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25.08.08 Fordes claim maiden Suzuki Swift Sport Cup win on Ulster International Rally
Irish brothers Ross and Arron Forde claimed their maiden win in the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup on this weekend’s two-day Ulster International Rally (22 – 23 August).
The Galway crew took a long-awaited victory in round four of the single-make championship as they finished 38th overall and won class one in their Global Group Ireland and BCC Group-backed Suzuki Swift on the 135-mile Armagh-based tarmac event.
The pair took charge at the top of the Cup leaderboard from the outset and never looked back. As closest rivals Mark Gamble/Steve Link and Niki Bjerg/Arly Larsen endured their problems, the Fordes made sure they capitalised to build up their lead.
They had no issues or dramas to contend with as their Galway Mini Centre-prepared Swift ran faultlessly and they simply sat tight on Saturday, not risking their advantage to come home a comfortable four minutes ahead of second placed Gordon Nichol/Emma Morrison and take the win that had eluded them in the previous three rounds.
“We’re absolutely delighted with the victory,” said Ross. “We set off a little cautious on the first couple of stages following the accident in the previous round on the Isle of Man but we managed to take the lead and hold it.
“We didn’t want to do anything stupid to lose our position at the top and as we’d built a lead, we just paced ourselves, which is something I’ve never done before.
“We needed the win badly and it’s great to finally get it, we didn’t put a scratch on the car and had no problems at all. I’m pleased for the whole crew and would like to thank the lads from Galway Mini Centre who put so much effort into getting the car ready ahead of the event.
“I’d also like to thank our sponsors Global Group Ireland and the BCC Group. The rally went the way it was supposed to go for a change.”
The result sees Ross remain sixth in the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup championship standings and Arron remain seventh in the co-drivers’ table, but taking into account dropped scores after the pair failed to finish the opening round, they are third overall and still within reach of the title.
With dropped scores, Ross is now joint first in the Junior Swift Sport Cup with Danish junior champion Bjerg. The winner gets a place in the Pirelli Star Driver Award and in with a chance to win a funded drive next year.
Ross and Arron will next be in action in the penultimate round of the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup across the gravel of the Pickering-based International Rally Yorkshire on Saturday 27 September. With the championship still wide open, they still have everything to play for.
25.08.08 Roy and Stokoe get solid result on Ulster International Rally
Indian driver S D Roy and co-driver Bob Stokoe claimed a solid result on this weekend’s Ulster International Rally (22 – 23 August) as they finished 47th overall.
Milton Keynes-based Roy, making his debut across the Ulster asphalt, and Stokoe also ended up 14th in class two in their 1800cc MG ZR to gain more points in round four of the British Rally Championship (BRC), which they are contesting this season.
The pair had a relatively trouble-free run. Roy had a baptism of fire on the 135-mile Armagh-based event as he drove the first loop of stages on Friday evening in the dark.
He then struggled early on Saturday to get into the rhythm but he eventually found it and built up his confidence.
The only real problem the crew had was on stage 13 when on the start line the gear selector lever broke and they had to run the test stuck in one gear.
They lost around two and a half minutes of time across the test but after initial fears that it was a repeat of the gearbox problem they had on the Rally Isle of Man last month that left them with just one gear, the issue was fixed straight away and they continued as normal to the finish.
“It was my first time on the Ulster International Rally and I’m pleased with how it went,” Roy said.
“We had a good, clean run with no drama and the only problem being that one stage with the gearbox lever. I’d like to say a big thank you to the crew at M3 Motorsport for their efforts to fix it. They did a fantastic job throughout the rally to keep the car in shape, especially during those nasty wet stages on Saturday afternoon.
“It was strange doing the first few stages in the dark and I wasn’t very confident at all but I got into it on Saturday, I was enjoying it and I was happy with our stage times.
“I was impressed by the rally and it’s been a positive run out for us.”
The result puts Roy up to joint eighth in the class R2 drivers’ standings in the BRC whilst Stokoe remains eighth in the co-drivers’ table.
The duo will next be in action across the gravel of the Pickering-based International Rally Yorkshire on Saturday 27 September.
18.08.08 O'Mahony and Higgins finish tough Rallye Deutschland
Irish crew Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins finished a tough Rallye Deutschland this weekend (14 – 17 August) under superally rules.
The pair came home 42nd overall in their OM Concrete Products and MIS-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio in round 10 of the World Rally Championship (WRC) after overcoming a string of problems.
The first blow came on stage four when the gearbox broke in the car running ahead of them and spilled out oil on a blind corner which caused O’Mahony and Higgins to understeer and hit a wall on the outside, putting them temporarily out of action.
They rejoined the fray on stage seven under superally rules – incurring five minutes worth of penalties for every stage missed – and were running down the order where their progress was hampered as they caught between two to four cars a stage. When they had a clean run, they were posting times inside the top 30 with their best display coming as they were 25th quickest on stage 16.
On Sunday, engine problems blighted the crew’s performance with it overheating on the way to the finish in Trier and after making it, they had to go over the ramp by foot, ending an eventful three days for them.
“It’s really disappointing that we had all the problems and had to superally but it was all experience,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said.
“We had no warning about the oil as it had just happened in front of us so there was nothing we could really do to avoid the situation.
“When we rejoined the rally it was frustrating that we kept on catching the cars ahead but it was good to get some practice in across some different stages and get a finish. We had some promising times when we had no problems.”
Rallye Deutschland was a one-off outing for O’Mahony and Higgins and now they have set their sights back on their British Rally Championship (BRC) campaign and round four, the Ulster International Rally, this weekend (22 – 23 August).
Last time out in the series on the Rally Isle of Man they finished an impressive seventh overall and first in class R3 after setting consistent stage times inside the top 10.
The pair have contested the Ulster International Rally once before in 2005 and it was a successful outing as they clinched the British Super 1600 Championship title.
They will be hoping it goes as well this weekend as they look to emulate their result on the Isle of Man on the Armagh-based tarmac event.
“Now our focus is back on the BRC and Ulster this weekend,” O’Mahony continued. “Hopefully everything will be sorted out on the car in time.
“We plan to drive flat out and get another good result in the championship. The stages are nice so I can’t wait to do it.”
O’Mahony heads into the event in 15th equal in the BRC drivers’ standings, sixth in the junior drivers’ table and third in class R3 with Higgins 17th in the overall co-drivers’ championship and second in class R3. They will start at number 38.
14.08.08 S D Roy and Stokoe set for new adventure in Ulster
Indian driver S D Roy is set to venture into the unknown when he contests next weekend’s Ulster International Rally (22 – 23 August).
Roy, from Milton Keynes, has never competed on the Armagh-based tarmac event as he takes to the stages for round four of the British Rally Championship (BRC) in his 1800cc MG ZR car, run by M3 Motorsport.
He will be reunited with regular co-driver Bob Stokoe for the rally after he missed the previous round, the Rally Isle of Man, as he was on holiday.
