Posted: February 1, 2014 11:45 PM - 7710 Hits
Round 2 - 2013 RAC Rally Championship
Round 2 - 2013 Welsh Forest Rally Championship
Round 1 - 2013 British Historic Rally Championship
Posted: February 1, 2014 11:10 PM
The 2013 rally season is still young, but Kumho is already making its mark on the UK championships. For example, Alex Allingham’s ex-Prodrive Subaru Impreza N10 that took outright honours on March 3’s Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages event, did so courtesy of Kumho gravel tyres.
The rally was the first occasion on which Stalybridge-based Allingham and his co-driver Chris Williams had competed together, and their priorities were to finish the event and get used to operating alongside each other – actually winning the four-stage rally had therefore never entered their heads, never mind by so substantial a margin as 58.9 seconds. During his victory speech Allingham said: “I’d like to thank Kumho for supplying tyres that have worked brilliantly in the cool and dry conditions we’ve faced today.”
Having won what was the second round of the Pirelli MSA Welsh National Rally Championship, the new team are now readying themselves to tackle the next qualifying event, Rally North Wales, which takes place in and around Welshpool over the weekend of April 5/6.
Historic runners also succeed on Kumho products
The March 3 event served as the first round of the West Wales Spares RAC Rally Championship for historic cars too, in which Kumho runners again enjoyed success. Most notable was the MKII Escort pairing of Marty McCormack and Phil Clarke, who had proved their competitiveness as recently as last November by winning the Roger Albert Clark Rally outright. On this occasion they eventually had to give best to the similarly mounted duo of Nick Elliott and Dave Price, but only after a battle royale that persisted throughout all five stages.
Yet another crew making the most of their Kumho tyres were the young Welsh ace Dylan Davies and his co-driver Llion Williams, who guided their MKI Escort home to a fine class victory.
Commenting on the impressive results, Kumho’s European Motorsport Manager Steve Thompson said:
“There’s no guarantee that the success of one season will carry into the next, so it’s always rewarding to see our tyres chalking up some early wins. It’s also good to welcome some new talent to the Kumho fold. I look forward to what we hope will be another great year of motorsport for our brand.”
Posted: February 1, 2014 11:05 PM
The 2013 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship got off to a tremendous start with an exciting ‘youth versus experience’ battle at the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages. The result, ultimately, was decided in favour of youth as Gareth James and Steffan Evans hard-charged their Ford Escort Mk2 RS 1800 to victory in the rally overall, also scoring maximum BHRC points by winning Category Three (1975-81 cars). The Welsh youngsters inherited the lead on the third of the day’s five stages to beat three-times BHRC winners David Stokes / Guy Weaver’s Escort Mk1 RS 1600 by 28.3 seconds, with Shawn Rayner / Declan Dear’s Escort Mk2 30 seconds further back in third.
The pre-season promise of a widely varied field of cars locked in close combat for the championship exceeded expectations as, with the forest tracks of mid Wales in top condition, BHRC crews took full advantage of running ahead of the modern cars to set some blistering times through the opening stages, Pikes Peak and Myherin. Richard Hill / Pat Cooper took an early lead, powering their Escort Mk1 RS 1600 through the fast, sweeping forest tracks to open an eight second gap over Stokes / Weaver. Despite running with a broken starter motor and a sticking throttle, Stokes drove hard to hold off James by five seconds.
When Hill’s day ended prematurely due to a split oil cooler Stokes, now with a healthy lead in Category Two (1968-75 cars), adjusted his speed to ensure finishing with maximum championship points, surrendering the overall rally lead to James in the process. Rayner, now safe in third overall, also steadied his pace slightly to the end.
In Category Three, James claimed maximum BHRC points ahead of Rayner, with father-and-son team, Ernie and Will Graham third in their Escort RS Mk2. Graham started the day slowly but got noticeably quicker as the day progressed, setting second overall fastest time on stages three and four. Stephen Richards’s first outing for 15 months was rewarded with a mechanically trouble-free run to fourth in Category, also taking second in class D3. But his co-driver, Scott Smith gave a plucky performance, doggedly navigating their Escort RS 2000 despite repeated bouts of car-sickness.
Stokes won the 1968-75 Category Two, beating Peter McDowell / Derek Davies’s Porsche 911 RS by 3m 30s. In contrast to other competitors, McDowell found grip on the slippery parts of the stages and made up time with judicious use of fifth gear on the long straights and sweeping corners. Jeremy Wells / Ken Bowman (Escort RS 1600) finished third, surviving a heavy landing in Sweet Lamb that made the engine cut out. Fortunately it fired up again, but the effort broke their starter motor. Wayne Bonser / Richard Aston finished fourth and won the 2-litre class C3 in their Escort RS 2000, following a trouble-free run.
