Park Systems Stages (Newton Stewart) - (Sat) 10 Sep 05

Posted: September 13, 2005 8:41 PM

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BIRD FLIES TO PARK STAGES VICTORY
Stobart Motorsport driver Paul Bird regained the lead in the 2005 MSA National Gravel Rally Championship following a day of drama in the Scottish forests which comprised the Park Systems Stages National Rally.

Driving the ex Carlos Sainz Ford Focus WRC for the first time since it was damaged in an accident on the Rally of Wales, Bird from Penrith and Northallerton co driver Ian Windress saw off the challenge of Subaru WRC driving championship rivals Barry Johnson and Stewart Merry as well as Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield to clinch his first victory of the season.

With the forests having recently been regraded punctures were the order of the day and whilst Bird was fortunate to get away without anything serious, the same couldn’t be said for Johnson and Duckworth who both suffered and it ended up costing them any chance of victory.

Johnson, who was leading the championship going into the penultimate round suffered three punctures in the first three stages which necessitated him to stop and change a wheel, and as a result the County Durham businessman had to play catch up throughout the day before ending up in twelfth position. Duckworth meanwhile also punctured on the long SS2 causing him to run ten miles on the rim and he did well to battle back to third place overall.

“The victory has been a long time coming but it is well timed going into the final round next month. I’ve had plenty of bad luck this year so I guess it was my turn to benefit this rally and whilst we’ve had problems with the tyres they weren’t of the same magnitude that Barry and Roger suffered. We now just need to keep our noses clean on the final event and if we do that then we have a good chance of winning this championship” said Bird.

Fastest man for most of the day was Stobart Ford Focus driver Matthew Wilson who ended up in second place behind his team mate although he isn’t registered for the championship so doesn’t score points meaning Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge runner Stuart Jones claimed second position in the championship points ahead of Duckworth with Phil Morrow, Ryan Champion and Nik Elsmore completing the top six.

Basic calculations reveal that Bird only needs to finish in fourth position on the Bulldog Rally next month, irrespective of whether Johnson or Duckworth win, and that should be enough to secure him his first national title.

In the supporting championships, Jones’ victory in the Mitsubishi class meant Ryan Champion did not clinch the title so all is to play for on the final round next month whilst Peugeot 206 Cup Jonnie Wigmore took another maximum to clasp one hand on the title although he was fortunate to take the victory when long time leading Mike Faulkner went out late on with steering failure.

In the Dunlop supported ANCRO Clubmans Championship, Allan McDowall took victory and as a result the Tarbolton driver and co-driver Gavin Heseltine from Gilberdyke won the overall championship with one round remaining.

A tough battle throughout the day between the leading drivers saw Alistair Adams take the initial lead after stage one, however a puncture on stage two dropped Adams and co-driver Andy Ballantyne back to fifth place, almost two minutes and twenty seconds behind McDowall who seized the lead going into first service.

McDowall did not get through stage two unscathed, when he picked up two punctures through the eighteen-mile test and had to drive ten miles to the end on a flat tyre. Despite losing brakes through stage one, James Potter and Bob Stokoe arrived into service in second place and they had a near seven-second advantage over third placed Steve Magson and Geoff Atkinson.

Colin Hope arrived into service in fourth place but he had pushed the sump guard up into the sump after hitting a rock through stage two. However, Colin failed to finish the rally when he crashed on stage four, both Colin and co-driver Nick Patrick were reported to be OK.

The final three stages saw McDowall maintain his lead over the field and he crossed the finish ramp thirty-five seconds ahead of Steve Magson who claimed second place. James Potter finished in third place, a mere three seconds behind Magson. Despite pulling some time back, Alistair Adams finished the event in fourth place, a minute and a half behind Potter.

Luke Pinder claimed victory on round six of the Special Tuning (UK) 1400 Challenge, while Kim Kirk finished in second place, with Mike Winfield in third place, twenty-six seconds adrift.

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JONES TAKES FOURTH EVO CHALLENGE VICTORY OF THE SEASON
Stuart Jones, with his co-driver Craig Parry, came out on top of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge on Saturday's Park Systems Stages Rally, the seventh and penultimate round of the series, their strategy to stay out of trouble and avoid punctures also seeing them finish in an impressive third place overall.



Phillip Morrow finished second of the Mitsubishi runners after setting a number of stunning stage times, but a medley of problems denied him the winners spoils. Ryan Champion did enough to retain his series lead by finishing third, the upshot of which sees the chase for the Evo Challenge title go to the final round.

This weekend's rally comprised six stages in the forests of the Dumfries and Galloway Hills, seven Evolution Challenge crews making the trip to the event's host town of Newton Stewart. With four drivers within a mathematical chance of claiming the series crown: Champion, Jones, Morrow and Nik Elsmore, the title could not be won on this event, but could be lost if any of the leading quartet failed to finish.

Starting the rally third in the Evo Challenge standings, Phillip Morrow was out to claim every point he could and was the fastest of the Mitsubishi field on the first stage. However, he was relegated to second place on SS2 when his car's turbocharger came loose.

