2013 RAC (Pre 87 Historic) Rally Championship

Mature drivers to be celebrated on WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship

Posted: June 16, 2013 7:59 AM

Drivers over the age of 55 will be celebrated with a special award in the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship. The highest scoring mature driver at the end of the season will be rewarded with a suitable trophy and prize at the championship prize-giving in October.

The move to acknowledge the significant number of drivers over the age of 55 came after youngster Marty McCormack and 40-something Nick Elliott set the pace over the opening two events of the season. Drivers of a relevant age will be asked to tick a box at championship signing-on to confirm they qualify for the award.

“Historic rallying has a very broad appeal across the age groups,” said championship manager Colin Heppenstall. “We are very pleased to have a number of mature drivers competing and they bring a great deal to the WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship, in terms of speed, experience and good humour. This award will recognise how much we value them.”

Another award added to the end of season trophies will be for the best performance by a non-Ford in the final championship standings. With many Ford Escorts packing out the entry list, the ‘It’s not an Escort’ award will be presented to the best placed car from any other manufacturer.

The West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship season continues on Saturday 22 June with round three, the DMACK Carlisle Stages.

WWRS R.A.C Rally Championship backs Category 1 cars

Posted: February 25, 2013 11:40 AM

The organisers of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship have re-affirmed their long-term commitment to cars in the pre ’68 Category One, the oldest cars currently active in stage rallying.

In line with tradition for these cars on gravel rallies, Category One cars contesting the WWRS R.A.C. Championship will run first on the road to ensure they get the best road conditions. This situation has already been confirmed for five of the seven rounds: the Mid Wales, Tour of Hamsterley, Carlisle Stages, Red Kite Stages and Neath Valley Stages. Discussions about the event format for the remaining two rounds, the Rally North Wales and the Trackrod Rally are under way.

Category One cars will continue to be very welcome within the R.A.C. Championship in 2014 and beyond and the category will be sponsored in 2013 by Walker Castings. Although company boss Alan Walker is an Escort Mk2 fan, he is also very keen to see the older cars in action. “Everybody enjoys watching the Category One cars in the forests and they provide tremendous variety,” said Walker. “We want to see them in the R.A.C. Championship for the foreseeable future.”

Two landmark rally cars from Category One celebrate 50th anniversaries in 2013 and both are represented on the R.A.C. Championship for the opening round, the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages on Sunday 3 March.

The Lotus Cortina was introduced in 1963 and entered for the opening round is the example of Pete Gunson and Jonny Haynes. This car used to be driven by Pete’s father ‘Pop’ and now, after an extensive rebuild, Pete will swop seats to take over the driving. He’s kept his hand in recently with some more co-driving, including sharing the Porsche 911 of Stephen Radcliffe on Mini Britannia.

Meanwhile, husband and wife crew Chris and Jo Tooze fly the flag for the Hillman Imp range of cars with an entry in their 1967 Singer Chamois. The Monmouthshire crew have been rallying for 20 years and more recently rallied a Mitsubishi Evo 9 with great success. Chris now lists restoring Hillman Imps as one of his hobbies, so rallying one in this 50th anniversary year of the model seems entirely appropriate.

Adding wonderful variety to the Category 1 R.A.C. field is the beautiful Alfa Romeo Junior GT of John Everard and Mark Sharpley, which scored such a good result on last November’s Roger Albert Clark Rally.

WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship to feature on iRally

Posted: February 25, 2013 11:39 AM

Following an overwhelming response to coverage of the 2012 Roger Albert Clark Rally on iRally, an agreement has been concluded for the entire West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship season to be covered on the hugely popular rallying App.

The two-hour film of the 2012 Roger Albert Clark Rally has proved to be the most-viewed video so far this year on iRally, with over a quarter of a million views in more than 70 countries. UK views, at 69%, account for the greatest proportion.

The free iRally App has been a runaway success with over 575,000 users downloading the App in the three years since it was launched. It’s available for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices and offers an incredibly popular rally video channel.