Unfortunately, two crews suffered the proverbial early bath; Ceiriog Hughes and Emyr Hall (Saab 96) caught and passed another competitor on stage two, but succumbed to mechanical problems on the next stage, while Nick Danks / Martin Corbett’s 1600cc Escort suffered a stage one spin, albeit with minimal time loss - “I was already in reverse as we swapped ends” – before disappearing from the time charts on stage three.
In the pre-1968 Category One, 2012 champions Rikki Proffitt / Phill Harrison staged a late fightback to overhaul early leaders Dessie Nutt / Geraldine McBride. The two Porsche 911 drivers swapped fastest times all day, before Proffitt stopped the clocks eight seconds faster on the final stage. Both drivers had their problems: Proffitt spun on stage one, while Nutt got away with a slow puncture on stage three. “There was only 10 psi left in the tyre at the finish,” he reported. Third-placed Graham Waite / Gill Cotton (Volvo Amazon) chased the leading pair hard, but admitted they were outpaced on the fast, open forest tracks. “It’s too dry for us to make any time on the Porsches, but I’ve got a bit of a sweat on due to driving so hard!” joked Waite.
Geoff Taylor / Steve Greenhill just seemed glad to finish fourth in their Sunbeam Imp Sport, having had a trying day fighting persistent intercom problems. “We’ve changed the batteries, checked the intercom unit and even tried plugging in a spare helmet; nothing’s working,” reported a frustrated Taylor. However, their persistence was rewarded with victory in class B1.
Paul Mankin and Desmond Bell’s day initially went awry on the opening stage when they slid off the track and got beached for six minutes. Now running down among the Category Two crews they nevertheless set a series of very competitive times – even after losing third gear in the closing miles - to bring their Cortina Mk1 home fifth. One place behind, Nigel and Henry Webster got their season off to a trouble-free start with a well-deserved second in B1 in their Singer Chamois.
Of the non-finishers, Callum Barney / Ron Channon reported having a good run through the opening loop before their Cortina Mk1 broke its diff on stage three, while Bob Gibbons and Neil Cook’s otherwise good day ended at second service with a broken engine mounting on their Cortina Mk2. Derek Boyd / Peter Scott (Porsche 911) made good progress on stage one but what Boyd called “some very strange engine noises” made them decide to retire soon after, to avoid further possible damage.
With a three-way tie for the championship lead, and with a new young crew set to challenge the series stalwarts, the next round of the Mintex MSA Historic series at the Rally North Wales on April 6th and 7th looks like being a cracker.
Posted: February 1, 2014 11:02 PM
Nick Elliott and Dave Price were the big winners on the opening round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship, yesterday’s Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages (Sunday 3 March).
The Cheltenham crew took victory by just 3.7s after a glorious battle of the Ford Escort Mk2s with Marty McCormack and Phil Clarke. “He’s too quick,” said Elliott of his rival after a battle that ebbed and flowed across five epic stages. Into third came Ryan Barrett to make it two drivers from Northern Ireland in the top three.
With records crowds of spectators packing into the stages and a real buzz around the opening event of the WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship season, it could not have been a better start to the championship. A fabulous atmosphere among the crews and fierce competition on some of the finest gravel stages in the country was a truly winning combination.
Elliott and McCormack went head-to-head for the first time and Elliott thought that an overshoot on SS2 Myherin had wrecked his day. But he battled back and took time from McCormack on the 16-mile Hafren stage. McCormack flew the final Pikes Peak stage and clawed the gap back to less than four seconds after a wonderful contest. However, victory went to Elliott both in overall terms and in the Rob Smith Rallying Series Three.
On a day when the pace was ferocious, Barrett and Barry Ferris had a great run on unfamiliar stages to take third as just 20 seconds covered the next five Escort Mk2s. In among them should have been Geoff Jones and Andrew Edwards, but a first stage puncture cost them a chance of rivalling Barrett for third. Instead, Tomas Davies/Eurig Davies, Jason Pritchard/Dale Furniss, Will Onions/Dave Williams and Kevin Davies/Eurig Davies packed out the top seven, with Pritchard going exceptionally well on his first rally in an Escort.
Fresh from contesting the previous day’s Malcolm Wilson Rally in their Ford Escort, Peter Smith and Patrick Walsh won class D3 in their Opel Kadett. “It was all good until the last stage when we lost the rear brakes,” said Smith. However, they had been chasing the Escort Mk2 of Guy Woodcock/Cliffy Simmons until cam belt failure ended Woodcock’s rally on the penultimate stage. Lynden Jones and Bryan Glass won class D2 in their Talbot Sunbeam Ti.