Roy and stand-in navigator Brad Magnus finished 31st overall and fifth in class R2 in round three despite enduring their fair share of problems which included completing the final five and a half stages in third gear.
Now he is aiming to claim a result on the 135-mile Ulster event and notch-up some more points in the championship.
“I don’t have any idea about the stages at all,” said Roy. “I’ve heard they’re technical and fast and I’m sure I’ll learn more about them in the recce, which is going to be important for me.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be the first new event I’ve done in a while as I’ve competed on every other BRC round before, so there’s going to be some learning involved.
“I’ve not really got any goals for the rally other than to go and have a play to learn the stages and get a good result. I’ve spent some more time in the car since the Isle of Man so I’m confident that I can go out there and do well.”
Roy heads into the Ulster International Rally in ninth place in the class R2 drivers’ standings whilst Stokoe is eighth in the co-drivers’ table.
The pair will start the rally at number 71.
14.08.08 Fordes aim for elusive win on Ulster International Rally
Irish brothers Ross and Arron Forde are aiming for victory in round four of the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup on next weekend’s Ulster International Rally (22 – 23 August).
The Galway crew will be back in action in their Global Group Ireland and BCC Group-backed Suzuki Swift on the Armagh-based tarmac event looking to make amends for the misfortune that has struck them on the previous three rounds of the championship.
They have been leading the Swift field on all three occasions before missing out. In round one, the Pirelli International Rally, the car broke down and they failed to finish then in the second round, the Jim Clark International Rally, after taking the lead by a second on the penultimate stage, they were pipped to victory across the final test by Mark Gamble and Steve Link.
Last time out on the Rally Isle of Man the pair finished under superally rules after rolling the car on stage 21 so next weekend they hope to finally have some luck on their side to claim that elusive win.
Driver Ross has some experience across the Ulster asphalt, which should boost their confidence. Whilst he has never driven on the event, he has co-driven several times for his uncle Frank Cunningham in the Irish Historic Championship and although he was the youngest navigator to ever win the Historic series, it was the only rally they never won.
“I’m familiar enough with the stages having co-driven on the rally a few times,” 24-year-old Ross said. “Hopefully we’ll have some better luck this time out and we can win this one, that’s our aim, to get maximum points, the title’s not out of reach yet.
“There’s going to be some tough competition for the top spot as always, it’s never easy. We always have a good battle with Mark Gamble and Niki Bjerg and I’m sure it’ll be the same this time out. If it’s wet we should be okay but Ulster can be mucky and slippery so it’s always tricky.”
Ross heads into the event in sixth spot in the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup drivers’ standings whilst Arron is seventh in the co-drivers’ table. They start the Ulster International Rally in their Galway Mini Centre-prepared Swift as the top Suzuki seed and at number 74.
Meanwhile, the crew have pulled out of this weekend’s Cork Forestry Rally (16 – 17 August). They were due to compete in the event as it is the sixth round of the National Junior Rally Championship and the Billy Coleman Award for Ross.
He is third in the series standings at the moment and is leading class B, which puts him in line to qualify for the interview stage of the award.
Ross said: “We wanted to make sure the car was all ready for Ulster after its rebuild and didn’t want to risk it this weekend. I’m already in a good position in the championship and you have to drop two scores anyway.”
12.08.08 O’Mahony and Higgins head for Rallye Deutschland
Irish crew Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins will contest round 10 of the World Rally Championship (WRC) this weekend when they compete on Rallye Deutschland (14 – 17 August).
It will be the third time that County Cork driver O’Mahony and County Mayo co-driver Higgins have taken part in a WRC round when they get behind the wheel of their OM Concrete Products and MIS-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio across the German asphalt.
The pair, who are doing the British Rally Championship (BRC) this season, have previously contested Rally Finland and their home event Rally Ireland last year, finishing both events.
O’Mahony and Higgins are aiming for a third finish on the three-day Trier-based event as they look to gain more experience at the top level.
“We wanted to do a round of the WRC that was also a round of the Junior WRC (JWRC) with some equal competition,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said. “Germany was the only one that fitted into the schedule.
“We just want to get a result and some more practice in, see how we can do against the JWRC crews. We’ve got the fourth round of the BRC the following week in Ulster so we’ll be minding the car for that but we hope to be competitive.
“I’ve no idea what the German roads will be like but the stages differ from day to day so I expect it to be an education.”
The crew will start at number 77 on the event, which begins with a ceremonial start in Trier city centre on Thursday evening.
21.07.08 O'Mahony and Higgins get championship back on track in Rally Isle of Man
Irish crew Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins got their British Rally Championship (BRC) campaign back on track with a solid result on this weekend’s (17 – 19 July) Rally Isle of Man.
The pair finished an impressive seventh overall and first in class R3 in their OM Concrete Products and MIS-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio in round three of the BRC.
They posted consistent stage times inside the top 10 and were fifth fastest on stage 15 as they had a relatively trouble-free run on the tarmac event.
It was the first time in two years that they had contested the rally and O’Mahony and Higgins had a lucky escape on stage four on Thursday night when they misjudged the location of a chicane but made it round to keep on course.
A close battle with the Ford Escort Kit Car of Guy Woodcock and John Skinner developed after the first stage and as the fight heated up on Saturday, they made sure they pushed hard to keep the pace and had quite a few close moments over the final few stages but made it round to the finish ramp at the TT Grandstand in Douglas to collect more points in the BRC.
“It was a really enjoyable event but extremely tough,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said. “I’m pleased with the result and it’s good to get our BRC season back on course after the disappointment of not finishing the previous rounds.
“We had a good battle for position with Guy and John that kept the pressure on and the car went really well. I’m now looking forward to the next round in August.”
The result sees O’Mahony move up to 15th equal in the BRC drivers’ standings, to sixth in the junior drivers’ table and third in class R3 whilst Higgins is 17th in the overall co-drivers’ championship and second in class R3.
The crew will return to action across the tarmac in round four of the BRC, the Ulster International Rally, on 22 – 23 August.
21.07.08 Roy and Magnus get result on tough Rally Isle of Man
Indian driver SD Roy finished an eventful Rally Isle of Man at the weekend (17 – 19 July) to claim more points in the British Rally Championship (BRC).
Milton Keynes-based Roy and co-driver Brad Magnus came home 31st overall and fifth in class R2 in their 1800cc MG ZR car, run by M3 Motorsport, in round three of the BRC despite enduring their fair share of problems on the 165-mile tarmac event.
The drama started on Friday when in service they chose to run on a slick tyre as the conditions were dryer only to find that when they reached the other side of the island to contest a stage that it was raining. But after changing back to a wet tyre in the afternoon they had a trouble-free finish to the second leg of the rally.
Yet more bad luck then struck on the second stage on the final day on Saturday when halfway through the test the gearbox broke and Roy found himself stuck in third gear.
After making it round the following stage with the problem the pair went into service but did not have enough time to solve the issue. Roy and Brad made the decision to continue the rally with only the one gear; completing five and a half stages in third gear before eventually making it back to the finish at the TT Grandstand in Douglas.
