Scottish driver Bogie wins Malcolm Wilson Rally
Posted: March 20, 2008 1:33 PM
Dumfries driver David Bogie claimed his first victory on the Malcolm Wilson Rally as he won the Cumbria-based event on Saturday (1 March).
Bogie and Hawick co-driver Kevin Rae finished 35 seconds ahead of the Subaru Impreza WRC of three-times rally winner Paul Bird, from Langwathby, and Kirkby Stephen co-driver Andy Richardson in their Toyota Corolla WRC.
Isle of Wight driver Will Nicholls and co-driver Nick Broom came home third in their Subaru Impreza WRC followed by the Ford Focus WRC of Ruthin’s Hugh Hunter and Andy Marchbank in fourth.
The Group N category was won by Bentham duo Dave Wright and Shelley Rogerson in their Mitsubishi Evo 9 as they finished an impressive fifth overall.
It was the 33rd running of the event, sponsored by the Dovenby-based boss of M-Sport, and again it was a success as it took in 43-miles of forest gravel action in classic stages including Greystoke, Grizedale and Wythop with the start and finish taking place in Cockermouth town centre.
The Malcolm Wilson Rally was round one of the Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK, which was won by Peterhead’s Steve Brown and Ian Morrison, and the second round of the BTRDA (British Trial and Rally Drivers Association) Rally Series. Nicholls and Broom claimed maximum points in the BTRDA championship in their Impreza WRC.
It was also a qualifying round of the MSA English Rally Championship, the ANECCC Stage Rally Championship and the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship and 113 crews started the event, with 75 making it to the finish.
The 1400 rally was won by Richmond brothers Mark and Andrew Constantine in their 1400cc Vauxhall Corsa ahead of the Vauxhall Nova of Justin Lawson and Paul Hargreaves.
Full Results
Posted: March 2, 2008 8:39 PM
PRE EVENT NEWS
- HECTIC WEEKEND IN STORE FOR BIRDY
- Fiesta SportingTrophy UK has the ‘green light’ for 2008
- Entry List Available
- Regulations available
28/02/08
HECTIC WEEKEND IN STORE FOR BIRDY
Hot on the heels of his teams points scoring results last weekend in the 2008 World Superbike Championship in Qatar, Vent Axia VK Honda team owner Paul Bird has another busy weekend planned.
Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla left the Losail Circuit with a 13th and 14th place finish to show for his efforts despite some minor problems and he and the rest of the team are bound for Australia where the Phillip Island circuit hosts the next two rounds on Sunday (March 2nd)
But team boss Bird isnt making the trip Down Under as after taking a couple of days off in Dubai, he is returning back home to Penrith in order to contest the Malcolm Wilson Rally in his native Cumbria on Saturday (1st March).
Birdy has won the event three times in the past (2004, 2006 & 2007) and is aiming to make it a record-equalling four victories which is held by Bill Dobie going back 25 years.
The Subaru WRC that hell be using, which will be unveiled at the start of the event, has been re-branded in the new teams corporate colours of red and black with backing from Vent Axia and VKs new energy drink, Kick
26/02/08
Fiesta SportingTrophy UK has the ‘green light’ for 2008
The third year of the Fiesta SportingTrophy (FST) UK kicks off on 1 March 2008 with
the Malcolm Wilson Rally based in Cockermouth, Cumbria, at the headquarters of M&
Sport in the heart of the English Lakes District.
Registered competitors will tackle 45 stage miles in the classic forests of Hobcarton,
Comb, Wythop, Greystoke and Grisedale. With several competitors returning as well as
many new registrations it looks as though it will be another exciting and closely fought
series.
The championship is once again supported by Chesterfield)based Global Brands
Limited through the ‘Vodka Kick’ brand. 2008 also sees the introduction of two new
important sponsors. The Malcolm Wilson Rally will be the first test for the new technical
partner, Pirelli, who will supply the ‘control’ tyre for the series. Pirelli are strong
supporters of motorsport in the UK and this will be the first event of a long)term
agreement that sees a number of benefits to FST competitors. The second change is
the incorporation of environmentally friendly bioethanol E85 as the control fuel for the
series. The fuel, supplied by series supporter Greenergy, improves the car’s
performance as well as offering a reduction in CO2.