In the Capital Construction Series Two, Chris Browne and Ali Cornwell-Browne drove a mighty rally to take the spoils. “I’ve been smiling all day,” said Browne as they finished clear of class C3 winners Iwan and Aled Rees in their Escort Mk1. However, the Welsh crew had to push hard to stay ahead of class rivals Dick Slaughter and Geoff Dearing, with only five seconds in at the finish.
Robin Shuttleworth and Ron Roughead had a trying day on the way to taking class C2 in their Escort Mk1. Starter motor failure forced them to keep the car running or bump start it through the day and a spin or overshoot could have ended their rally.
The new Holton Homes-backed ‘pre ’87 Series Five fell to the BMW 325 of Simon Wallis/Graham Wride, who reported a trouble free run on fantastic stages, while Nev Jones and Chris Davies bagged the Martin Jones Transmissions Series Four for FIA Appendix K cars. In Series Seven, for other pre ’87 cars, Dylan Davies and Llion Williams came home in front their Escort Mk1, though Mark Spencer and Steve Pugh chased hard in their Mk2 and could have been even closer had they found more suitable rubber for the early stages.
“The car was as good as gold and the driver was average,” said Alfa Romeo Junior driver John Everard after taking victory in the Walker Diecastings Series One. Their main rivals were Chris and Jo Tooze in their Singer Chamois, but an electrical gremlin stopped the engine four times in Hafren and they collected a maximum. However, Tooze was more than pleased with his first event in the car. “That’s one of the best days on gravel I’ve ever had,” he said.
Posted: March 1, 2013 11:24 AM
A truly sensational entry of over 60 cars has been assembled for the opening round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship, the Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages (Sunday 3 March), with the field headed by Jimmy McRae, Nick Elliott, Marty McCormack and Geoff Jones.
The Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club has developed the championship, which focuses on historic rally cars complying with MSA historic regulations. But, significantly, it is also opening up the chance for the next generation of cars to join the historic fraternity.
The championship will run over seven one-day gravel rallies in England, Scotland and Wales. The championship caters for cars from MSA historic Categories One, Two and Three as well as cars prepared to FIA Appendix K. Additional classes accommodate cars built up to the end of 1986 as well as other pre ’87 cars that do not fully comply with historic regulations.
Colin Heppenstall, the man behind the Roger Albert Clark Rally, is the driving force for the new series but says that it is competitor demand that has been the catalyst for this new development.
“Competitors, many of them members of the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club, came to us and asked us to put a championship together,” said Heppenstall. “We consulted with a range of interested parties and have had excellent support from the MSA. Cars in Categories One, Two and Three will run in full accordance with the current MSA historic regulations.”
More than 60 crews will line up in Newtown for the first of seven rallies and the quality of historic entry is being described as the best ever seen for a British championship event. The final count shows over 35 BDA/BDG engined Escorts in a field that also includes cars from Lancia, BMW, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, VW, Singer, Opel and Talbot.
Heading the field will be reigning BHRC Category 3 champions Nick Elliott and Dave Price in their Ford Escort Mk2. They have a fine record on this event and will be the championship benchmark. However, the vast experience of the legendary Jimmy McRae, partnered by Pauline Gullick in the JLT-backed Escort will be another major factor and the five-time British Rally Champion is a fabulous addition to the championship entry. However, the arrival of Marty McCormack and Phil Clarke on the entry list has added even more spice: they took a famous win on the Roger Albert Clark Rally last November and will fly on the glorious Welsh stages.
In a stunning field, quick Series 3 Escort Mk2s pack out the top 20 in the hands of drivers like Kevin Davies, Will Onions, Tim Pearcey, Thomas Davies, Ryan Barrett, Rob Smith, Andrew Haddon, Warren Philliskirk, Will Nicholls, Matthew Robinson, Phil Squires, Grant Shand and Alan Walker.
New to the historic arena for the event will be Jason Pritchard in a Viking Motorsport Escort Mk2, while Matt Edwards has worked tirelessly over the winter to get his Escort Mk2 ready after a first stage retirement on the Roger Albert Clark Rally. Variety in Series 3 is provided by the Sunbeam Lotus of Guy Anderson, while the presence of Welsh ace Geoff Jones in the ex-factory Vauxhall Chevette of Baz Jordan could give the Escort pack a real scare.
Guy Woodcock heads the Pinto-powered Escorts Mk2s in Series 3, with opposition from young Ben Mellors and Paul Fry. In the 1600 class is the Sunbeam Talbot of Lynden Jones. More Escort Mk2s will contest Series 4 for cars running to FIA Appendix K regulations, including the car of Neville Jones.