“I was just so happy to make it to the finish given that we only had one gear at the end,” Calcutta-born Roy said. “I thought at one point that we wouldn’t make it round or be able to finish without Superally.
“I enjoyed the event despite the problems and before we had the gearbox problem everything was going well and I was confident. I love the stages even though they are tricky.
“I’m grateful to the service crew at M3 Motorsport, I appreciate their hard work and they tried their best to fix the gearbox. I’m also thankful to Brad for stepping in whilst Bob [Stokoe, co-driver] was away on holiday and he was great at encouraging me to continue. It’s good to get some more points in the championship as well.”
Roy is now ninth in the class R2 drivers’ standings in the BRC following on from the event. He will return to action in round four, the Ulster International Rally, on 22 – 23 August.
14.07.08 S D Roy returns to action on Rally Isle of Man
Milton Keynes driver S D Roy will return to action in the British Rally Championship (BRC) when he contests round three, the Rally Isle of Man, this weekend (17 – 19 July).
Roy will be reunited with former co-driver Brad Magnus as a one-off for the event with regular navigator Bob Stokoe away on holiday as he competes on the full 165-mile asphalt rally for the first time in his 1800cc MG ZR car, run by M3 Motorsport.
Indian driver Roy has done the Rally Isle of Man twice before when he did the supporting lower-powered BRC Stars 1400 Championship in a 1400cc MG and finished both times but faces a new challenge this year as he has never taken part in the full event.
The task will be all the more greater as it will only be his third time out in the M3 Motorsport MG ZR. He made his debut in it across the tarmac on the previous round of the BRC, the Jim Clark International Rally, in May when he finished 30th overall to claim his first points of the season in the series.
He then went on to give the car a run out on the Rally of the Midlands in June in preparation for the Isle of Man event and finished 39th overall as he looked to gain more experience in the machine.
Now Roy is aiming to get more points in the bag in the BRC as he returns to the infamous and challenging closed roads of the three-day Rally Isle of Man.
“I’ve only ever done the shorter version of the Rally Isle of Man and not the full rally so I’m going to play it a little safe and the target is to get to the finish,” Calcutta-born Roy said.
“I’m looking forward to the event. We want to be competitive but the stages are very technical, I like them but they’re a little too technical for me. I’m a bit more familiar with the car now having done two events on tarmac and it’s been going really well so I’m more confident with it now.
“I’m also grateful to Brad for stepping in to co-drive whilst Bob is away and it will be good to sit with him again.”
The Rally Isle of Man gets underway on Thursday evening.
12.07.08 Cookson and Wilkinson target top 10 on Swansea Bay Rally
Cornwall driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson are targeting a top 10 finish on next Saturday’s (19 July) Swansea Bay National Rally.
Cookson and Wilkinson return to action in round five of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship in their GillettsSpar.com, Robert Wiseman Dairies, VK Vodka Kick, Kumho Tyres and Riverside Property Services supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) following a brief break.
Last time out in the championship on the Severn Valley National Rally in May they finished 18th overall after overcoming a series of problems including a gear linkage issue.
The crew also contested the Rallyinguk.com Stages Rally at Smeatharpe airfield as a one-off event at the end of June and claimed an impressive victory, which also helped them get to the bottom of the persistent diff problem they have been experiencing this season.
Now the pair want to get back to business and bag the elusive top 10 finish they have been chasing this year in the Gravel Championship on the Swansea-based forest gravel event.
Last year they were 17th overall in their Group N Subaru Impreza on the Swansea Bay National Rally across stages that were blighted by the torrential rainfall that swept the country.
“The stages were very good last year despite the conditions, and the longer stages suited us, as we tend to go better on stages when you can really get into them, so with only six stages to cover this year, it should be a great day,” Cookson said.
“We want to go for it from the start and try and get the top 10 finish that seems to keep eluding us. We just need to have a good clean run, that is neat and tidy to avoid the dreaded punctures but all going well I think a top 10 finish is doable for us.
“While we certainly won’t be challenging the front runners on the Swansea Bay, we certainly feel good about our victory the other week and it has certainly got us excited about getting back out in the car and we are hoping we can have a good clean run prior to the long summer break.”
Cookson heads into the Swansea Bay Rally 19th overall in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship drivers’ standings with Wilkinson 20th in the co-drivers’ table.
12.07.08 O'Mahony and Higgins aim to get back on track in Isle of Man
Irish crew Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins aim to get their British Rally Championship (BRC) campaign back on track when they contest next weekend’s Rally Isle of Man (17 – 19 July).
County Cork driver O’Mahony and County Mayo co-driver Higgins will be back in action in round three of the BRC in their OM Concrete Products and Tom Hogan Motors-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio, run by O’Leary Motorsport, and are looking to make amends across the tarmac after failing to finish the previous round.
They retired from the Jim Clark International Rally in May due to a mechanical problem and that did not help their push in the BRC after they were forced to finish the opening round, the Pirelli International Rally, in April under superally rules when the bottom arm snapped and ended their event.
Now the pair will compete across the closed roads of the Isle of Man for the first time in two years and bid to notch up more points in the series but the challenging Manx lanes have not been so kind to them in recent years.
Both times they have contested the event, in 2005 and 2006, they have finished but have broken the suspension, losing masses of time, but hopefully the Clio will hold out and make it third time lucky for them on the 165-mile event.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back out onto the Isle of Man stages, they are nice yet tricky which adds to the challenge,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said. “We last did the rally in 2006 and have had suspension problems both times we’ve done it previously so we’re hoping to avoid anything like that this year.
“We’re looking for a good solid result this time out following the disappointment of the Jim Clark, it would be nice to get a clean run on a tarmac stage and some valuable BRC points to keep us on course. We know what caused the problems on the Jim Clark so I’m confident the car will be reliable and we’ve made some changes so it should hopefully be even better.”
The Rally Isle of Man gets underway on Thursday evening with O’Mahony and Higgins starting at car number 18.
03.07.08 Saltash driver Cookson and co-driver Wilkinson claim victory on Rallyinguk.com Stages Rally
Saltash driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson claimed their first victory of the 2008 season as they won Sunday’s (29 June) Rallyinguk.com Stages Rally at Smeatharpe airfield.
Cookson and Wilkinson won the tarmac event by a slender seven seconds in their GillettsSpar.com, Robert Wiseman Dairies, VK Vodka Kick, Kumho Tyres and Riverside Property Services supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) as they contested the rally as a one-off, taking a break from the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship.
The crew’s event got off to a good start as they posted the fastest times on the opening two stages to carve out a four second lead from Karl Broads in a Metro 6R4. They continued their fine form by being second quickest over the third and fourth tests, dropping just six seconds to the Subaru Impreza WRC of Steve Furzland who had moved into second place.
By the halfway mark the pair had an advantage of 17 seconds. Heading into the final two stages just 13 seconds separated Cookson and Wilkinson from Furzland and a half spin on the penultimate stage cost them several seconds but they went into the final test with an 11 second gap and managed to hold on for the win.