2007 saw a close battle for the overall series win with Jonathan Greer from Northern
Ireland eventually taking the title. With the drivers returning to the series for a second or
even a third year, as well as new drivers coming to the series for the first time, there are
so many talented drivers in the championship that the winner for the first round is
almost impossible to predict.
Among the series contenders is returnee Alastair Fisher from Enniskillen, Northern
Ireland. Fisher (19) finished second in the 2007 series and he will use the same car he
rallied with such success in the 2007 FST series in Ireland. Fisher’s pace in the UK
series last year improved all season and he will be looking to go one step better in
2008.
Elfyn Evans (19) from Machynlleth, Mid)Wales, returns for a second year in the
championship. With new team GEMsport overseen by his father, former Ford factory
driver Gwyndaf Evans, Elfyn is expected to perform well in search of his first FST UK
victory. Elfyn also has a new team)mate in the form of Meilyr Evans, the two)car team
is expected to be a real championship contender.
Northern Irish driver Liam Regan (20) from Belfast, returns to mount an attack on the
series with a brand new car. Regan finished a solid fifth overall in 2007 and is expected
to improve on this in 2008. Co)driving for Regan will be the experienced Neil Dashfield
who is a former co)driver to championship sponsor Steve Perez (VK).
James Everard (22) from Hull is another driver returning to the series. Everard has been
working hard over the closed season with tuition from top rally drivers hoping that this
will give him the speed he needs to take his first overall win in the series and improve on
his sixth place from 2007. He also has a new co)driver in the form of Sam Collis.
Two returning competitors making the trip across the water from Ireland are Barry
Greer (20) from Carryduff and Kyle Orr (18) from Dromore. Greer is the brother of last
year’s winner Jonathan and is tackling the whole of the UK series and attempting to
keep the title in the family. Orr also returns for the whole series and looks to complete
all events after an unfortunate accident in Ireland in 2007 meant that the UK series
could not be completed past round two.
2008 also sees a group of new drivers joining the series including Steven Brown and
Kris Hall. Both these drivers have stepped into the series as members of the MSA
British Rally Academy and will use the FST UK to enhance their training and
development alongside the MSA British Rally Scheme.
Prior to the first round registered contenders will be able to take part in a pre)season
test/training event organised for the FST crews. Drivers will get a chance to test their
cars at the M)Sport Greystoke test facility on Thursday before the event and then on
Friday undertake a series of physical tuition, sports psychology with Hugh Richards from
the Edinburgh University Sports Science Department and co)driver training from Glenn
Patterson – a tutor with the MSA British Rally Academy and former J)WRC co)driver.
All registered crews will be competing for a prize fund of £17,550 over the course of the
year, with the winner on each round taking home £750, decreasing to £75 for eighth
position – a total of £2,925 on each round of the series.
At the end of the season the winner will choose between a Ford Fiesta road car or an
M)Sport funded drive on the FIA World Rally Championship event, Wales Rally GB 2008.
In addition one ‘wildcard’ from the series will also be given the opportunity to follow in
the footsteps of last year’s winner, Adam Gould, by competing head)to)head with
competitors from all over the world at the FST International Shootout, for an opportunity
to win a year’s contract with the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.
Andrew Wheatley, Business Manager, M"Sport said:
“There have been a number of small tweaks to the programme during the off)season
which we hope will have reduced the costs for competitors and increased the overall
competitiveness of the series. The incorporation of the new Greenergy E85 bioethanol
fuel is a positive step for motorsport as a whole and the change to Pirelli tyres has given
us as the series promoters some great opportunities going forward. The enthusiastic
support of Steve Perez through the VK brand is also going to really benefit competitors
going forward into the new season. We are really excited to see that the championship
will once again be fiercely competitive with rallies fought over seconds – exactly the
type of situation that we envisaged when the series started in 2006.”
Entry list on event website: