship at: 15/01/07 Manx National to be included in 2007 Championship The Manx National has been confirmed as round of the 2007 ANCRO MSA National Gravel Rally Championship Full Details on the 2007 Championship are expected to be released later this week. 14/01/07 ANCRO Gravel Championship looking to add Irish Forestry Round The ANCRO MSA Gravel Championship are looking to add an Irish Forestry Rally to their 2007 Calendar. Contact has already been made with Irish Forestry Championship Committee. 19/01/07 Championship Rounds
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MSA ANCRO NATIONAL C\'SHIP
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