“We were really pleased to be leading the event after six stages especially as we entered the event as a test to try and get to the bottom of our gearbox issues that have plagued our season so far this year. We had a relatively trouble free morning and managed to get the data from the car we require to help solve our problems.
“It was a very nervous last stage for us, I think we heard more rattles and bangs from the car than normal as we set about just ensuring we had a smooth clean run to the finish, as is always said ‘to finish first, first you must finish’.
“It was obvious judging by the odd tyre that was being thrown out in front of us that the Furzlands were pushing hard but on completion of the stage and after a quick check of the times we soon discovered we had managed to hold them off, to grab our first win of 2008, which feels good.
“The Spar/Wiseman Dairies team would like to thank the service team for ensuring the car ran well, as well as the team from SubaruWRCSpares.com for all their help on the day as well.”
Cookson and Wilkinson will next return to action in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship when they compete on round five, the Swansea Bay Rally, on Saturday 19 July.
01.06.08 Cookson and Wilkinson score points on tough Severn Vallley
Saltash driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson collected more points in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship as they finished a tough Severn Valley National Rally on Saturday (31 May).
Cookson and Wilkinson came home 18th overall and ninth in class B13 in their GillettsSpar.com, Robert Wiseman Dairies, VK Vodka Kick, Kumho Tyres and Riverside Property Services supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) on the Builth Wells-based gravel event after battling through a series of problems.
The event, round four of the national gravel series, started well for the crew and they were up to 16th overall after the opening two stages following a clean run. But the first disaster struck on stage three, the challenging Radnor test, when the gear linkage broke again and they were stuck in third gear for 10 miles, dropping around four and half minutes.
Despite fears that the same problem had occurred that had forced them to retire from the previous round, the RBS International Manx Rally in early May, thankfully though, it was a different part and the pair managed to limp through the stage and back to service to fix it but they slid down the leaderboard to 24th.
Their day did not get better from there as on leaving service full of fuel, the car bizarrely began to pump fuel out of the tank. They overcame the problem though to post competitive times through the final three stages – being 15th fastest through stage five – and haul themselves back up the standings to a credible 18th and to eight points in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship.
“I’m just so relieved to have made it to the finish, it’s certainly been a character building day for everyone involved,” Cookson said. “The problems we had throughout the day were really frustrating but we overcame them thanks to some exceptional work carried out by the service crew in second service, and to get a result and some more points in the championship was the main target after the problems.
“The day set off really well for us, I was happy with how the car was running, and first service saw us only need to fit a set of new tyres. We couldn’t believe it when the gear linkage broke again in Radnor, but thankfully it wasn’t the same as the problem on the Isle of Man, which meant we could make some temporary repairs to get to the finish. It does look as if it’s not been repaired correctly from a previous incident before I had the car, but that’s rallying I suppose.
“The fuel problem was a bit strange but we think it was because the tank was over filled but thankfully it didn’t hamper us too much although we do seem to have a reoccurring intermittent problem with the centre diff controller which makes the car handle more like a MK2 Escort than a WRC Subaru. We went on to finish on a good note with some positive times and we’re pleased to have finished, it was certainly a tough day for everyone.”
Cookson and Wilkinson will next be in action in round five of the championship, the Swansea Bay National Rally on Saturday 19 July.
27.05.08 S D Roy and Stokoe claim good result on Jim Clark rally
Milton Keynes driver S D Roy and Kent co-driver Bob Stokoe had a successful weekend as they finished 30th overall in round two of the British Rally Championship (BRC), the Jim Clark International Rally (23 – 25 May).
Roy and Stokoe had a relatively trouble-free run across the 160-mile Scottish Borders-based asphalt event in their different but same spec 1800cc MG ZR car, run by M3 Motorsport, as they finished seventh in Class 2 to claim their first points of the season in the championship.
The opening stage of the rally on Saturday morning proved a tricky one for the crew as they spun on a 90 right corner, losing a small amount of time, before later in the test they spun on a tight hairpin right and lost around five minutes as they were stuck in some long grass but they managed to recover and continue with no more problems throughout the day.
Sunday began well for the pair and they survived two spins in stage 15, in which they picked up some minor damage to the rear beam, to go on to reach the finish in Kelso town square and take their first points of the season in the BRC following their retirement from the opening round last month.
“I’m really pleased with the result and to get some points in the championship,” Calcutta-born Roy said. “It’s been a really good weekend, I’ve enjoyed the rally a lot and with the stages being dry they were good fun.
“The new car went very well and I felt comfortable in it but I’m sure there’s more to come from it. We had very few problems throughout the event apart from the spins we had so that’s really positive.”
It was the first time that Roy competed on the full Jim Clark International Rally after spending two years in the supporting lower-powered BRC Stars 1400 Championship. He took 12 points in the Class 2 drivers’ table whilst Stokoe earned 14 points in the Class 2 co-drivers’ standings.
Roy and Stokoe will next be in action in round three of the BRC, the International Rally Isle of Man on July 17 -19.
27.05.08 Bad luck for O'Mahony and Higgins on Jim Clark rally
Irish crew Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins suffered more bad luck in the British Rally Championship (BRC) as they failed to finish this weekend’s (23 – 25 May) Jim Clark International Rally due to a mechanical problem.
County Cork driver O’Mahony and County Mayo co-driver Higgins were back in action in round two of the BRC in their OM Concrete Products and Tom Hogan Motors-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio, run by O’Leary Motorsport, for the 160-mile Scottish Borders-based tarmac event but were forced out after stage seven on Saturday.
The rally did not get off to the best of starts for the pair as an engine mount broke on the start line of stage one before they avoided going off further into the opening test. On the first loop of stages their intercom also broke and they caught a car on one stage, causing them to lose a significant amount of time.
The mechanics were unable to fix the mounting at the first service meaning the crew had to crawl through the next loop of stages losing further time. The team managed to repair the broken mounting in the next service before disaster struck when the other engine mount broke seven miles from the end of stage seven. They crawled through the remainder of the test but it was too risky to continue as the cam pulley was rubbing on the chassis and they did not want to cause any further damage.
The disappointment comes for O’Mahony and Higgins after they had to finish under superally rules and not competitively in the first round of the BRC last month, they have also yet to complete a Jim Clark Rally as it was the fourth time they have started it and the fourth time they have retired.
“I’m really disappointed with the weekend, we didn’t manage to get one clean stage and if we didn’t lose all the time and had not had the problem we would have been up inside the top eight or so which would have been a good result,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said.
“It’s frustrating that its another mechanical problem that has put us out but unfortunately it happens. It wasn’t worth us finishing under superally rules again as we didn’t want to cause anymore damage to the car.
“We’re disappointed also not to get more points in the championship but now we have to look forward to the next round in July.”
O’Mahony and Higgins will return to the stages in round three of the BRC, the International Rally Isle of Man on July 17 -19.
19.05.08 S D Roy aiming for points on Jim Clark International Rally
Indian driver S D Roy is aiming to open his account in the British Rally Championship (BRC) when he competes in round two, the Jim Clark International Rally, this weekend (23 – 25 May).