Among the Escort Mk1s at the head of Series 2 are the cars of Chris Browne, Craig Salter, Ian Rix and Roger Matthews, while the Pinto-powered cars include Dick Slaughter, Tim Jones, David Kirby and Nick Jarvis who will go up against the Opel Kadett of Peter Smith. The Series 4 Lancia Stratos of Steve Perez is another star car and will come to Newtown fresh from contesting the Boucles de Spa in Belgium two weeks ago. From the 1600cc ranks come the rapid Escort Mk1s of Matt Fowle and Robin Shuttleworth.
At the very front of the rally will be the pre ’67 cars in Series 1, with Pete Gunson’s Lotus Cortina going up against the Singer Chamois of husband and wife crew Chris and Jo Tooze and the lovely Alfa Romeo of John Everard.
A major feature of the new championship are the classes for other pre ’87 cars and Series 5 is set to grow in popularity as the season develops. Simon Wallis/Graham Wride (BMW 325) and Adrian Kermode/Maurice Beckett (VW Golf) lead the way in Series 5, while Series 7 caters for all pre ’87 cars regardless of specification and includes the Ford Escort of Mark Spencer, who is co-driven by Aberystwyth rallying guru Steve Pugh.
It is a fantastic entry for the opening round of a championship that is only going to grow in stature and popularity over the rest of 2013 and beyond.
Posted: March 1, 2013 10:48 AM
And so, at last, the waiting is over: after a long winter of preparation by organisers
and competitors alike, the talking has to stop and the competition to be crowned the
2013 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Champion begins. The traditional season
opener, the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages, is upon us and before a
wheel has even been turned in anger, the new-look series is shaping up to be one of
the most varied and competitive championships for years.
The field of cars that will assemble in the centre of Newtown, Powys on Sunday
March 3rd to contest the five-stage, 55-mile route through Myherin, Hafren and Sweet
Lamb has more variety than has been seen for many seasons. Ford Cortina Mk1s,
Mk2s and Volvo Amazons will rub shoulders with a gaggle of Porsche 911s, plus a
Singer Chamois and Sunbeam Imp, all ready to contest Category One, for pre-1968
cars.
Close behind, the 1968-75 Category Two contenders are a fascinating mix of Escort
Mk1s, with a very competitive Porsche 911 hoping to take honours away from the
blue oval marque. Add numerous immaculately prepared Ford Escort Mk2s all set
to do battle in the 1975-81 Category Three and you have the ideal formula for a hotly
contested opening round.
The much-mentioned expression ‘new look’ may seem at odds with a championship
that caters specifically for historic rally cars. But the new organising team has
developed a new, more compact eight-round series that is proving extremely popular
with competitors who want good old-fashioned value for money and hard-fought
competition in a friendly spirit. Importantly, the series has attracted a major new
headline sponsor; Mintex. The iconic brake friction material manufacturer has
pledged support for 2013 and beyond, allowing championship organisers to plan even
greater things for future seasons. Along with valued support from other backers –
CES UK Ltd., Sherwood Engines, Questmead, Revolution Wheels, West Wales Rally
Spares, Martin Jones Transmissions, REIS, Brian James Trailers Ltd. and Tuthill
Porsche – the BHRC has an unprecedented level of sponsorship and is determined to
repay the trust that these companies have put into the series. And these sponsors are
certain to become known to millions of viewers due to Special Stage Rally Review’s
TV coverage of the championship. Transmission of the opening round’s action will be
on 22nd March at 10 p.m. on Motors TV.
For the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages, the heady combination of Myherin and
Hafren’s fast, open stages and Sweet Lamb’s tight, twisty tracks have attracted both
championship stalwarts and newcomers alike. In Category One, Dessie Nutt and
co-driver Geraldine McBride, the 2003 and 2007 British Historic champions, bring
their Porsche 911 out once more to combat perennial rivals Rikki Proffitt / Phill
Harrison, also 911 mounted. Last season’s ‘Mr. Consistency’ Derek Boyd –who
finished every rally he contested – returns to the fray in his 911, with Peter Scott
alongside. The classic Ford Cortina Mk1s are represented by Callum Barney / Ron
Channon, and Paul Mankin / Desmond Bell, while former BHRC front runner Bob
Gibons returns with a new Cortina Mk2 and a new co-driver, Neil Cook. Meanwhile
the Volvo Amazons, always entertaining with their often-wayward handling, are
crewed by Graham Waite / Gill Cotton, with newcomer Ken Davies also registered
for the HRCR ‘old Stager’ Clubman’s Challenge to gain the extra signature needed
to upgrade his licence. Davies will be co-driven by long-time friend, Alan Jones.
Also, there are two Hillman Imps - or, rather, its Singer and Sunbeam derivatives.