The agreement will make the coverage of the full championship available for free viewing immediately following the initial screening on Motors TV. The footage will be provided by David Winstanley of rallytv.co.uk. Typically, the 90-minute films will be available for about a week.

The first championship programme to be made available for viewing is the hour-long season preview, which has drawn rave reviews since its first broadcast. As well as looking ahead to the new championship, it includes some glorious archive footage of the late, great Roger Clark in action and the programme is now available.

“This is a very exciting development for both the rally and the championship,” said championship manager Colin Heppenstall. “iRally is clearly opening up a major new audience for us and our TV partners and sponsors.”

Greg Strange, Editor of iRally said:
“We’re very pleased to confirm plans to cover all seven rounds of the Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship on iRally. The response to the Roger Albert Clark Rally coverage has been outstanding.”

Barrett commits to WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship

Posted: February 22, 2013 2:13 PM

Northern Irish ace Ryan Barrett is the latest front-runner to commit to the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship with an entry for the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages (Sunday 3 March).

Omagh-based Barrett and co-driver Barry Ferris will join fellow Northern Irishman Marty McCormack near the front of the fantastically competitive entry and hopes to do more rounds after doing very little rallying across the last two seasons.

In 2010, Barrett won the BHRC-counting Isle of Man Historic Rally and finished second on the Severn Valley Stages, but was then hit by disaster when his car was badly damaged by fire when being run on the road ahead of the start of the 2011 season. His luck didn’t improve when he went out of his home event, the 2011 Ulster Rally, with gearbox failure on the opening stage.

Now Barrett will return to the Welsh gravel stages this weekend to contest the opening round of the R.A.C. Championship in his Ford Escort Mk2 and he says the quality of the entry is incredible.
“The entry is unreal,” said Barrett. “I’ve just been reading about the Pikes Peak stage in Motorsport News! We’re doing 00 on a local event on Saturday just to get back into it,” said Barrett.

The stages in Mid Wales are all relatively new to him, as Barrett has only competed on the Mid Wales once before in 2009, which ended with a broken halfshaft.

McCormack enters WWRS R.A.C Rally Championship

Posted: February 18, 2013 9:58 PM

What was already a stellar entry list for the opening round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C Rally Championship just got even better with confirmation this evening (Monday 18 February) of an entry for Irish ace Marty McCormack for the Mid Wales Stages (Sunday 3 March).

Partnered by Phil Clarke in his Ford Escort Mk2, McCormack will return to historic action just over two months after an incredible victory on last November’s Roger Albert Clark Rally.

He will be one of the leading drivers in a field that now totals 36 BDA/BDG-powered Ford Escorts from an entry of more than 60 cars. The opening round of the new championship has drawn the best quality field ever seen in historic rallying in the UK.

McCormack and Clarke were the stars of the Roger Albert Clark Rally when they scored a dramatic victory after a titanic battle with the similar car of Steve Bannister and Kevin Rae. Although advancing his career in modern rallying remains the first priority, McCormack had already pledged to enter a couple of rounds of the WWRS R.A.C. Championship.

“I certainly planned to do a couple of rounds in the championship and then definitely do the Roger Albert Clark Rally again in November,” said McCormack.

“Having Marty on the entry list really is the icing on the cake for the championship,” said championship manager Colin Heppenstall. “It is going to quite a spectacle on the fabulous stages of Mid Wales.”

Geoff Jones enters WWRS R.A.C Rally Championship

Posted: February 13, 2013 9:47 AM

Geoff Jones, one of Britain’s quickest rally drivers will return to competition on the opening round of the WWRS R.A.C. Championship when he drives an ex-factory Vauxhall Chevette on the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages (3 March).

In 1985, Jones won the corresponding Newtown Stages in his own Chevette and 28 years on he will now take on an incredibly strong pack of Ford Escort Mk2s in the HSR owned by Baz Jordan. The rally car preparation ace says he can’t wait to get back into a Chevette and is due to be testing the ex-Russell Gooding car today (13 February. )

“It’s a real trip down memory lane,” said Jones. “I love an Escort, and started rallying in one, but the chance to get back in a Chevette is a dream-come-true. I won’t be cruising round and stages like Pike’s Peak will be a lot of fun. It is one of my old favourite rallies. There is no pressure, but I hope to be competitive against the Escorts.