Milton Keynes-based Roy and co-driver Bob Stokoe will contest the Scottish Borders tarmac event in a different but same spec 1800cc MG ZR car, run by M3 Motorsport, as they look to get some points on the leaderboard after failing to finish the opening round of the series, the Pirelli International Rally, last month due to a gearbox problem.
Roy, who has made the step up to compete in the main BRC series this season in a more powerful car after spending two years competing in the supporting lower-powered BRC Stars 1400 Championship in a 1400cc MG, has done the Jim Clark Rally twice before and finished both times but faces a new challenge this year as he has never taken part in the full 120-mile event.
“I want to get a good result, try harder and get some valuable points in the BRC,” Calcutta-born Roy said. “I’m going to try and be more confident, this new car seems to go better and I’m back in a right-hand drive so I’m hoping I can do better.
“I’m really looking forward to doing the full rally, it’s an event I’ve always enjoyed, the stages are good and it will be good to be back out on the tarmac after a while. There will be some tough competition out there once again but hopefully we can get a good finish.”
The Jim Clark Rally gets underway on the evening of Friday 23 May with a ceremonial start in Kelso town centre and finishes on Sunday afternoon (25 May) in the same location.
Roy and Stokoe start at car number 61.
18.05.08 O'Mahony and Higgins back in action on Jim Clark rally
Irish crew Brian O’Mahony and John Higgins will be back in action in the British Rally Championship (BRC) when they contest round two, the Jim Clark International Rally, next weekend (23 – 25 May).
County Cork driver O’Mahony and County Mayo co-driver Higgins are aiming for a class win as they return to the wheel of their OM Concrete Products and Tom Hogan Motors-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio, run by O’Leary Motorsport, for the 160-mile Scottish Borders-based tarmac event.
They finished the opening round of the BRC, the Pirelli International Rally, last month under superally rules after suspension failure meant they couldn’t finish the rally competitively and managed to collect some points in the class R3 table.
As they head into the Jim Clark looking to make amends after the disappointment of the first round they will have to bear in mind that the event has not been kind to them in previous years. They have started the rally three times but have never finished after retiring on the same stage – Blackadder – every year.
The event also comes at a busy time for O’Mahony as the university student will be in the middle of his exams, but nevertheless the pair are looking forward to making a return to the asphalt as they bid to gain more points in the BRC.
“Our target will be to get a class win but to go for a good overall position too,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said. “Kris Meeke highlighted what the car is capable of in Killarney a couple of weeks ago, so I’ll have no excuses.
”I’ve done the rally three times and retired on the same stage every year, Blackadder! Hopefully we will avoid its curse this year and make it fourth time lucky for a finish.
”The stages are lovely, I really enjoy the rally and can’t wait to get back to competing on tarmac again. It will be a fairly hectic few days for me though as it’s in the middle of my exams. I’ll be going straight from an exam to the airport and then I’ve another exam the Monday after the rally, it means I won’t have time to test but I’m feeling positive ahead of the weekend.”
The Jim Clark Rally gets underway on the evening of Friday 23 May with a ceremonial start in Kelso town centre and finishes on Sunday afternoon (25 May) in the same location.
O’Mahony and Higgins start at number 24.
12.05.08 Cookson's and Wilkinson's Manx Rally ends in disappointment
Saltash driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson had a disappointing weekend on the RBS International Manx Rally (9-10 May) as they failed to finish due to a mechanical problem.
Cookson and Wilkinson were enjoying a good run and lying in 25th overall in their SparDevon.com, Robert Wiseman Dairies, VK Vodka Kick, Kumho, Riverside Property Services, Blue International Property, Natural Wood Floor Company and Castle Flooring Services supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) in round three of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship before the gear linkage broke on stage seven.
Following the first loop of stages on the 120-mile Isle of Man-based tarmac rally on Friday night they were 22nd overall despite having the suspension set a little soft on the first stage, and surviving two spins in stage five, which cost the pair around 25 seconds, dropping them down from an impressive 17th overall after the first 4 stages, less than 30 seconds from the top 10 spot the pair were hoping for last weekend.
After the opening test on Saturday morning they dropped to 25th after having a brief moment with a bank which caused a bit of damage to the rear of the car before the gear linkage broke in stage seven, and despite their best efforts to fix it on the side of the stage, they were forced to retire from the event.
It is the second time the pair have not finished a round of the championship this season following their retirement on the opening round, the Rallye Sunseeker, in February.
“We’re just gutted as we were having a really good run and were really enjoying the fantastic stages,” Cookson said. “We had very few problems throughout the event up until the gear linkage broke and the car was going really well across the tarmac.
“It’s disappointing not to finish and collect some more points in the championship but we will look forward now to the next round and take heart from our performance this weekend. We’re also really grateful to our Isle of Man-based sponsors Montpelier Financial Specialists for their support on the event and to TEG Sport, who did a great job of setting the car up after only seeing it for the first time Friday morning.”
Cookson and Wilkinson will be back in action in just three-weeks time when they compete across the gravel of the Builth Wells-based Severn Valley Rally on Saturday 31st of May in round four of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship.
03.05.08 Cookson and Wilkinson looking forward to Manx Rally
Saltash driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson are looking forward to returning to action in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship when they contest next weekend’s (9-10 May) RBS International Manx Rally.
Cookson and Wilkinson will be back behind the wheel of their SparDevon.com, Robert Wiseman Dairies, VK Vodka Kick, Kumho, Riverside Property Services, Blue International Property, Natural Wood Floor Company and Castle Flooring Services supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) in round three of the national championship after claiming their first points of the season in last month’s Border Counties Rally.
The crew return to the tarmac for the 120-mile Isle of Man event after enduring a tough time across the gravel on the Border Counties, which was hampered by a problem with the front diff amongst other issues.
The pair’s aim is to get maximum performance out of the car as well as a solid finish on the two-day rally staged on the infamous tight and twisty Manx roads and more importantly some points on the Pirelli MSA Gravel Championship leaderboard.
“We want to have a go right from the off, even though we were very happy to finish the Border Counties we felt we did not get the best out of the car or the crew by just adopting the ‘lets get a finish approach’, so we’ll be pushing to extract everything out of the car on the tarmac lanes particularly on the dark stages Friday night, as we’ve always enjoyed the dark,” Cookson said.
“Last year I felt it was the best event we’ve ever competed on and I’m sure we will not be disappointed, but to really get the pleasure out of the weekend we will be striving to come away with a good finish and a good points haul, and to help us achieve that, we have employed the services of TEG Sport.
“We’re really looking forward to the lanes on the Manx and feel the car should be at home there. We really want to make the best out of the cars tremendous braking performance on tarmac, coupled with that we have purchased the best possible progressive springs for the job, so we are confident the car will be quick enough.”
Cookson and Wilkinson also have a new sponsor on board as a one-off for the RBS International Manx Rally in the form of Isle of Man-based firm Montpelier Financial Specialists.