The iconic little car celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2013, and Geoff Taylor / Steve
Greenhill (Sunbeam Imp Sport) will have Nigel and Henry Webster’s Singer Chamois
breathing down their necks in the battle for class B1 (up-to 1000cc). They, and other
Imp crews joining the series later in the year, have their own dedicated trophy to fight
for at season’s end – the Imp 50 Cup.
Category Two sees legendary British Historic championship driver David Stokes,
co-driven by Guy Weaver, return to try and take his fourth title. His Escort Mk1 has
undergone a complete ground-up winter renovation ready to take on main challenger
Richard Hill. The former Mitsubishi Lancer Evo driver showed impressive pace in the
2012 BHRC and is back with regular co-driver Pat Cooper. But do not rule out series
regulars Wayne Bonser / Richard Aston, Jeremy Wells / Ken Bowman, Nick Danks
/ Martin Corbett (all Escorts) or Peter McDowell / Derek Davies (Porsche 911) who
will be waiting to pounce if the leading two falter.
Category Three invariably proves popular with spectators as it is dominated by very
fast, very sideways (!) Ford Escort Mk2s. Look out particularly for the beautifully
prepared example crewed by Shawn Rayner / Declan Dear and the similar car of
former European Historic Champion Ernie Graham, co-driven by his son, Will.
As ever, BHRC crews will run ahead of the modern cars, ensuring they have
the added advantage of competing while the stage surface is in the best possible
condition. And all BHRC-registered cars are built to comply with the MSA’s tried
and tested Historic Regulations, ensuring that they use ‘in period’ parts, i.e. fitted
to that type of car when originally rallied. Check in the cabin or under the bonnet of
any BHRC-registered machine and you will not find any computerised dashboards or
sequential gearboxes. Instead, expect to see ‘proper’ speedometers and rev counters,
together with four- and five-speed gearboxes with a floor-mounted gearlever.
All in all, the new-look 2013 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship is
shaping up to be one of the best ever. And it starts right here, right now, at the Rally
Marketing Mid Wales Stages.
Posted: February 25, 2013 4:32 PM
No Driver/Co-Driver (Make Model) [Class]
Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages (45) 2013
1 Bob Ceen/Andy Bull (Subaru Impreza WRC) [E5]
2 Alex Allingham/Chris Williams (Subaru Impreza N10) [E5]
3 Luke Francis/John H Roberts (Mitsubishi Evo 9) [E5]
4 Wug Utting/Max Utting (Subaru Impreza N12b) [E5]
5 Sara Williams/TBA (Subaru Imprezza) [E5]
6 Kevin Rowledge/Andrew Bargery (Subura WRC S10) [E5]
7 Keith Parry/Eryl Evans (Subaru Imprexa) [E5]
8 Paul Davy/Roger Allan (Subaru Impreza) [E5]
9 Nigel Seabold/Tim Barton (Subaru Impreza B13) [E5]
10 Rory Hall/Will Rogers (Subaru Impreza) [E5]
11 Richard Ceen/Sarah Ceen (Ford Focus) [E5]
12 Richard Edwards/Gareth Edwards (Ford Escort Mk2) [E4]
14 Daniel Lwni Jones/Gerwyn Barry (Ford Escort) [E4]
15 Len Jones/Donlad James (Ford Escort Mk2) [E3]
16 Meirion Evans/Iwan Jones (Ford Escort MK2) [E4]
17 Andy Williams/Wynn Davies (Subaru Impreza) [E5]
18 Roger Platt/Sherryn Roberts (Subaru Impreza) [E5]
19 Spencer Wilkinson/Jamie Edwards (Subaru Impreza STi N15) [E5]
20 David Jones/Glyn Price (BMW E30) [E4]
21 Colin Webb/Matt Rogers (BMW 325) [E4]
22 Layton Waters/Kevin Bowcott (Toyota Starlet) [E3]
