Le Mans Winner Smith Heads Jack Frost Stages Rally Entry
Posted: January 15, 2018 4:02 AM
Darlington and District Motor Club’s annual Jack Frost Stages Rally in association with Cartersport Snowdenwhich takes place at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire next Sunday (21st January 2018), will see one of the best ever entries assembled.
A capacity 90-car entry will see Le Mans 24 Hour winner and 2016 Jack Frost winner Guy Smith, along with co-driver Patrick Walsh seeded at number one in their Ford Focus WRC. They are ahead of multiple Christmas Stages winner Kevin Procter, who has Derrick Fawcett on the notes in their Ford Fiesta WRC, with four-times winner Paul Bird returning in the Ford Focus WRC he’s sharing with Jack Morton at car three.
Darlington stuntman Paul Swift and co-driver Cat Lund are away at four in their Millington-powered 2.5 litre Ford Escort Mk2, ahead of local aces Tony Bardy/Tony Walker (Ford Focus WRC) with Peter Stephenson and Ian Windress at number six in their Subaru WRC.
The unique Mini WRC of Kevin Feeney/Sean Donnelly is at seven with Peter Smith/Graham Wild in another Ford WRC at eight whilst the top ten is rounded out by Scotsmen Gordon Morrison/Calum MacPherson (Subaru) and Alan Kirkcaldy/Cameron Fair (Ford Fiesta R5).
Sadly, last year’s winners, Graeme Bell and Russ Radford, have had to withdraw their Millington Proton Neo Satria due to accident damage sustained on the recent Swift Signs Christmas Stages Rally and winners of that event, Simon de Banke and Phil Mills, had planned another run out at Croft in their Ford Fiesta R5 but have recently withdrawn too.
In the various classes, expect a battle between the powerful Ford Escorts Mk2s of Swift, Terry Clarke, Rob Snowden and Mark Jasper in Class 4, with Class 3 expected to be contested between Kenny Moore (Hillman Avenger), Edward Todd (Ford Escort) and Mark Thompson’s Peugeot 206.
The 1600cc Class 2 will see Stevie Irwin’s Vauxhall Nova as the car to beat although the likes of Martin Peters (Citroen Saxo), Mark Burton (Ford Fiesta XR2) and Larry Carter (Peugeot 206) hope to be in the mix whilst in the Class 6 Historics, there is a healthy entry headed by the Ford Escorts of Darren Grimston, Peter Slights and Dave Forrest.
But it’s perhaps the Class 1 battle that is most anticipated with Mark Constantine, along with son Tom on the maps for the first time, up against Joe Cunningham/Marc Fowler in their respective 1400cc Vauxhall Corsas.
One entry to keep an eye on is the prize drive for the 2017 ANECCC SG Petch Rally Championship which will see one crew at the wheel of Steve Petch’s WD40-backed Ford Fiesta S2000. With the winner Steve Bannister once again graciously stepping aside to allow runners-up Barry Lindsay and co-driver Caroline Lodge to take up the offer, which no other regional or national championship provides, the crew and championship organisers would like to place their thanks to Steve for supplying such a wonderful prize once again whereby Barry and Caroline are seeded at number 17.
The event will again comprise up to eight stages totalling around 40 stage miles on the asphalt of the North East’s only permanent race track and is a qualifying round of three major local championships including the 2018 SG Petch ANECCC, the 2018 AS Performance North of England Tarmac and the 2018 ANCC Championships.
The first car starts at 08:57 and the full entry list can be found at www.darlington-motor-club.org.uk. Adult admission costs £12 with accompanied children aged 15 and under free, with free car parking on hard standing within the circuit confines. There is free access to the service area, commentary provided and toilet/catering facilities available.
Top Names Set For Jack Frost Stages Rally
Posted: January 6, 2018 4:24 PM
With still two weeks to go to Darlington and District Motor Club’s annual Jack Frost Stages Rally in Kevin Procterassociation with Cartersport which takes place at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire on Sunday 21st January 2018, the organisers have already received entries from a host of top drivers in state-of-the-art machinery.
Already, over 100 crews have entered the 19th annual running of the event which will again comprise up to eight stages totalling around 40 stage miles on the asphalt of the North East’s only permanent race track and is a qualifying round of three major local championships including the 2018 SG Petch ANECCC, the 2018 AS Performance North of England Tarmac and the 2018 ANCC Championships.
Included in the entry list so far are last year’s winners, Graeme Bell and Russ Radford (Millington Proton Satria Neo) from nearby Northallerton but they will face stiff competition from the likes of Le Mans 24 Hours winner Guy Smith, who along with co-driver Patrick Walsh, won the Jack Frost Stages Rally in 2016 in the Ford Focus WRC in which they’ll again compete.
Four-times Jack Frost champion from 2009 to 2012, Paul Bird returns after an absence of four years whereby the Cumbrian British Superbike team boss will have County Durham’s Jack Morton on the maps in his Ford Focus WRC. Another four-times winner, Tony Bardy from Scotch Corner, is hoping for a run in his Ford Focus WRC which he’ll share with Tony Walker.
Multiple Christmas Stages winners, Kevin Procter and Dave Bellerby, make a rare appearance on the Jack Frost Stages in their Ford Fiesta WRC in which they finished runners-up on the 2017 Swift Signs Christmas Stages Rally two weeks ago, whilst the crew that beat them in the wintry conditions, Simon de Banke and experienced World Championship co-driver Phil Mills, are late entries in their Ford Fiesta R5, and hoping to secure one of the 90 starting places.
Other leading drivers include Darlington’s Paul Swift (Ford Escort), Teesside businessman Peter Stephenson (Subaru WRC), Mark Jasper (Ford Escort), Alan Kirkcaldy (Ford Fiesta), Peter Smith (Ford Fiesta), Pete Slights (Ford Escort), Alex Taylor (Subaru Forester) and Northallerton’s Charlie Taylor (Ford Escort). Throw in the likes of Malton driver Rob Snowden (Ford Escort), Barry Lindsay in the SGP Motorsport prize-drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 and Scotsman Gordon Morrison (Subaru), as well as a superb lower class entry, it’s an eclectic mix for sure.
Entries finally close on Thursday 11th January 2018 and any entries withdrawn before that date will receive a full refund. Anyone withdrawing after that date and up to Thursday 18th January 2018 will receive a refund at the organiser’s discretion, providing a reserve can fill that place. Currently, there are 14 reserves.
Scrutineering and documentation takes place between 10.00 and 16.00 on Saturday 20th January 2018 and also from 06:00 to 08.30 on Sunday 21st January 2018 (by appointment only) with the first car at MTC1 at 08:57. The entry fee is £265 and there are classes for cars up to 1400cc, up to 1600cc, up to 2000cc, over 2000cc and all four wheel-drive cars as well as Historic rally cars.
NB: Following parking problems for a number of spectators at the recent Swift Signs Christmas Stages Rally, which led to a number being turned away, D&DMC have addressed the matter with Croft Circuit and wish to advise that sufficient provision is being made to park AS MANY SPECTATORS’ VEHICLES AS POSSIBLE ON HARD STANDING within the circuit. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should spectators park on the verges, in local villages or approach roads to the circuit as police will be monitoring.
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