“It’s great that we’ve secured backing from Montpelier Financial Specialists for their home event and we’re grateful to them for their support and pleased to have them on board,” Cookson added.
The RBS International Manx Rally gets underway on Friday 9 May at 7pm and finishes on Saturday 10 May at the TT Grandstand in Douglas at 3.20pm. Cookson and Wilkinson start at number 26.
21.04.08 Misfortune for S D Roy in opening round of BRC
Milton Keynes driver S D Roy suffered misfortune in the opening round of the British Rally Championship (BRC) as he retired from this weekend’s (18-19 April) Pirelli International Rally with a mechanical problem.
Roy and co-driver Bob Stokoe endured a difficult event in their 1.8 litre CMC-prepared MG ZR, which culminated in them retiring on stage seven of the Carlisle-based forest gravel rally with a gearbox problem whilst they were 43rd overall.
The crew’s event did not get off to the best of starts as they went off in stage one on Friday night and got stuck in one of Kielder Forest’s infamous ditches. They could not get the car out and had to miss the following three stages before rejoining the event on Saturday morning under superally rules with 40 minutes worth of penalties – 10 minutes for each stage missed.
They restarted the event on Saturday and completed stage five, the opening test of the day. Then with stage six cancelled they went straight into stage seven where the gearbox problem struck about a mile from the end when Roy couldn’t find any gears.
“It was a frustrating weekend and I’m so disappointed that we didn’t finish,” Calcutta-born Roy said. “I couldn’t believe it when we got stuck in the ditch on stage one but at least we could restart on Saturday even though we had lost a lot of time with the penalties.
“It’s so unfortunate that our event ended as it did. I was just getting my confidence up in the stage when I felt there was a problem and then I couldn’t find any gears at all so we pulled in. It’s disappointing that we didn’t collect any points in the championship but there’s still six rounds to go and I’m already looking forward to the next rally.”
Roy has made the step up to compete in the main BRC series this season in a more powerful car after spending two years competing in the supporting lower-powered BRC Stars 1400 Championship in a 1400cc MG.
He and Stokoe will next be in action across the tarmac in round two of the BRC, the Kelso-based Jim Clark Rally, on May 24-25.
21.04.08 O'Mahony and Higgins get result in opening round of BRC
County Cork driver Brian O’Mahony and County Mayo co-driver John Higgins had a tough start to their British Rally Championship (BRC) campaign as they finished the opening round, the Pirelli International Rally, under superally rules this weekend (18-19 April).
The crew finished 28th overall and second in class R3 in their OM Concrete Products and Tom Hogan Motors-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio, run by O’Leary Motorsport, on the Carlisle-based forest gravel event despite suffering a mechanical problem on stage 11.
The reigning Dunlop National Championship class 6 champions have returned to contest the BRC this season following a year’s absence and soon got adjusted to competing across a gravel surface after a seven-month gap.
Following the first loop of four stages on Friday night they had already climbed to an impressive 13th place. On Saturday morning they slipped a position to 14th on the first test but after stage eight had reclaimed 13th.
A timing error meant that they were given a time around 18 minutes slower than they had set on stage 10 for an unknown reason which had dropped them down the order to 21st before the suspension failure struck on the next test.
The bottom arm snapped and pulled off the damper through stage 11, bringing an abrupt end to the pair’s event but they were able to finish under superally rules with 40 minutes worth of penalties – 10 minutes for every stage missed – after getting the car into parc ferme.
“It’s good that we could finish under the superally rules but disappointing that we couldn’t finish the rally properly and in a better position,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said. “We had got back into the swing of competing on gravel and were in a good position before the suspension problem.
“It’s frustrating when a mechanical problem ends your rally, and it happened so sudden. Up until then we were having a pretty clean run, apart from the stages being very rough and difficult. Now we have to look forward to round two and to getting a solid finish then.”
O’Mahony collected nine points in the Rally 3 drivers’ category to lie in second place whilst Higgins claimed 10 points to lead the Rally 3 co-drivers’ standings.
The pair will next be in action in the BRC in round two, the Kelso-based Jim Clark Rally on May 24-25, which is a tarmac event.
15.04.08 S D Roy set to get BRC campaign underway on Pirelli Rally
Milton Keynes driver S D Roy will get his first full season in the British Rally Championship (BRC) underway next weekend when he contests the opening round, the two-day Pirelli International Rally (18 – 19 April).
Roy will be joined by new co-driver Bob Stokoe as he makes the step up to the main BRC series in a more powerful 1.8 litre CMC-prepared MG ZR after spending two years competing in the supporting lower-powered BRC Stars 1400 Championship in a 1400cc MG.
Calcutta-born Roy has done the Carlisle-based Pirelli Rally twice previously but failed to finish the Kielder Forest event last year after damaging his car. This time out he aims to get some championship points on the board from the outset but will not only have to contend with the step-up to international level, a new car and new co-driver but it will be his first time competing in a left-hand drive car.
“I can’t wait to do a full season in the BRC, hopefully it will be good,” Roy said. “A lot of things will be completely new to me, I’ve never done a rally in a left-hand drive car and the new car has more power so we will just have to see how we go on the Pirelli. I have spent time testing with my new co-driver Bob so we’ve got to know each other a little better.
“It will be interesting to see how we come up against the more powerful Citroen C2s in our class, the car is still not fully developed so there’s more work to be done and hopefully more to come from it.
“I’ve always enjoyed the Pirelli and it will be good to do two-days this year as opposed to just the one I’ve done in the past. I’m looking forward to doing the four night stages on the Friday, which I’ve never done before, and the plan is to take it lightly and get to the finish.”
Last season Roy finished fifth overall in the BRC Stars 1400 drivers’ championship and third in the FIA class standings after completing six of the seven rounds.
His 2008 season will start when the Pirelli International Rally begins on Friday 18 April with a ramp in Carlisle town centre at 7.15pm.
15.04.08 O’Mahony and Higgins get set for BRC return
County Cork driver Brian O’Mahony and County Mayo co-driver John Higgins will return to action in the British Rally Championship (BRC) next weekend when they contest the two-day Pirelli International Rally (18 – 19 April).
The reigning Dunlop National Championship class 6 champions will be back behind the wheel of their OM Concrete Products and Tom Hogan Motors-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio, run by O’Leary Motorsport, for the opening round of the BRC.
The crew last competed in the BRC in 2006 in a Super 1600 Ford Puma, having been crowned British Super 1600 Champions the previous year. Last season they switched to the Clio to take part in the Irish National Championship and went on to win the class title.
The pair have done the Pirelli International Rally twice but have not contested a gravel event since Rally Finland in August last year. They are running the course car on this weekend’s Waterford-based Moonraker Forestry Rally to get some practice in across the surface with a view to getting off to a comfortable start in the championship on the Kielder Forest-based gravel event next weekend.
“I can’t wait to get back to the BRC, the rallies are very good, and it’s just really enjoyable,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said. “It’s the only championship I can do that won’t affect my college work this year and some of the prizes are very enticing but it’s disappointing that there’s no other Super 1600’s registered for the series yet.