23 Paul James Hall/Chris Dewsnap (Ford Escort Mk3) [E4]
24 Tim Cains/Richard May (peugeot 309) [E3]
25 Gareth 'Gog' Jones/Peter James (Ford Escort MK6) [E3]
26 Meirion Evans/Arwel Jenkins (Ford Fiesta ST) [E3]
27 Harry Pugh/Siobhan Pugh (Talbot Sunbeam) [E4]
28 Jason Morgan/Sarah Jones (Subaru Impreza) [E5]
29 Gareth Edwards/Caron Tomlinson (Ford Escort mk2) [E3]
30 Jon Madoc-Jones/Peter Williams (Vauxhall Corsa) [E1]
31 James Watkins/Richard Suter (Nissan Micra) [E1]
32 Martin Jones/Richard Christensen (Vauxhall Corsa) [E1]
33 Huw Jones/Darren Williams (Peugeot 206xsi) [E2]
34 Gwyn Jones/Rob Leeman (Seat Ibiza) [E3]
35 James 'Jimmy' Nicholas/Tim Hobbs (Vauxhall Corsa) [E1]
36 Dai Lloyd/Simon Anthony (Peugeot 205gti) [E3]
37 Peter Zjalic/William Davies (Subaru Impreza WRX) [E5]
38 Carl Lumb/Andy Darlington (Ford Sierra) [E3]
39 Richard Lewis/Jonny 'Tad' Evans (MG ZR) [E1]
40 Medwyn Jones/Ian Jones (Talbot Sunbeam) [E2]
41 Simon John Rogers/Tristan Rogers (Peugeot 106) [E1]
42 John Jones/Laura Unett (Peugeot 205) [E3]
206 Clive King./Bob Ward. (Austin. Mini Cooper S.) [E1]
207 Gwilym Roberts/Debby Myers (Ford Lotus Cortina Mk1) [E2]
209 Eric Davis/Russell Joseph (Mini Clubman) [E1]
210 Andrew O'Hanlon/James Crook (Austin Mini) [E1]
211 Nigel Dutson/Finlay Mackintosh (Austin Mini Clubman 1275 GT) [E1]
Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Stages (55) 2013
101 Nick Elliott/Dave Price (Ford Escort Mk2) [RD5]
102 Martin McCormack/Phil Clarke (Ford Escort) [RD5]
103 Kevin Davies/TBA (Ford Escort) [RD5]
104 Geoff Jones/Andrew Edwards (Vauxhall Chevet) [RD5]
105 Tomas Davies/Eurig Davies (Ford Escort) [RD5]
106 Will Onions/Dave Williams (Ford Escort RS) [RD5]
107 Rob Smith/Alun Cook (Ford Escort MkII) [RD5]
108 Matthew Robinson/Nigel Hutchinson (Ford Escort Mk2) [RD5]
109 Ryan Barrett/Barry Ferris (Ford Escort) [RD5]
110 Alan Walker/Andrew Sankey (Ford Escort RS) [RD5]
111 Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks (Ford Escort RS1800) [RD5]
112 Paul Griffiths/Shaun O'Gorman (Ford Escort RS1800) [RD3]
113 Jason Tauber Pritchard/Dale Furniss (Ford Escort RS 1800) [RD5]
114 Jimmy McRae/Pauline Gullick (Ford Escort) [RB1]
115 Andrew Haddon/Mark Crisp (Ford Escort rs1800) [RD5]
116 Matt Edwards/Sam Collis (Ford Escort RS1800) [RD5]
117 Warren Philliskirk/Paul Wakely (Ford Escort) [RD5]
118 Will Nicholls/Nick Broom (Ford Escort RS) [RD5]
119 Dylan Davies/Llion Williams (Ford Escort Mk1) [RC3]
120 Tim Freeman/Den Golding (TBA ) [RD5]
121 James Potter/Bob Duck (Ford Escort) [RD5]
122 Simon Webster/Pete Cotton (Ford Escort Mk 2) [RD5]
123 Will Rowlands/Rich Jones (Ford Escort MK2 RS) [RD5]
124 Grant Shand/Simon Buckles (Ford Escort Rs) [RD5]
125 Steve Perez/Paul Spooner (Lancia Stratos) [RS4]
126 Guy Woodcock/Cliffy Simmons (Ford Escort) [RD3]
127 Guy Anderson/Kim Baker (Talbot Sunbeam Lotus) [RD4]
128 Richard Lane/Frank Richer (Ford Escort) [RD5]
129 Phil Squires/Mick Squires (TBA ) [RD5]
130 Peter Smith/Patrick Walsh (Opel Kadett) [RC3]
131 Mark Spencer/Steve Pugh (Ford Escort Mk 2) [RS7]
132 Chris Browne/Ali Cornwell-Browne (Ford Escort) [RC5]
133 Rob Dennis/Andrew Boswell (Ford Escort) [RD5]
134 Jonathan Brace/Tim 'The Sump' Samuel (Ford Escort) [RD5]
135 Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing (Ford Escort RS 2000 Mk I) [RC3]
137 Adrian Kermode/Maurice Beckett (V W GOLF 16 V) [RS5]
138 Adrian Young/Gwynfor Jones (Ford escort RS2000MK2) [RD3]