This let Jones into the lead, who claimed he was carefully picking his line through the corners in order to avoid any sharp stones and subsequently, punctures. In contrast Champion did not get the start he wanted and collected three flat tyres in the first two stages, the resulting delay putting him in fourth place just ahead of Tim Pearcey, but behind Elsmore who was holding a comfortable third.

Connor McCloskey's run of bad luck continued when his car's centre differential stopped working on SS2 and he retired, 2005 not a season he will care to remember.

Frustrated by his earlier loss of time Morrow was quickest on SS3, but again his efforts were dashed when his car clouted a rock in the middle of the road on SS4, the impact braking a front disk. Consequently, Morrow had to drive the remainder of the stage with no brakes and he dropped to third.

Jones' tidy technique over the demanding South West Scottish roads was paying dividends, as he now extended his Evo Challenge lead to 37 seconds over Champion and climbed to second place overall!

For the final loop of two stages, a repeat of the first two, Morrow threw caution to the wind and on SS5 posted the second fastest stage time overall! Now 24 seconds behind Jones, he went on a mission to take the lead on the last stage, a 19 mile run through Glentrool Forest - and he nearly did it!

Four miles from the end of the stage Morrow caught Elsmore, who admitted to be saving his car, but before he could get past, the young Ulsterman understeered into a ditch and rolled. The car miraculously landed on its wheels, with almost no damage except for a few scratches and by the time he reached the end of the stage Morrow was again hot on the heels of Elsmore.

But this last stage action was not enough to catch Jones and the Welshman claimed his fourth victory of the season, 17 seconds ahead of Morrow, who was in turn just two seconds ahead of Champion who had delivered a calculated performance to retain his series lead and is the man with the best chance of lifting the title. However, his co-driver Craig Thorley amassed enough points on Saturday to become 2005 Evolution Challenge Champion Co-driver.

Elsmore came home in fourth, with Pearcey fifth and Noel Kelly netted a good haul of points by finishing sixth.

"I would say that this is my best drive of the year", said a satisfied Jones at the finish. "I concentrated on steering around the rocks and tried to avoid any excessive understeer or oversteer so I didn't catch the loose stones that line the sides of the roads. It also proved to be a quick way of driving. However, I did have a fright in the last stage when the ignition cut off switch kept activating itself!"

With all of the Evo Challenge front-runners finishing this weekend, the eighth and final round of the series, the Bulldog Rally on 22nd October, will witness a sudden death battle between the leading trio for the series title and the coveted award of a works Mitsubishi drive in the 2006 British Rally Championship.

The 2005 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is supported by: Mitsubishi Motors UK, Ralliart, Walon UK, Pirelli Tyres, Shell Racing Fuels, Speedline Corse, PIAA and Mintex.

Park Systems Stages - Evolution Challenge Results

1 Stuart Jones (Welshpool)/Craig Parry (Welshpool) - 1h 00m 30.6s

2 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Simon Morrow (Lisburn) - 1h 00m 47.4
3 Ryan Champion (Whitby)/Craig Thorley (York) - 1h 00m 49.8s
4 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Nigel Gardner (New Tredegar) - 1h 01m 43.0s
5 Tim Pearcey (Harrogate)/Cliff Simmons (Coleford) - 1h 02m 25.2s
6 Noel Kelly (Crosby)/James Kelly (Crosby) - 1h 09m 14.1s

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Rally Results
1 Paul Bird/Ian Windress (Ford Focus WRC) 00:59:05
2 Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin (Ford Focus WRC) 00:59:35
3 Stuart Jones/Craig Parry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) 01:00:31
4 Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Subaru Impreza WRC) 01:00:41
5 Phillip Morrow/Simon Morrow (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) 01:00:47
6 Ryan Champion/Craig Thorley (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) 01:00:50
7 Andy Kelly/Doug Redpath (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4) 01:01:39
8 Nik Elsmore/Nigel Gardner (Mitsubishi Lancer) 01:01:43
9 Malcolm Proudlock/Steven Clark (Subaru Impreza) 01:02:16
10 Tim Pearcey/Cliff Simmons (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) 01:02:25

Photos:
Roy Dempster Photos

Full Results
ANCRO MSA National Rally Championship

Park System Stages

050106/112818

• 2005 ANCRO MSA National Rally Championship
• 2005 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge
• 2005 206 Super Cup

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PRE EVENT NEWS

• Colin McRae to stretch his legs in the Park
• Evolution Challenge Preview - It's not over till it's over.
• ANCRO Preview: JOHNSON FROM BIRD BY A POINT…
• Entries to date:

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09/09/05
Colin McRae to stretch his legs in the Park
Following a three day test in the Skoda Fabia WRC in the Galloway Forests of South-West Scotland, Colin McRae and Nicky Grist will be ready for action on Saturday’s Park Systems Furniture Stages driving a Skoda Fabia WRC.

It is 18 months since the former World Rally Champion drove a World Rally Car in anger and in this warm-up for Wales Rally GB an influx of spectators are expected to see the ‘maestro’ back at the wheel of the course car on this round of the County Saab Scottish and MSA National Gravel Rally Championship.

Clerk of the Course, Roy Campbell is delighted that Colin is back in rallying and is prepared for the additional spectators which Colin will attract and has dealt with the police accordingly, extra car parking locations have been set up and additional officers will be on duty.

This will be a further test for the car and crew on the comeback trail. Colin and Nicky will be taking their course car role seriously to ensure that the stages are live and ready for the national competitors running behind them.

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09/09/05
Evolution Challenge Preview - It's not over till it's over.
The seventh and penultimate round of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge takes place this Saturday (10th September) with the Park Systems Stages, the series' annual visit to Newton Stewart and the forests in the Dumfries and Galloway Hills. With a potential 22 points up for grabs from the last two rounds, the race for the Evolution Challenge title and the top prize of a works Mitsubishi UK drive in the 2006 British Rally Championship is still well and truly on for the four leading drivers.

Ryan Champion goes to the event six points ahead of three times winner this year Stuart Jones. Phillip Morrow is just one point behind Jones, with Nik Elsmore another six points back.

With the series regulations allowing one dropped score from the season's eight rounds and each of the four title contenders having no-scored on at least one event, all are still mathematically in with a shout of overall honours.

Consequently they have a dilemma: Do they battle for position, or drive with caution, as a non-finish in this or the final round will hand an immediate advantage to a rival. It would only take a mechanical problem or a slight error to make the difference between being a works driver in 2006 - or not!

With only the four drivers able to take the Evolution Challenge crown, many of the 30 registered series competitors have chosen to sit this event out, the stages in this part of Scotland being notoriously challenging, whilst others are preparing for the Wales Rally GB just a week later. Therefore, just six Evo Challenge crews are making the trip to South West Scotland, a figure which represents 23% of the overall National A field.

Tim Pearcy and Noel Kelly add their names to the list of Mitsubishi entries, fulfilling their intentions at the start of the year to contest a full season in the Evolution Challenge. Their visit to the Park Systems Stages will do their series standings no harm at all, as Pearcey currently lies 8th and Kelly 9th and a finish on this event will see them claim a top six position.

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05/09/05
ANCRO Preview: JOHNSON FROM BIRD BY A POINT...
The battle for the 2005 MSA National Gravel Rally Championship goes into the penultimate round next Saturday (10th September) with just a single point separating the top two drivers meaning round six of the series will be one of the most dramatic of the season.

Newly crowned Scottish champion Barry Johnson (Shildon) knows the stages well around Castle Douglas which comprise the annual Park Systems Stages National Rally and he lies a single point ahead of main rival Paul Bird (Penrith) following victory on the previous round in Wales whilst runner up on the Swansea Bay Rally, Roger Duckworth (Towcester), is still in with a shot of the title.

Class A8 leader Bird had led the overall series all season long in the Stobart Motorsport Ford Focus WRC that he shares with co driver Ian Windress and despite scoring consistently in every round, has not won a rally all season. Johnson, who leads Class B13, and co driver Stewart Merry, took victory on the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally in their Barrier Surveillance Subaru WRC, as well as on the Swansea Bay event, and they too have scored in all rounds to date.

However, with championship regulations stating that crews have to drop their worst score, meaning Johnson’s advantage increases to three points on nett scores, lurking menacingly in the shadows is Duckworth and co driver Mark Broomfield in their Autosportif Subaru WRC, just three points adrift of Bird.

Still in with a mathematical chance of the title is 2004 ANCRO champion Steve Perez (Clay Cross) and co driver Neil Dashfield in their VK Ford Focus WRC and after successive rostrum finishes following an inauspicious start to the season, they are not to be ruled out and neither too is another former winner, Marcus Dodd who will be driving the Flitewise Hyundai Accent WRC along with co driver Andrew Bargery.

With regular ANCRO runners Mark Perrott, Andy Burton, Craig Middleton and Brendan Crealey not entered in the rally; other registered contenders who could spring a surprise in the Scottish forests include Steve Petch/John Richardson (SGP Hyundai Accent WRC), Malcolm Proudlock/Steven Clark (Zilog Subaru Impreza WRC) and Group N runners Stevie Petch and Mike Wilkinson (Subaru Impreza).

There’s all still to play for in the supporting classes with North Yorkshireman Ryan Champion extending his lead in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge and Bicester driver Jonnie Wigmore doing likewise in the Peugeot 206 Super Cup standings as well as class honours in A6.

Other selected class leaders include Stuart Jones (Welshpool) in the Production Cup, Class ‘N4’ and National Junior Driver whilst Ian Windress (National and A8 ) Robbie Durant (A6 and Junior) and Craig Thorley (Production Cup, Mitsubishi and N4) are well to the fore in the respective co drivers’ classes. Anne Watson (Pollington) leads the National Lady Co Drivers Cup.

M-Sport Ford lead the Group ‘A’ Manufacturers championship ahead of Hyundai, Prodrive – Subaru and Mitsubishi, whilst Mitsubishi lead the Group ‘N’ standings and Jonnie Wigmore leads the Innovation Motorsports ‘Late Challenge Cup’ with a maximum score.

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29/08/05
List of Entries to date on

Park System Stages

050106/112818

• 2005 ANCRO MSA National Rally Championship
• 2005 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge
• 2005 206 Super Cup