“The Pirelli Rally is very tricky and the stages are not the most forgiving so I’ll just be trying to keep my nose clean and get a good finish, they don’t call it ‘killer Kielder’ for nothing. The first time I did the rally in 2005, it was my first time across gravel in a S1600 and it was a steep learning curve but we managed to get to the end.
”Gravel is my favourite surface so I can’t wait to get back out onto it. We’ve made some changes to the car since Finland so it’s good that I can get to test it out on the gravel on the Moonraker.”
The Pirelli International Rally gets underway on Friday 18 April with a start ramp in Carlisle town centre at 7.15pm and finishes in the same location on Saturday at 7pm.
07.04.08 Cookson and Wilkinson claim points on tough Border Counties
Saltash driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson claimed their first points in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship as they finished Saturday’s (5 April) Border Counties Rally.
The crew came home 18th overall and eighth in class B13 in their SparDevon.com, Robert Wiseman Dairies, VK Vodka Kick, Riverside Property Services and Kumho Tyres-supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) in round two of the national championship following their retirement on the opening round, the Rallye Sunseeker, in February.
The Kielder Forest-based event was blighted by changeable weather conditions ranging from snow to sunshine, making the stages difficult to judge. A problem with the front diff hampered the pair throughout and they struggled with handling issues on the car on the first two tests in the morning.
Their day, however, did not improve in the afternoon. They couldn’t select reverse on leaving the second service and incurred a 10 second penalty for leaving late as they headed into stages five and six with the worry that they could not afford to make any mistakes as without reverse gear they risked getting stuck.
The pair picked up a puncture in stage five and lost around a minute as they drove through the test with it whilst stage seven threw all four seasons of weather at them.
But Cookson and Wilkinson, displaying the new cow-style livery on their Impreza courtesy of their Robert Wiseman Dairies sponsorship deal, battled through to make it to the finish in Jedburgh town centre and collect 10 points on the MSA Gravel Rally Championship leaderboard.
“It was always going to be a very tough rally for a car that had been completely stripped and rebuilt after the Sunseeker and it was also always going to be difficult for myself and Julian after the accident and we were not wrong there, it has to be the toughest rally we’ve ever done so to finish was a great result and we’re satisfied with our position,” Cookson said.
“We just need to get to the bottom of why our diff problem that we suffered earlier in the year returned to blight our challenge on this event. The rally had a really high rate of attrition that saw 17 cars off in the first two stages including some top drivers that were caught out by Kielder’s notorious ditches so to finish was not that bad and we’re pleased to have collected 10 points in the championship.”
The car will now be converted into tarmac-spec over the next four weeks ahead of round three of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship, the Douglas-based RBS International Manx Rally on Friday 9 – Saturday 10 May.
30.03.08 Cookson and Wilkinson aim for Border Counties finish
Saltash driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson are hoping for better luck on next Saturday’s (5 April) Border Counties Rally.
The pair return to action in their SparDevon.com, VK Vodka Kick, Riverside Property Services and Kumho Tyres-supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) for the second round of the Pirelli MSA National Gravel Rally Championship following their retirement on the opening round, the Rallye Sunseeker, last month.
The crew were up to an impressive 10th overall before their rally came to a premature end on stage nine as they left the road when all five wheel studs sheered off at the front driver’s side and the wheel parted company with the car, causing them to go off into the scenery.
They are now hoping to make amends in round two as Cookson and Wilkinson aim to collect some points on the Kielder Forest-based event and will be boosted by last year’s result when they finished 19th overall and second in the Subaru Trophy in their old Group N Impreza.
“Our aim on the Borders is basically to try and finish after the part failure on the Sunseeker resulted in us missing out on points, which was especially hard to swallow after we were on the pace of many of the top ten seeded crews after finally getting the car working as it should,” Cookson said.
“The whole team was obviously disappointed after the Sunseeker and hoping that our luck will change soon, but I’m really looking forward to getting back out there.
“After all the work that has gone into re-preparing the car both mechanically and cosmetically, and with no time to test it to make sure everything is working as it was on the Sunseeker, we will just ease our way back onto the infamous Kielder stages, find a comfortable pace, then see how our times are at first service and go from there.”
Cookson and Wilkinson have also secured a new sponsor ahead of the Border Counties Rally in the form of Glasgow-based Robert Wiseman Dairies, which means their car will be in a new livery for the event.
Robert Wiseman Dairies procures, processes and delivers liquid milk to customers throughout Great Britain, operating from six major processing dairies in Aberdeen, East Kilbride, Glasgow, Manchester, Droitwich Spa and more recently in Bridgewater.
Duncan Carrick of Robert Wiseman Dairies, said: “Robert Wiseman Dairies is pleased to be supporting the GillettsSpar.com backed rally team in the Pirelli MSA National Gravel Championship and wish them all the best on all their events in 2008.”
Cookson and Wilkinson will start the event at number 37.
27.03.08 Crews set for battle in round three of Motoscope NHRC
Five crews will battle it out for the honours in round three of the Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship, the SMC Stages, on Sunday (30 March).
Paul Drinkall and Roy Brown are the top seeds at number 18 in their Porsche 911 for the Weeton Camp-based tarmac event with David Marshall and Chris Hudson entered in their Ford RS1600 at number 26.
Neil and Moira Sawyer start at number 35 in their TR7 V8 followed hot on the heels by Martin Knapp and Elaine Duers in a TR7 16v with David Archer and Mike Dawson at number 49 in their Mini Cooper.
Richard Pocklington, managing director of Motoscope, said: “Round three promises to be a tight battle with a couple of the crews seeded close together and the race for the various NHRC honours should begin to hot up.”
So far 22 competitors have registered for the NHRC, which is affiliated to the HRCR (Historic Rally Car Register).
Northallerton-based rally equipment and car preparation company Motoscope began sponsoring the NHRC this year.
From their shop and workshop on the Standard Way Industrial Estate in Northallerton, Motoscope offer a rolling road service, parts and repairs for both competition and road cars.
In addition to title sponsor Motoscope; Tyres South Shore will also be supporting the series by providing tyres to championship winners on events as well as being available to supply tyres.
www.hrcrnorthernchampionship.co.uk
19.03.08 O'Mahony and Higgins make successful start to season
County Cork driver Brian O’Mahony and County Mayo co-driver John Higgins made a successful start to their season on this weekend’s two-day West Cork Rally (15-16 March).
The reigning Dunlop National Championship class 6 champions finished 22nd overall and second in class 6 in their OM Concrete Products and Tom Hogan Motors-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio, run by O’Leary Motorsport, on the Clonakilty-based tarmac event.
Their event did not run exactly to plan, however, as a puncture lost them around six minutes on stage three and the gearbox began to cry sick, meaning the crew had to nurse it to the finish on the final day on Sunday.