139 Mark Holmes/Tony Lindsay (Ford Escort) [RC3]
140 Ben Mellors/Alex Lee (Ford Escort) [RD3]
141 Ian Rix/Lee Carter (Ford RS1600) [RC5]
142 Craig Salter/Preston Ayres (Ford Escort RS 1600) [RC5]
143 Jerry Bailey/Graham Lacey (Ford Escort RS1800) [RD5]
144 Nev Jones/Chris Davies (Ford Escort Mk2) [RS4]
145 Simon Wallis/Graham Wride (BMW 325i) [RS5]
146 Tom Coughtrie/Calvin Cooledge (Ford Escort RS 1800) [RD4]
147 Nick Jarvis/Alan Carfrae (Ford Escort Mk1) [RD5]
148 Paul Fry/Mike Steele (Ford Escort MK2) [RD3]
150 Peter Egerton/Gareth Lloyd (Ford Escort) [RD5]
151 Iwan Rees/Aled Rees (Ford Escort) [RC3]
152 Rob Weir/Ben Giles (Ford Escort MK2) [RD5]
153 Matthew Fowl/Tom Hughes (Ford Escort Mexico) [RC2]
154 Aziz Tejpar/Alister Crook (Ford Escort Mk2) [RD5]
155 Robin Shuttleworth/Ron Roughead (Ford Escort mk1 Mexico) [RB1]
156 David Kirby/Chris Rixon (Ford Escort) [RC3]
157 Martin Pendlebury/Dafydd Gwynedd (Ford Mk1 Escort) [RC2]
158 Lynden Jones/Bryan Glass (Talbot Sunbeam Ti) [RD2]
159 James Ford/Steve Hartley (Citreon C2R2 max) [RX]
160 Jonathan Jones/Jack walby (Ford Fiesta ST ST) [RX]
213 Pete Gunson/Jonny Haynes (Ford Cortina) [RB4]
214 John Everard/Mark Sharpley (Alfa Romeo Junior Gt) [RB4]
215 Chris Tooze/Jo Tooze (Singer Chamois) [RB1]
Rally Marketing Mid-Wales Historic Stages 2013
149 Terry Cree/Richard Shores (BMW 2002 TII) [C3]
201 Rikki Proffitt/Phill Harrison (Porsche 911) [B5]
202 Graham Waite/Gill Cotton (Volvo Amazon) [B4]
203 Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell (Ford Lotus Cortina) [B4]
204 Dessie Nutt/Geraldine Mcbride (Porsche 911) [B5]
205 Bob Gibbons/Neil Cook (Ford Cortina) [B3]
208 Derek Boyd/Peter Scott (Porsche 911) [B5]
212 Ken Davies/Alan Jones (Volvo Amazon 122S) [B4]
216 Wynne Jones/Ray Evans (Ford Cortina GT) [B3]
217 Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill (Sunbeam Imp Sport) [B1]
218 Callum Barney/Ron Channon (Ford Cortina GT) [B3]
219 Nigel Webster/Henry Webster (Singer Chamois) [B1]
301 David Stokes/Guy Weaver (Ford Escort RS1600) [C5]
302 Terry Brown/Tomos Whittle (Ford Escort rs 1800) [RD5]
303 Richard Hill/Pat Cooper (Ford Escort RS) [C5]
304 Ernie Graham/Will Graham (Ford Escort RS) [D5]
305 Shawn Rayner/Declan Dear (Ford Escort MkII) [D3]
306 Roger Matthews/Paul Morris (Ford Escort) [RC5]
307 Gareth James/Steffan Evans (Ford Escort Rs 1800) [D5]
308 Simon Tysoe/Mark Lewis (Ford Escort Rs1600) [C5]
309 David Lloyd Roberts/Dei Jones (Ford Escort mk2) [D3]
310 Arwel Lloyd Jones/JA 'Harold' Jones (Ford Escort Mk2) [D5]
311 Stephen Richards/TBA (Ford Escort Mk 2 Rs2000) [D3]
312 Wayne Bonser/Rich Aston (Ford Escort RS2000) [C3]
313 Peter McDowell/Derek Davies (Porsche 911) [C4]
314 Jeremy Wells/Ken Bowman (Ford Escort RS1600) [C5]
315 John Baker/Seyyan John (Ford Escort mk2) [RD3]
316 Laurence Tysoe/Craig Dolman (Ford Escort RS2000) [D3]
317 Ceiriog Hughes/Emyr Hall (SAAB 96) [C3]
318 Richard Egger/Pat Egger (Ford Escort Mk 1) [C3]
319 Nick Danks/Martin Corbett (Ford Escort Mexico) [C2]
320 Robert Close/Mike Reynolds (Datsun 240Z) [C4]
321 Jason Gardner/Adrian Williams (Ford Escort Mk1) [C3]
Posted: February 13, 2013 12:12 PM
The competitor response to the opening round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C Rally Championship has been superb, with 40 cars already entered for the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages (Sunday 3 March), and at least another 20 entries due over the next two weeks.
