Colin Britton and Kenny Hull - another podium at the Bushwhacker!

Posted: October 15, 2003 9:15 AM

The A.B. Contracts, H.M.C. Communications, Pacenotes and D.B. Autorepairs sponsored team finished in a fine second position at the Bushwhacker Rally, narrowly missing out on first position as a result of car trouble.

As luck would have it, their Nissan Micra developed a misfire during the first stage and dropped onto three cylinders. After losing almost 15 seconds, Colin and Kenny jumped out of the car at the end of the test in an attempt to find the problem. They were able to get the Micra back on all four cylinders again but the root of the problem was still a mystery. Stage two was cancelled so the crew headed to stage three but as Colin explains, more problems were just around the corner:

"On stage three we took one second off Gary Mills but lost another five to Stephen Dickson. Paul McCarroll retired at the end of the stage with gear linkage problems so we were in third position. Things were looking good but when we arrived at the stage finish the engine cut out and wouldn't start up. We thought it was all over but thankfully we were able to get it running again. It seemed to be a problem with the distributor."

With the problem sourced, Colin and Kenny were able to concentrate on the job at hand. They kept a steady pace through stage four and arrived at first service 14 seconds adrift of second position. With the car refettled, the little pocket rocket was ready to hit the stages once again. The engine problems which had dogged their progress during the opening stages appeared to have vanished and the Micra crew was back on song until an uncharacteristic mistake.

Kenny said: "An overshoot on stage seven at a hairpin right cost us about 10 or 15 seconds - I'll take the blame for that one!"

Despite losing so much time on the stage, they were only ten seconds behind Stephen Dickson when they arrived at the second service area.

Colin said: "We knew the top two would be battling hard over the last three stages so we decided to put on new tyres and really go for it. We've already won the Championship so there was nothing else for it but to apply pressure and go for the class win!"

Their tactics nearly paid off as class leader Gary Mills put his Nova off the road and out of the event. This promoted the crew into second position and in a last bid attempt to win the class, Colin and Kenny pushed the Micra hard over the final stage...almost too hard! Midway through the test the car snapped sideways and the rear wheels caught the ditch. Colin was full of the rack but he managed to hold her together and they escaped unscathed! It was another superb display of skill from the class three champions and, against all the odds, they arrived at the finish just seven seconds in arrears!

NOTE
Colin and Kenny are now making plans for next year. They are hoping to take part in the Peugeot 206 Super Cup and are currently looking for sponsors to help fund their challenge in the series. If you or your company would be interested in sponsoring a winning team then contact Kenny Hull khullmotorsport@hotmail.com

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18/09/03
Britton and Hull secure the class three crown!
COLIN BRITTON and Kenny Hull have won class three of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship with two rounds remaining!
The D.B. Autorepairs, H.M.C. Communications and A.B. Contracts sponsored Micra crew arrived at the finish of the Lakeland Stages Rally with a 17 second cushion over their nearest rivals. It is their fourth maximum points haul in as many events and more importantly they have secured the class three crown! 'It's fantastic to win the championship,' Colin said. 'Our plan was to go flat out. We thought it didn't go too well on the first stage but we were 11 seconds faster than Kieran Murphy in the Escort. On the second stage we were going a bit better but he got some time back off us on the third.'

With the fourth stage being cancelled after Glenn Allen's accident, Colin and Kenny decided to throw caution to the wind on the fifth test. Murphy was biting into their class lead and Colin was determined to take another class victory. It was a big risk and as Colin explains, it could have ended in disaster: 'We had a big moment the first time through Ballintempo when we hit a bad jump. She landed on her nose and split the bumper in two but we got away with it! It's the highest I've ever been'and I wouldn't like to do it again!'

It was a testament to how hard they were pushing and by the time they reached the first service, Colin and Kenny were leading the class by three seconds. The Micra crew, who are sponsored by Pacenotes ' Ireland's Rally Newspaper, were going well in the event. With the first loop of stages completed, they knew what to expect from the final six tests.

During the second loop of stages, Colin and Kenny continued their attack. Driving their Micra to the limit, they set fastest or equal fastest times on each of the tests to extend their class lead. By the time they reached the final service area they were leading the class by 12 seconds. However, just two stages from the finish the event was far from over.

Colin said: 'We went hard through stage ten but took it easy on the final run as the gear selector was starting to play up. It was hard to get first and third gears, and we couldn't get fifth at all. The sump guard was touching the gear linkage ' it must have been damaged when we had the bad landing or maybe it was bent by a large stone.'