Jones admits that he would love to do more events in the car, but has to fit his own sport around commitments to running cars for customers. “We’ll see how we get on, but I need to do more rallying,” said Jones.

BMW to take on the Escorts in WWRS R.A.C Rally Championship

Posted: February 1, 2013 11:38 AM

Yorkshireman Terry Cree is hoping to challenge the Ford Escort pack in the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C Rally Championship this season with his BMW 2002.

Cree and co-driver Richard Shores will contest the opening round of the championship, the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages (Sunday 3 March), with a fresh engine in the German car and Cree hopes it will help him take the fight to the Pinto-powered Ford Escort Mk1s in class C3.

The Thirsk-based driver ran the BMW on a number of rallies in 2011, but only tackled one event last season after an engine problem developed when his son Ben was driving the car on the Jack Frost Stages at Croft a year ago. A fresh engine from JC Racing in Thirsk was fitted in time for a very encouraging run on the Trackrod Rally in late September, despite a moment with a tree and then a broken gear lever.

“I hope to be able to scare the Escorts,” said Cree, who enjoys continued backing from Beechwood Leisure in Thirsk. This will be the seventh season he has been supported by the family-owned caravan dealership. “The car will be fine, so it will be all down to the driver!”

Cree has an extensive rallying history in both front and rear-wheel drive cars and won his class several times on the Network Q Rally of Great Britain. Before switching to the BMW, he also rallied a Mini Cooper with considerable success in the historic arena.

Rally Prep partners with WWRS R.A.C Rally Championship

Posted: January 28, 2013 8:32 PM

Rally Prep is delighted to announce that it has become one of the official TV partners for the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C Rally Championship. Rally Prep Ltd specialises in the build and preparation of rally, race and high-performance vehicles for road, rally and track use. The company’s services range from full bare-shell builds to basic servicing and parts supply.

Each of the championship’s seven rounds will have a 90-minute TV production to be aired on Motors TV, and Rally Prep is proud to become a partner to such an exciting series.

“I have been involved with rallying all my life and am very passionate about the historic classes,” said Neil Yates, MD of Rally Prep. “To support the superb TV coverage of such a brilliant championship was a no-brainer. After all, being a rally enthusiast, nothing gives me more pleasure than introducing the historic rally world to new people. David Winstanley’s Rally TV organisation has put together a terrific package and the R.A.C. Championship is a great platform to showcase what rallying is all about in this country.”

“I am delighted that Rally Prep has joined as a TV partner to the R.A.C. Rally Championship,” said Winstanley. “Although the company is new to the historic scene the pedigree of the people is outstanding, and I know they will get a lot from this relationship. I look forward to seeing Neil and Rally Prep customers out on the various rounds this year.”

The first coverage of the WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship will be on Sunday 10 February during a Roger Albert Clark Rally night on Motors TV. Starting at 7.30pm, the three-hour special will report the 2012 Roger Albert Clark Rally and then preview the coming R.A.C Championship season.

Commercial partners unveiled for the WWRS RAC Rally Championship

Posted: January 12, 2013 2:15 PM

No less than 16 commercial partners have been confirmed for the West Wales Rally Spares RAC Rally Championship. The championship starts in just over a week on the Red Kite Stages (20 January) and has already attracted what is being described as the best ever historic entry for a British rally.

Alongside title sponsor West Wales Rally Spares, the championship organisers from the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club welcome DMACK, Dunlop, Kumho and Pirelli as tyre partners for the 2013 season.

Five companies have stepped forward to support the championship by sponsoring individual series. The backers are Walker Diecastings (Series 1 for Category 1 historic cars), Capital Construction (Series 2 for Category 2 cars), Rob Smith Rallying (Series 3 for Category 3 cars), Martin Jones Transmissions (Series 4 for FIA Appendix K cars) and Holton Homes (Series 5 for 82-87 cars).

