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Trackrod Forest Stages - 28-29 Sep 18

Posted: July 22, 2019 7:23 AM - 3506 Hits

Round 8 - 2018 BTRDA Rally Series (Saturday)
Round 8 - 2018 MSA British Historic Rally Championship (Friday + Saturday)
Round 5 - 2018 Rally2 Championship

Home rule for Robinson and Collis in BHRC final

Posted: July 22, 2019 7:23 AM

Matthew Robinson and Sam Collis scored a popular home victory on the Trackrod Historic Cup (28/29 September) during the sixth and final round of the FUCHS LUBRICANTS MSA British Historic Rally Championship.

Meanwhile, Brian Hodgson was confirmed as champion co-driver in this year’s MSA BHRC. With champion driver Paul Barrett using several co-drivers through the season, Hodgson became the top co-driver after a superb campaign alongside Stuart Egglestone in their Ford Escort Mk2. Chris Skill was crowned as Category 2 champion in his Ford Escort Mk2.

Bob Bean and Miles Cartwright claimed the Category 1 title and the inaugural BHRC2 crown after coming out on top of the division for Category 1 and 1600cc cars in their Lotus Cortina.

Robinson put down a marker by being fastest through a dark and dusty Dalby stage on Friday evening over the non-BHRC registered Fiat 131 of Matt Edwards. Steve Bennett and Osian Owen were right in contention, while Ieuan Rowlands, on his first sight of a Yorkshire forest, was quick in the BRM-powered Avenger with Emyr Hall alongside. However, Yorkshire had bitten 2018 BHRC champion Paul Barrett and Gordon Noble, who were on their roof within a handful of junctions after an overshoot ended in a gentle roll. Damage was light and Robinson soon found them a replacement screen for a re-start the next morning.

Saturday dawned bright and dry for early stages in Cropton and Gale Rigg and Barrett flew through the pair of stages to take a second a mile out of everyone. Things were not so good for the leaders, however, as both rear springs had snapped and there wasn’t much service time to replace them. Robinson was well into his lateness allowance getting one side fixed but, fortunately, there was only a 10-mile stage in Dalby before a second service when the other side was replaced.

Sadly, the Dalby stage ended the tremendous battle for the BHRC co-driver’s title as Bennett/Owen went out with a broken halfshaft and Simon Webster/Jez Rogers had a suspension breakage. Bennett had been just 10s up at that point. Also out from the battle with gearbox problems went Rowlands and the Avenger. The final stage was nearly 14 miles in Langdale and Robinson set the pace to secure a well-deserved victory and win the Rally and Competition Equipment Category 3.

Second in the BHRC ranks was more than enough to make Chris Skill the Skipton Ford BHRC Category 2 champion in his Escort Mk1 after a great performance with Graham Wild on the notes. They had a fine battle with Warren Philliskirk/Garry Green and ended the rally unable to turn the engine off due a snapped starter lead. Eventually, Philliskirk finished just 17s behind the flying Skill, while a D3 class-winning fourth among the BHRC contenders for Egglestone/Hodgson secured the BHRC co-driver’s crown for Hodgson.

BHRC2 supported by Sherwood Engines

The new BHRC2, supported by Sherwood Engines, was created for 2018 to turn the spotlight on the Category 1 (pre-1968) and up to 1600cc cars in the championship. The division featured a winner-takes-all scenario on the Trackrod between the Lotus Cortina of Bob Bean/Miles Cartwright and the flying Ford Anglia of Welshmen Malcolm Rich/Arwel Blainey.

Both crews were running in the REIS Category 1 and it was Bean/Cartwright who emerged with both the Category 1 title and the BHRC2 crown. Bean went half a minute clear in the darkness of Friday night and the matter was finally settled when the hard-working Anglia’s engine went poorly on Saturday.

Eliot Retallick and Tim Tugwell (Hillman Avenger) dropped some time in the dark against their class C2 rivals, but set about clawing it back on Saturday. They finally took the class lead against strong opposition in the second Dalby as Ken Graham’s Avenger went out.

Terry Cree and Richard Shores were the pacesetters in class C3 in their BMW 2002Ti but this was no easy cruise to victory. The BMW was consuming water at an alarming rate and Cree had to nurse the car through Saturday at lower revs than normal. Finally, the seven-hour trek from North Devon for Freddy Camp and Gareth Drayton (Peugeot 205GTi) was rewarded with class F2 spoils.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: September 27, 2018 3:29 PM

Yorkshire finale for BHRC

Posted: September 27, 2018 3:25 PM

The 2018 FUCHS LUBRICANTS MSA British Historic Rally Championship reaches its season finale in the Yorkshire forests during the Trackrod Historic Cup on 28/29 September.

As well as being the sixth and final BHRC round, the Trackrod Historic Cup is also the final round of the BHRC Forest Challenge, supported by Rally and Competition Equipment, and the new BHRC2, supported by Sherwood Engines. The Filey-based Trackrod Rally is organised by the Trackrod Motor Club.

The BHRC contenders will have a rare opportunity to tackle a gravel rally covering more than the normal 45 stage miles, with a total route of 57 miles of good quality single-use stages in a compact route with central servicing within the forest complex. The action starts with a challenging stage in Dalby forest in the darkness of Friday evening.

The recent late cancellation of Rally Isle of Man has rather changed the situation in the BHRC as there was due to be a double-header round on the island’s closed pubic roads earlier in September. Instead, the Trackrod becomes the sixth and final round and competitors will count their best four results towards the end of season awards.

The loss of Rally Isle of Man means that Northern Irishman Paul Barrett is now unbeatable at the head of the drivers’ championship. Barrett has enjoyed a superb season and is a worthy champion after some tremendous battles with rivals like Matthew Robinson and Nick Elliott. He’s heading for Yorkshire for another shot at the overall victory.

After missing several events this season Nick Elliott and Dave Price return to Yorkshire aiming at another victory from the Rally and Competition Equipment Category 3. The Cheltenham crew came here a year ago with a shot at the BHRC title but this time around there is no such consideration and they may make a late switch to a Fiat 131 for the event. Local aces Matthew Robinson and Sam Collis will also be key contenders in their Escort Mk2 and are lining up to show Barrett how to do it over their home stages.

While Barrett is secure as overall drivers’ champion, the BHRC champion co-driver award is still very much up for grabs and at least three co-drivers are in the reckoning. Jez Rogers, Brian Hodgson and Osian Owen are the prime contenders and each of them will be pushing their drivers on even more than usual with a coveted British title at stake!

Rogers partners Simon Webster and Owen is with Steve Bennett in two of the consistently quickest Escorts Mk2s in the championship this season, while Hodgson co-drives for Stuart Egglestone in their incredibly quick Pinto-powered Mk2, which has already claimed some outstanding overall results this season.

More very quick Ford Escort Mk2s pack out the top 10 including those of Barry Stevenson-Wheeler/John Pickavance, James Slaughter/James Whitaker and Paul Street/Ian Jones. Offering major opposition to Egglestone in class D3 for the Pinto cars will be Ben Friend/Cliffy Simmons and Josh Browne/Max Freeman.

A good Skipton Ford Category 2 entry is topped by the BDA-powered Escort Mk1s of Chris Skill/Tom Jordan and Andrew Stokes/Adrian McNally, while class C3 features the quick Escort Mk1 of local crew Josh Carr/Ben Hall and the BMW 2002 of Terry Cree/Richard Shores.

BHRC2 supported by Sherwood Engines

The new BHRC2, supported by Sherwood Engines, has been created to turn the spotlight on the Category 1 (pre-1968) and up to 1600cc cars in the championship. The division is set for a dramatic conclusion in a winner-takes-all scenario between the Lotus Cortina of 80-year-old legend Bob Bean and his local co-driver Miles Cartwright and the flying Ford Anglia of Welshmen Malcolm Rich/Arwel Blainey.

