Pritchard and Clarke clinch MSA BHRC title
Posted: October 20, 2016 9:24 AM
Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke secured the 2015 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship crown after rounds six and seven on the Rally Isle of Man Classicagh (September 17-19).
Although Pritchard and Clarke only finished fourth in the final overall results, they scored enough points across the two parts of the championship double-header to put the matter out of reach of their rivals with one round to run.
“It’s a brilliant feeling,” said Pritchard. “I’m very lucky to have Phil Clarke as a co-driver. He’s brilliant fun in the car and I can trust him 100%.” However, there was a late scare for Pritchard when clutch problems on stage 20 forced a rapid gearbox change at final service. “That could have been game over,” said Pritchard.
Once again the annual charge around the island roads lived up to its impressive reputation with over 170 miles of flat-out action across two and a half days. All the crews who made the finish knew they’d completed a challenging rally.
The event started with a spectacular stage on the Douglas sea front and concluded with an 18-mile stage that finished outside the TT Grandstands. The pace at the head of the rally was ferocious and a tremendous performance from Rob Smith and Alun Cook sealed victory in their Ford Escort Mk2. They also won the Holton Homes Category 4 for cars running to FIA Appendix K regulations.
“I’m chuffed to bits,” said a justifiably elated Smith, who elected not to score BHRC championship points.
The title contest was a straight battle between Pritchard/Clarke and Richard Hill and Iwan Jones and it was Hill who set the early pace on Thursday evening. But it all went wrong for Hill on Friday when a high-speed off through a gate cost them a lot of time. They fought back to take maximum points in the second part of the BHRC event, but their overall title hopes were over.
Maximum points in the RSR Historic Rallying Category 3 in round six went to the hard-charging Guy Woodcock and Graham Dance (Ford Escort Mk2). This was a first rally for Woodcock with BDG power and he turned in a massively impressive performance but was denied an overall podium finish with propshaft dramas just seven miles from the end of the rally. Instead, the recovering Hill/Jones took final victory in Category 3 in seventh place overall.
Overall Walker Diecastings Category 1 winners were Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911), while John Perrott and Keaton Williams (Ford Escort Mk1) had a tremendous rally to win the Capital Construction Category 2 and move up to second place overall in the championship. With one of the drives of the rally, island debutant Perrott took sixth overall as well as Category 2 over Ernie and Will Graham. “It’s a tough rally and only my second asphalt event,” said Perrott.
Chris Skill had a tremendous introduction to Manx rallying with Former Island resident Graham Wild co-driving in the 1600cc Escort Mk2. The new partnership worked extremely well and they romped to class D2 victory. “I’ve had a really serious lesson on tarmac rallying from Graham,” said Skill.
Category 2 class winners included Robin Shuttleworth/Ronnie Roughead (Ford Escort Mk1) and Phil Jobson/Arwel Jenkins (Ford Escort Mk1). Changing a puncture on Thursday night cost Jobson a maximum, but he fought back into contention on his Manx debut. “Fantastic: a brilliant event,” said Jobson, who finished clear of the BMW 2002 of Terry Cree/Richard Shores. A stage maximum on Friday evening for a wrong split cost Cree a chunk of time.
Meanwhile in class C2, Shuttleworth struggled home with a failing clutch over the final loop of stages. He needed a push start after an overshoot at Brandywell Cottage on the final stage. Second in C2 was the Escort Mk1 of Dave Watkins/Tom Jordan, but they dropped time on the opening night when a halfshaft flange broke.
Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride took a clear win in the Walker Diecastings Category 1 with their Porsche 911, finishing over two minutes clear of the similar car of Rikki Proffitt/James Whitaker. Nutt had a scare on Friday when the throttle stuck wide open at Brandywell Cottage while Proffitt had a remarkably trouble-free run to make up for a start line retirement on the previous event on Epynt.
Two false start penalties earned Bob and Dale Gibbons two minutes of penalty and dropped them behind Proffitt in the final results. However, the father and son Ford Cortina GT team still won class B3 from the rapid Ford Anglia of Malcolm Rich and Jonathan Hawkins.
“It’s a stunning little car and we’ve had no issues at all,” said Rich after his second asphalt rally in 25 years. Gibbons was grateful to T2 Motorsport for keeping the Cortina running through brake, distributor and starter motor dramas.
In class B1 of the BHRC, Phil Walker and Jez Rogers scored a famous victory as they both made their Manx debuts in Walker’s Mini Cooper.
“The clutch was on the way out on the last stage, but it’s a great event,” said Walker after his sixth finish from six events.
Category winners in round six were:
Category 1: Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911)
Category 2: John Perrott/Keaton Williams (Ford Escort Mk1)
Category 3: Guy Woodcock/Graham Dance (Ford Escort Mk2)
Category K: Will Onions/Dave Williams (Ford Escort Mk2)
Category winners in round seven were:
Category 1: Rikki Proffitt/James Whitaker (Porsche 911)
Category 2: John Perrott/Keaton Williams (Ford Escort Mk1)
Category 3: Richard Hill/Iwan Jones (Ford Escort Mk2)
Category K: Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke (Ford Escort Mk2)
Seeded Entry List
Posted: September 4, 2015 6:26 PM
Changes to asphalt tyre regulations for historics
Posted: August 21, 2015 2:07 PM
The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has announced regulation changes that widen the range of eligible tyres for use on asphalt events in historic stage rallying. The changes take effect immediately, ahead of the next round of the 2015 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Rally Isle of Man Classicagh (17-19 September).
The issue of the availability of tyres meeting existing regulations instigated a meeting of the chairmen of Historic and Rallies Committees, the Stage Rally Tyre Working Group, representatives from the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club, tyre manufacturers/suppliers and the MSA Executive. Proposals from that meeting have now been approved for immediate implementation.
Rob Jones, MSA Chief Executive, said:
"This regulation change will give competitors a wider choice of suitable and eligible tyres, and will make the administration and application of the regulations easier to understand and apply. Mindful of the need to address this fundamental issue, we have expedited this for immediate implementation ahead of the final asphalt round of this year's Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Rally Isle of Man."
BHRC championship manager Colin Heppenstall said:
"We are delighted that this situation has been resolved for the good of the competitors. I?d particularly like to thank John Cooper and Alan Walker from the BHRC team for all their work on this. We can now look forward to some great competition on the asphalt roads of the Isle of Man next month."
The new regulations are as follows:
Wheels, Tyres and Brakes
49.10.1. Wheels and tyres must be fitted in compliance with L3., 49.6. except as follows, 48.5.1., 48.5.2., 48.5.4., 48.5.6-8. and 48.5.10.-14. and;
49.10.2. For Categories One, Two and Three the diameter of wheel may not differ from that originally fitted by more than 10%.
49.10.3. For Categories One, Two and Three the complete wheels (flange + rim + tyre) are free providing that they are housed within the permitted bodywork and that they do not exceed the following widths in relation to the cubic capacity of the car:
Up to 1150 cc: 7in
Over 1150cc and up to 1600 cc: 8in
Over 1600 cc: 9in.
49.10.4. For Category Four, and vehicles competing under 49.2., wheels and tyres must comply fully with FIA Appendix K Regulations for Cars in Rallies.
49.10.5. The fitting of a dual master cylinder or any other type of device providing a simultaneous action on all four wheels and divided action on two wheels is permitted, provided the original brake pedal and pivot point are used and they cannot be adjusted to affect brake balance by either the Driver or the Co-Driver when normally seated in the car.
Entries Received / Regulations / Event Website
Posted: July 11, 2015 5:24 PM
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