The entry list to date makes impressive reading, and is topped by five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and historic pacesetter Nick Elliott in Ford Escort Mk2s. They face a gaggle of similar cars for leading historic contenders including Will Onions, Tomas Davies, Tim Pearcey, Paul Griffiths, Alan Walker, Rob Dennis, James Potter, Warren Philliskirk, Andrew Haddon, Will Rowlands and Phil Squires.
Meanwhile, former British Rally Championship contender Jason Pritchard will make his historic debut in an Escort Mk2 from Viking Motorsport and Rob Smith is forsaking his regular Vauxhall Chevette to join the Ford Escort ranks. Due to be announced on Wednesday (13 February) is the identity of another star driver in a Vauxhall Chevette, who could give the Escort pack something to think about.
Adding further spice to the Category 3 field is the Sunbeam Lotus of Guy Anderson, while Guy Woodcock, Paul Fry and John Baker (Ford Escort Mk2s) take on the Opel Kadett of Peter Smith in class D3. In D2, the Talbot Sunbeam of Lynden Jones is a welcome addition to the championship.
In Category 2, the Escort Mk1s of Chris Browne and Craig Salter will go up against the stunning Lancia Stratos of Steve Perez, while class C3 is shaping up for a great contest among Ford Escort Mk1 drivers like Dick Slaughter, Nick Jarvis and David Kirby and the BMW 2002 of Terry Cree. In class C2, Matt Fowle will take on the similar Escort Mk1s of Robin Shuttleworth and Stuart Cariss.
Among the early entries in other championship categories are Peter Gunson (Lotus Cortina), Simon Wallis (BMW 325) and Mark Spencer (Ford Escort Mk2).
With nearly two weeks to go until entries close, the new championship is well on target to hit the 60-mark for the Mid Wales Stages and could go higher as more and more crews commit to the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C Rally Championship.
Posted: January 28, 2013 7:54 PM
The already high standard of competition expected in this year’s Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship series has ramped up even further with the news that multiple BHRC champions David Stokes and Dessie Nutt have both registered for the championship, well ahead of the opening round. The two drivers are series stalwarts, with David driving his Category Two (1968-75 cars) Ford Escort Mk1 to three wins, including back-to-back titles in 2010 and ’11, while Dessie has won two BHRC titles in 2003 and 2007 using a Category One (pre-1968) Porsche 911.
Recognising that the season ahead has the potential to be one of the most challenging ever, David’s venerable Escort has undergone a ground-up reconstruction, stripped right back to a bare bodyshell before being re-plated by Rallyweld and repainted by David Jenkins. Meanwhile, Dessie’s machine has been given a full spanner check at renowned Porsche expert Francis Tuthill’s workshop.
BHRC Chairman, David Lucas, is upbeat that this year’s championship is shaping up to be one of the most exciting for years. “Having champions with the pedigree of Dessie and David returning to the Mintex MSA series shows clearly that what we are offering in the way of simple, good value for money rallying, appeals to a lot of competitors. With the high standard of cars and crews registering, everyone will be determined to fight harder than ever for overall, category and class honours.”
The Mintex MSA British Historic series gets under way at the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Stages, based in Newtown, Powys, on March 3rd. As always, BHRC crews will run ahead of the modern cars, ensuring they have the added advantage of competing while the stage surface is in the best possible condition.
Posted: January 23, 2013 12:51 PM
Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship contenders will, quite literally, be
leading the way when the championship races into action at the Mid Wales Stages
Rally on March 3rd. Crews registered with the Mintex MSA series will run in front
of the main field throughout the five-stage event and so will benefit from the forest
tracks of Hafren, Sweet Lamb and Myherin being in prime condition.
“One of the many advantages of registering for the Mintex MSA championship is
that, on each of our eight rounds, Historic category cars always run ahead of the
modern machinery,” says BHRC Chairman, David Lucas. “This ensures they have the
best surface to compete on, which makes for fairer competition. It puts the emphasis
on “the best car and crew wins”, rather than worrying about forest tracks cutting up
and causing possible bodywork damage and expensive mechanical failures.”
Organisers of the Mid Wales Stages have revealed full details of the 55-stage mile
route well ahead of time, to give crews the chance to prepare service schedules and
make other essential logistics decisions. Following a high profile town centre start
in Newtown, the ‘meat’ of the competitive mileage includes two 10-mile stages in
Myherin and Pikes Peak. The longest stage is a 16.5-mile marathon that runs right
through the Sweet Lamb complex, finishing in Hafren forest. “This is exactly what
competitors in the Mintex MSA series have been looking forward to all winter; a
tough, challenging rally to open our season, and one that is worthy of inclusion as a
British Historic Championship round,” concludes David.