Seeded Entry List
Posted: June 6, 2014 9:34 AM
THE NEXT BIG STEP!…
Posted: May 30, 2014 10:04 AM
At least that’s what debuting their Ford Fiesta R5+ on the Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally (7th
June), the fifth round of the REIS BTRDA Rally Series®, is for Stephen Petch/Ian Windress!
They’ve moved forward in leaps and bounds over the past eighteen months since acquiring
a Focus WRC, including taking that elusive first BTRDA Series win on the Trackrod Rally last
September, and now all eyes will be on their progress in the new car. The pair were runnersup
in the East Midlands in 2013 and you don’t have to be a mind-reader to guess their
aspirations this time!...
At the same time, the Focus is still very much a force to be reckoned with, as Petch himself
would testify. Apart from a hiccup on the opening round of the season, which saw the car
stuck in a gulley in the Forest of Dean, a string of good results has moved the Bishop
Auckland driver up to 3rd in the table as the halfway point of the season approaches.
Then there’s Somerset Stages winners - and 2010 Dukeries Rally victors - Steve Perez/Paul
Spooner and, although starting his campaign late, Dave Weston Jnr has impressed on the
two events he has contested in his Subaru Impreza WRC. It is also interesting to note that
the family has form on the Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally. Back in 2008, Mr Weston Snr won
the event outright, while DW Jnr took Group N in an Impreza!... The marque is also
represented this time by Jim McNeil/Tom Hughes whose promising start to the season could
do with a fresh impetus following absence from the Somerset Stages and a DNF on the
Plains Rally.
Battling for B13 class honours with McNeil will be Ben Cressey/Mark Swallow in another
Impreza, while a Mitsubishi Lancer EVOX appears in the hands of Martyn & Dawn England.
Taking the subject of consistency to the next level, Group N ‘Production Cup’ contenders
Russ Thompson/Andy Murphy find themselves at the top of the Gold Star points table after
guiding their Lancer EVO9 to finishes on each of the four events to date. With five of the nine
rounds still to go, whoever was in that exalted position would not be safe and so it is that
there are any number of pretenders to the crown queueing up for the opportunity to change
the look of the leaderboard.
In terms of the Production Cup, Thompson/Murphy lead, but Pat Naylor/Ian Lawrence
finished 3rd overall in the East Midlands two years ago in their EVO9 and could just put their
noses out of joint this time! Toni Carannante/Martin Auskerin (Impreza) are a few points
behind but have already dropped their one event. It all evens itself up as the season
progresses but the twists and turns as it does are fascinating to watch!
After a slow start last year, eventual 2013 REIS BTRDA Silver Star® Champion Matthew
Robinson (Ford Escort MkII) has hit the ground running and already has two first and two
second places on the board. Co-driver Sam Collis has amassed a clean sweep of maximums
thus far, while still championing the front-wheel drive cause, Sacha Kakad/Andrew Price’s
Ford Fiesta ST is 3rd. Jody Bowcott/David Millard (Ford Escort) are 4th from just three scores
and could quite easily improve on that at the weekend...
Following Julian Wilkes’ dominance for the past couple of seasons, the Morris Lubricants
BTRDA 1400® Championship is developing into quite an open battleground. Four events,
three different winners - none of whom is currently in the Top Six! Of those, Mat Smith/Giles
Dykes (Ford Ka) have two victories to one each for Darren Pinchin/Kaz Jenkins (Proton
Satria) and Dave Bennett/Alistair McNeil (Vauxhall Corsa). Marcel Freling/Karen Robinson
(MG ZR) arrive at Southwell Racecourse as Championship leaders, ahead of the Satria of 3rd
placed Ryan Weston (name familiar? - see above for father and grandfather!)/Mark
McCulloch.
What a difference a day - or, in this case, an event - makes! Neil Andrew/Dominic Adams (VW
Lupo) began the season in barnstorming fashion, taking the first couple of rounds of the
BTRDA Rally First® Championship in fine style. However, they had been unable to shake off
the attention of Rory Jones/Tom Hughes in their MG ZR to the point that, when the Lupo
ground to a halt in Somerset, the latter crew took full advantage and, as yet, haven’t looked
back. Maximums on both Somerset and the Plains have put them into the ascendancy, while
Carl Davies/Richard Jones’ (Nissan Micra) hitherto clean sheet also sees them ahead of the
early leaders.
In addition to welcoming contenders for all the constituent parts of the BTRDA Rally
Series®, the Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally is also a qualifying round of the MSA English
Rally Championship - the last before a lengthy summer break. Prior to the commencement of
their ‘holidays’, Matthew Robinson leads the class-based series from Rory Jones, Justin
Lawson and Sacha Kakad. A mere nine points separate first from fourth and, with 25
available for a win on each of the remaining four rounds, it is plain to see that there is still
much to do before the 2014 champion is crowned...
The first car leaves the start of the Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally at Southwell Racecourse at
8.00am on Saturday 7th June and, 44 stage miles later, returns there for the finish at 3.30pm
that afternoon.
Entries Received / Regulations / Details
Posted: April 30, 2014 3:28 PM
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