Colin and Kenny were holding their breath through the final test whilst nursing the car through to the finish. Despite taking it easy, they still managed to set fastest time on the stage allowing them to take another class victory!

Colin said: 'It was a good day's racing and was a good, close battle with Murphy until the final stage when he lost time with a puncture. The mechanics certainly earned their keep today I tell you that much!' With the class three overall honours secured, Colin and Kenny are now making plans for next year. They are hoping to take part in the Peugeot 206 Super Cup and are currently looking for sponsors to help fund their challenge in the series. If you or your company would be interested in sponsoring a winning team then contact Kenny Hull on +44 7815 920760 or e-mail khullmotorsport@hotmail.com

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18/09/03
Britton is Top Dog at the Dogleap Rally
COLIN BRITTON and Kenny Hull received a full helping of points after the Dogleap Rally where they captured class three honours in their HMC Communications and D.B. Autorepairs Micra.

It was their first run of the season on gravel but both Colin and Kenny took it in their stride. After a first stage scare when the car bounced back onto the road after running wide at a five-left, they settled into the event. Consistently setting top three times, the Micra crew were lying second behind Stephen and David Dickson's Vauxhall Nova at the mid-point of the rally.

'We eased ourselves in over the first loop of stages', Colin said. 'At first service we were happy enough with our pace, only to discover we had a 28 second deficit to Stephen and David in the Nova!' On realising they were 28 seconds in arrears, both Colin and Kenny decided to up the ante on the following stages. 'We attacked harder on the second loop and improved our times but Dickson's pace was too hot', Colin said. 'We managed to beat him on stage seven but with two stages remaining we were 38 seconds behind and he looked definite for a class win.'

The Micra crew, who are also sponsored by A.B. Contracts and Pacenotes, decided to take the sensible option and settle for a good points finish. It was a wise move as the following stage was very rough. So rough in fact it claimed two of their class rivals including leaders, Steven and David Dickson. Colin said: 'The first Loughermore stage was in atrocious condition so we backed right off to save the car. When we saw Dickson's Nova off near the end of the stage we backed off even more. His retirement left us leading the class so we coasted through the last stage and won by over one minute from Lucy Ford-Hutchinson.'

'We're really pleased with the result. It's our best on gravel to date but we have to give credit to David Dickson who would most certainly have taken a convincing win had he not been forced to retire with a broken oil cooler. We're looking forward to the last three rounds - I'm sure there will be many more tussles with the Nova crew to come!'

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08/05/03
Britton and Hull fly to class victory
COLIN BRITTON and Kenny Hull took their A.B. Contracts Nissan Micra to an excellent class victory at the third round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Monday.

While many other competitors fell by the wayside, Colin and Kenny had a faultless drive at the Easter Stages event and the Micra duo emerged victorious by more than three minutes from their nearest class rivals.

A new engine, which had been installed in the car during the interim period between Bishopscourt and the Easter event, helped to give them that extra edge on Easter Monday. Kenny commented that the difference in power was 'noticeable', but it wasn't all plain sailing.

The night before the rally was due to start, the Micra refused to fire up. Fearing the worst, Colin arrived at John Donnelly's door in an attempt to source the problem. By 1.30am, they came to the conclusion that it was a fuel pressure problem. The solution? Keep the fuel tank topped up and everything should be OK!

With that in mind, Colin continued to prepare the car throughout the night. He eventually managed to get some sleep at 5.30am but it wasn't long until the morning alarm bells were ringing and both Colin and Kenny were on their way to the first stage. The red Micra, which is also sponsored by Pacenotes - Ireland's Rally Newspaper, went on to set four fastest times in as many stages. It was an excellent display of controlled driving by Colin despite the lack of sleep.

With other stages being cancelled, four fastest times was more than enough to win the event. Co-driver, Kenny Hull, commented: "Thankfully the car didn't miss a beat all day. We are very pleased with the new engine and we didn't have any problems during the event, apart from a lack of stage miles."

Their victory has propelled Colin into an eight point lead in the class three championship standings while Kenny has a nine point lead in the co-drivers standings. It's an excellent position to be in so early in the season but a lack of funds has resulted in their decision miss the next round of the Championship, the Tour of the Sperrins. The Micra duo will next be in action at the Mourne Rally.

Colin said: "The car is working well on tarmac now so with a bit of luck we'll have another good result on the Mourne Rally." 19/03/03
Britton and Hull take fifth after a troubled start
THE A.B. CONTRACTS and M. Kelly Construction Nissan Micra of Colin Britton and Kenny Hull finished in a fine fifth position on Saturday's Bishopscourt Stages Rally.

Colin and Kenny, who finished third on the Eurocables Stages, were hampered in the early stages of the event when they caught the Toyota Corolla Twin Cam of another competitor. Their time loss was compounded by tyre problems and the Micra duo found themselves lingering in eleventh position after the first two stages.

"We are very short on tyres," Colin said. "We went out on new tyres and had very, very bad grip. On the first stage we landed on top of tyres on the circuit for about ten seconds and another competitor was holding us back. The second stage and the same competitor held us up!"

It wasn't an ideal start to the rally but the Micra duo had to hope for better luck on the remainder of the event if they were to gain valuable points towards their N.I. Rally Championship campaign.

A clean run on the third stage resulted in Colin and Kenny moving up to eighth position. Things were starting to go their way and after quick times on the fourth and fifth stages, the pair had moved into sixth position. With one stage remaining, they were three seconds behind Alden Minford and just one second ahead of Lucy Ford-Hutchinson. The event was far from over.

Colin said: "On the last stage we had a good run but we caught up with the same competitor again on the final three corners which held us back a bit but I don't think it was too bad. It might have held us back for a couple of seconds but you never know!"

Despite catching another competitor on the final stage, Colin and Kenny set exactly the same time as both Alden Minford and Lucy Ford-Hutchinson. The Micra duo had confirmed their sixth position but last minute dramas for Jim Aicken promoted Britton and Hull into fifth position. After such a dreadful start to the event, it was an excellent comeback for the pair who are currently handicapped by budget constraints.

"The first couple of stages were a nightmare - getting held up by the Twin Cam," Kenny said. "But we enjoyed the last couple of stages. It was a good run and we have some more points on the board. It's good to get some points now before we get into the serious rallies for the rest of the year and hopefully we'll have the new engine in by the Easter Stages. It should arrive within the next week so we're looking forward to that."

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27/02/03
Britton and Hull earn third position and valuable championship points
COLIN BRITTON and Kenny Hull made a promising start to their 2003 Northern Ireland Rally Championship campaign at the Eurocables Stages on Saturday.

In class three, the pair set consistent times throughout the day in the M. Kelly Construction and A.B. Contracts Micra to arrive at the finish in a solid third position with more than thirty seconds to spare over their nearest rival.

At the event finish, Kenny said: "It was a good day and thankfully it has been dry as well. I think we were sitting in fourth position for most of the day until Ricky McAlonen in the Nova retired. It was a good run by Aidan Minford in the other Micra and Brian Black who won the class. We're happy with the result."

Consistently setting top five times in their fifteen-strong class on every stage of the event, Colin and Kenny reported no problems during the day.

"No problems at all, only a shortage of tyres. We could have done with a few more but didn't have the budget to buy them," Kenny said. "Now we're hoping to get bigger wheels for tarmac and we've also decided to do Bishopscourt as the new engine won't be arriving until late March."

The Bishopscourt Stages Rally is due to take place on March 15. It is the second round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship and Colin Britton and Kenny Hull are determined to build on their recent success at Kirkistown.

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21/02/03
Colin Britton and Kenny Hull ready for 2003 campaign
COLIN BRITTON and Kenny Hull begin their 2003 campaign this weekend in a bid to claim victory in class three of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

Based at Kirkistown Race Circuit, the Eurocables Rally marks the first round of the action packed N.I. Rally series. With backing from their sponsors, A.B. Contracts in Strabane and M. Kelly Construction, the Micra pairing are raring to go.

After producing some astounding results in 2002, a year which saw them finish in the top five on seven events, Colin and Kenny are setting their sights on greener pastures for 2003 and beyond.

Kenny said: "Our hope is to improve on last season, going for class wins rather than finishes. This is in an effort to impress potential sponsors for 2004 when we hope to contend the Peugeot 206 Super Cup."

A full Group A specification engine is planned for the Micra. This will give it 115bhp, a welcome boost that will ensure the red pocket rocket is able to contend with other front runners in their class. The car is due to be equipped with its new mount in the interim period between Kirkistown and the Easter Stages. This means that Colin will miss the second round of the championship at Bishopscourt but more power in the car will help make up for the loss on the remaining six events.

In the meantime, Colin and Kenny are focused on gaining some valuable points at Kirkistown. A good run on the first round of the series will set them up for another successful assault on the Northern Ireland Rally Championship.