Both crews compete in the REIS Category 1 and it is all to play for in BHRC2. Both crews are likely to win their classes, so the category points will be critical and if Bean beats Rich in Category 1, he will snatch the crown by a single point. However, if Rich wins, he will be champion. If neither crew finishes, Rich and Blainey will be BHRC2 champions.

In class C2, the 1600cc Ford Escort Mk1s should set the pace in the hands of Robin Shuttleworth and Ronnie Roughead and husband and wife crew Stuart and Linda Cariss. Lining up against the Escorts will be the rapid Hillman Avenger of Eliot Retallick and Tim Tugwell. In class D2, for the later 1600cc cars, brothers Malcolm and Ronald Mounsey will field their Sunbeam Talbot.

Regulations published for 2018 Trackrod Rally Yorkshire

Posted: August 7, 2018 1:31 PM

The event regulations have been published for the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire (September 28/29) and entries are now open for what promises to be one of the biggest rallies of the UK season.

As in recent years, Rally Yorkshire comprises two events: the Trackrod Historic Cup covering approximately 57 competitive miles, and the Trackrod Forest Stages, with a competitive route of around 45 miles.

Scrutineering will take place in Filey with Rally HQ and documentation located at the Evron Centre. The FUCHS Lubricants MSA British Historic Rally Championship and Rally2 cars will have a rare opportunity to tackle a gravel rally covering more than the normal 45 stage miles, with a total route of 57 good quality single-use stages in a compact route with central servicing within the forest complex.

On Saturday morning the historic section of the field will be joined by a wide range of competitors from the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series and the MAXXIS MSA English Rally Championship. There will be no double use stages and Saturday?s route in Dalby will be different to the stage used by the historic event on Friday evening.

As soon as the regulations were published, the first entries were received and the event organisers are expecting a high demand for places.

Entries Received / On Line Entry

Posted: August 7, 2018 1:27 PM

Wraps come off 2018 Trackrod Rally Yorkshire

Posted: July 28, 2018 10:58 AM

Following the success of the 2017 event, Trackrod Rally Yorkshire (September 28/29) will return to the historic East Coast town of Filey with the two-day event finishing with a ceremonial awards presentation on the town’s elegant sea front during Saturday afternoon.

Billed as one of the county’s biggest and most diverse rally, Trackrod Rally Yorkshire will feature a vast array of cars from the 1960s to the present day. As in recent years, Rally Yorkshire comprises two events: the Trackrod Historic Cup covering approximately 57 competitive miles, and the Trackrod Forest Stages, with a competitive route of around 45 miles.

Scrutineering of the rally cars will take place in Filey with Rally HQ and documentation located at the Evron Centre. The FUCHS Lubricants MSA British Historic Rally Championship and Rally2 cars will assemble late on Friday afternoon, for spectators to view and competitors to sign autographs, before being flagged away for a challenging 12-mile forest stage in the Dalby complex. There will be no overnight parc ferme.

On Saturday morning the rally will start within the forest and the historic section of the field will be joined by a wide range of competitors from the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series and the MAXXIS MSA English Rally Championship. Central servicing will be within the forest complex, thus ensuring low road mileage. There will be no double use stages and Saturday’s route in Dalby will be totally different to the stage used on Friday evening.

The event running order will follow the format used on the Carlisle Stages in June. On Friday evening, the historic and Rally2 crews will be split into two groups, with the first group reversed. On Saturday, the first group will be joined by suitable cars from the Trackrod Forest Stages, with the second part running in conventional order. Where possible, classes will be seeded together.

Clerk of the Course Rod Parkin, from the organising Trackrod Motor Club, said: “We are delighted to return to Filey with enthusiastic support from Filey Town Council, Scarborough, and Welcome to Yorkshire.

“We welcome the return of flexible seeding and also announce that the whole event has no double use (to be honest there is one mile used to access the Woodyard in Dalby on both Friday and Saturday). Hopefully more of the older historic and the low capacity 2WD cars will once again enjoy the thrill of the fabulous Yorkshire stages in prime condition.”

Club Website

Posted: July 28, 2018 10:57 AM


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