Already announced are £100 vouchers from WWRS for the first and last retirement on each rally along with one for a crew drawn from a hat. Meanwhile, the Holton Homes Clubmans Award will give one deserving crew half of their entry fee back after each rally.

Fuchs Lubricants will supply a product award on each event for the ‘Spirit of the Rally’ and Mintex will support the ‘Best Improvement on Seeding’ award with a set of brake pads after each rally. The ‘Hard Charger’ award, backed by Green Valley Industrial Supplies will present a 20-litre jerry can on each of the seven rounds.

New end of season awards include the JT Motorsport Award for the most entertaining driver and Weir Laundry Equipment Award for the best performance by an under-25 driver.

The 2013 championship starts on the Red Kite Stages on Sunday 20 January

More awards for the WWRS RAC Rally Championship

Posted: January 8, 2013 12:54 PM

Competitors in the West Wales Rally Spares RAC Rally Championship will have a chance of winning a share of a new award fund worth more than £2000 as part of the WWRS title sponsorship package for the championship.

The championship will present three £100 vouchers per rally, meaning that 21 championship registered crews will win a voucher during the seven-event season. WWRS vouchers will be presented to the first and last retirement on each rally, with a third voucher to be drawn from a hat containing all other starters. Any crew can only win one voucher during the season.

“Retiring at any point on an event is tough, but to go out on the first or last stage seems even tougher. We hope that a £100 WWRS voucher will ease the pain a little,” said championship manager Colin Heppenstall. “I’m very grateful to Gareth Lloyd and all the team at WWRS for their enthusiastic support of the championship.”

The 2013 championship starts on the Red Kite Stages on Sunday 20 January

Jimmy McRae to contest the RAC Rally Championship

Posted: December 20, 2012 7:42 PM

Jimmy McRae will contest the 2013 West Wales Rally Spares RAC Rally Championship with the Jardine Lloyd Thompson Team alongside John Lloyd in a two-car team of Ford Escort Mk2s run by Melvyn Evans.

The five-time British Rally Champion is one of the most popular figures in British rallying, but has not competed regularly for several seasons. Now, everyone involved in the new championship is thrilled to have such a high profile driver confirm plans to join the contenders. “Jimmy is an absolute legend of British rallying and to have him competing with us is another massive boost,” said championship manager Colin Heppenstall.

“I’m just pleased that John wanted a team mate,” said McRae (69), who has been involved with the JLT team for 17 years and is delighted to have a full season in prospect. “I’m pleased that Jimmy will be joining the team as he is a good guy to have around and he is the master,” said Lloyd, who was keen to contest the RAC championship as the championship calendar includes some of his favourite rallies.

Pauline Gullick will co-drive for McRae and Adrian Cavenagh will co-drive for Lloyd. The team will miss the opening round, the Red Kite Stages, due to prior commitments, and will open its campaign on the Mid Wales Stages in early March.

Championship Rounds

Posted: December 18, 2012 4:06 PM

1. Red Kite Rally - 20 January 2013
2. Mid Wales Stages - 3 March 2013
3. Rally North Wales (Bulldog Rally) - 5/6 April 2013
4. Tour of Hamsterley - 28 April 2013
5. Carlisle Stages - 22 June 2013
6. Neath Valley Stages - 10 August 2013
7. Trackrod Rally - 27/28 September 2013

Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club

Clubmans’ award for the RAC Rally Championship

Posted: December 18, 2012 3:47 PM

A special award for competitors in the 2013 RAC Rally Championship will give one lucky crew half their entry fee back after each of the championship’s seven rounds.

The award is the result of a partnership between the Roger Albert Clark Motor Club and Holton Homes and is aimed squarely at clubman competitors. The award will not be open to the top end cars in the championship.

The Holton Homes Clubmans Award will be for drivers in all cars with two valves per cylinder and cars with four valves per cylinder up to 1600cc. It will exclude cars running in classes C4 and C5 (Category 2) and classes D4 and D5 (Category 3), thus prohibiting the most powerful Ford Escorts and Porsche 911s.

Following each championship round, the names of all eligible drivers will go into a hat and the lucky driver drawn out will get a cheque refunding half the entry fee, typically around £250. Once a driver has won the award, they will not be eligible to win it again in the 2013 season.

“One of the founding principles of the RAC Rally Championship was to make it accessible to as many crews as possible, particularly those running less powerful cars on more limited budgets,” said championship manager Colin Heppenstall. “We are very grateful to the RACRMC and Holton Homes for providing this very worthwhile award, which will give seven crews a real boost across the season.”

West Wales Rally Spares to sponsor the RAC Rally Championship

Posted: December 18, 2012 3:33 PM

West Wales Rally Spares has been confirmed as the sponsor for the 2013 RAC Rally Championship. With competitor support for the new championship already running well above target, the Ceredigion-based company has agreed to be title sponsor for the coming season.

West Wales Rally Spares, headed by competitor and enthusiast Gareth Lloyd, is a renowned specialist in the supply of parts for Mk1 and Mk2 Ford Escorts, from clubmans cars through to full to Group 4 specification cars. In addition, WWRS is a stockist for many of the leading brands of rally equipment and accessories and is an official Sparco distributor.

With over 30 Group 4 Escort Mk2s already pledged for the new championship this season, the partnership is a perfect fit for both WWRS and the championship organisers, the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club. Lloyd expects to contest selected rounds of the championship in his famous ex-Roger Clark/Haynes of Maidstone Escort Mk2, ‘OKK 380P’.

“We are very pleased to be title sponsor for the first season of the new RAC Rally Championship,” said Lloyd. “The ethos of the championship and its format certainly seems to have struck a chord with competitors and we are looking forward to a great season of rallying for crews in all levels and types of car.”

Championship manager Colin Heppenstall was delighted to confirm the partnership.
“West Wales Rally Spares is the perfect sponsor for the RAC Rally Championship,” said Heppenstall. “Gareth and his team understand exactly what competitors need, particularly in these difficult financial times. WWRS is one of those specialist companies that make rallying happen and we are very, very pleased to welcome them to the championship.”

New Historic Rally Series For 2013

Posted: July 27, 2012 11:33 AM

The Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club has unveiled plans to run a championship in 2013, focusing on historic rally cars complying with MSA historic regulations.

The RAC Pre ’87 Championship is the working title for the new initiative, which is expected to run over eight one-day gravel rallies in England, Scotland and Wales. The championship will cater for cars from MSA historic Categories One, Two and Three as well as cars prepared to FIA Appendix K. Additional classes will accommodate cars built up to the end of 1986 as well as other pre ’87 cars that do not fully comply with historic regulations.

Colin Heppenstall, the man behind the Roger Albert Clark Rally, is the driving force for the new series but says that it is competitor demand that has been the catalyst for this new development.

“Competitors, many of them members of the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club, have come to us and asked us to put a championship together,” said Heppenstall. “We have consulted with a range of interested parties and have had initial discussions with the MSA. Cars in Categories One, Two and Three will run in full accordance with the current MSA historic regulations.”

Heppenstall says that the Roger Albert Clark Rally will not be part of the championship, but hopes that some of the crews that contest the season-long championship will then finish the season on the Roger Albert Clark.

“The RACRMC was set up to provide a friendly and fun way to go rallying with a spirit of sporting competition on the stages,” said Heppenstall. “We plan to continue that ethos into the new championship.”

Discussions will now open with event organisers to finalise a 2013 calendar.
“We expect to have eight one-day gravel events in the first year with the best six scores to count. There will be a good geographical spread, but one of our prime aims is to contain the cost of competition and attract as strong a field as possible in these difficult financial times.”

More details, including the draft 2013 calendar, TV arrangements and outline regulations will be made available over the coming weeks.

Website

Posted: July 27, 2012 11:32 AM

Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club