But, despite the setbacks, the pair made it third time lucky on the West Cork Rally as they had twice previously failed to make it beyond the first day after retiring with mechanical problems and had a positive shakedown ahead of their British Rally Championship (BRC) campaign, which begins in April.
“I’m pleased that we finally got to the finish of the West Cork but it’s a shame that a few problems hampered us along the way,” 23-year-old O’Mahony said.
“The event was a good run out before we start the BRC next month and it was good to get some important time back in the car as I hadn’t driven it since Rally Ireland in November. The stages were great fun as always and we’re pleased that we still managed to get a good result.”
O’Mahony and Higgins will run the course car on the Moonraker Forestry Rally on Sunday 13 April in preparation for a return to the gravel for the opening round of the BRC, the Carlisle-based Pirelli International Rally, the following weekend on Friday 18 - Saturday 19 April.
10.03.08 Motoscope NHRC continues with Robin Hood Forest Stages
The second round of the Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship (NHRC) got underway this weekend (8-9 March) with the Sherwood Forest-based Robin Hood Forest Stages Rally.
So far 22 competitors have registered for the NHRC, which is affiliated to the HRCR (Historic Rally Car Register), and 15 were in action across the forest gravel stages of the Robin Hood event.
Darren Moon and John McNichol, fresh from victory in round one last month, once again set a blistering pace as they finished fourth overall and third in class D5 in the two-day National A event in their Mk2 Ford Escort and claimed the NHRC honours.
Jim Clark/Martin Knapp and Paul Mankin/Des Bell were all in action in class armpit in Ford Lotus Cortinas. Mankin and Bell finished eighth overall in the historic category and third in class with Clark and Knapp 10th overall in the category and fourth in class.
Mike Robinson was co-driving for James Slaughter in a Mk1 Ford Escort and came home 21st in the post historic category and seventh in class C3 after a loose plug lead hampered them on stage five.
In the classic category, Pickering crew Steve Magson and Geoff Atkinson were in action in their Opel Ascona but were unfortunate as they retired on stage three on Saturday night with a suspected blown head gasket.
In the Robin Hood Historic Trophy Rally Paul Drinkall/Roy Brown, David Marshall/Chris Hudson and Adam and Ian Tomlinson were all competing.
Marshall and Hudson had a long battle with the Porsche 911 of Drinkall and Brown who eventually won with over a three-minute margin as they finished second overall in the post historic category and second in class C4. Marshall and Hudson claimed third overall and first in class C5 in their Ford Escort RS1600 whilst the Tomlinson’s retired on stage six with engine problems on their MG Midget.
Mike Collins, championship co-ordinator of the NHRC, said: “It was great to see more NHRC competitors out on the Robin Hood and especially experiencing some close battles with one another.
“The Robin Hood generated further interest in the series and we’re hoping to have more crews out on the next round.”
The NHRC has been running for two years and landed its first major title sponsor in the form of Northallerton-based rally equipment and car preparation company Motoscope this year.
The 2008 Motoscope NHRC consists of eight rounds across a mix of asphalt and gravel in the north of England and Scottish Borders with the best five scores to count.
It is open to all cars that comply with the MSA’s requirements for historic rally cars in classes H1, H2 and H3 and only wheels and tyres used in that period are allowed.
In addition to title sponsor Motoscope; Tyres South Shore will also be supporting the series by providing tyres to championship winners on events as well as being available to supply tyres.
The next round will be the Weeton Camp-based SMC Stages on Sunday 30 March.
Website at:www.hrcrnorthernchampionship.co.uk
10.03.08 O'Mahony and Higgins start season with West Cork Rally
County Cork driver Brian O’Mahony and County Mayo co-driver John Higgins will get their season underway when they contest next weekend’s (15-16 March) West Cork Rally.
The reigning Dunlop National Championship class 6 champions will be back in action across the tarmac stages in their OM Concrete Products and Tom Hogan Motors-backed Super 1600 Renault Clio, run by O’Leary Motorsport, for the Clonakilty-based event.
The rally will be a warm-up for the crew as they prepare to contest the British Rally Championship (BRC) for a third time this year. In 2005 they won the British Super 1600 Championship in a Ford Puma but 2006 did not prove as successful as they were blighted by mechanical problems on the car. Last season they switched to the Clio to take part in the National Championship and went on to win the class title.
The pair have had a short break from competition over winter with their last event being November’s Rally Ireland. They now return to the stages across some familiar territory having contested the West Cork Rally twice before but on both occasions have failed to finish due to mechanical difficulties and O’Mahony is hoping it will be third time lucky next weekend.
“The aim is not to do anything stupid, the car was stripped during the winter and everything bar the engine was rebuilt so we’re just doing it as a shakedown really,” the 23-year-old said.
“The stages are lovely down there and it’s a rally I love to do. I’ve done it twice but stopped both times on the Saturday with engine failure, hopefully bad things won’t come in a three for us.”
O’Mahony and Higgins start at number 29 for the West Cork Rally and are the top class 6 seeds.
Following on from the event they will drive the course car on the Moonraker Forestry Rally on Sunday 13 April in preparation for a return to the gravel for the opening round of the BRC, the Carlisle-based Pirelli International Rally, the next weekend on Friday 18 - Saturday 19 April.
03.03.08 Scottish driver Bogie wins Malcolm Wilson Rally
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.
25.02.08 Crews get ready for Cumbria-based Malcolm Wilson Rally
Penrith-based driver Paul Bird heads the entry list for the Cumbria-based Malcolm Wilson Rally on Saturday (1 March).
Three-times rally winner Bird and Kirkby Stephen co-driver Andy Richardson will lead the way in their Vent Axia-backed Subaru Impreza WRC (World Rally Car) as car number one for the 43-mile gravel event, which starts and finishes in Cockermouth town centre and is supported by the M-Sport boss.
The top 11 entries are all in WRC machinery and Bird and Richardson will be followed by Hereford’s Damian Cole and Craig Drew in their Get Connected-sponsored Hyundai Accent WRC with Ventnor’s Will Nicholls and Nick Broom in their Subaru Impreza WRC.
The event also boasts a strong local presence with Burton-in-Kendal’s Wayne Sisson and Daniel Stone the next highest seeds at number 12 in their Mitsubishi Evo 9 followed by Hawkshead’s David Shuttleworth and Simon Megaw at 14 in their Mitsubishi Evo 4 and rally regular, Millhead’s Ian Joel and co-driver Graeme Wood at number 15 in their Ford Escort Cosworth.
The top seeds in the 1400 rally are Bridgnorth’s Duncan Williams and Mark Freeman in the Proton Satria. Kirkby Stephen driver Jonathan Sproat will also be in action in his Vauxhall Corsa along with Windermere’s Chris Huddlestone and Simon Goodwin in their Nova amongst other local entrants.
The Malcolm Wilson Rally is the second round of the BTRDA Forest Rally Series and the first round of the Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK as well as being a qualifying round of the MSA English Rally Championship, the ANECCC Stage Rally Championship and the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship and has attracted a solid entry of 111 crews, with some late entries expected.
The event, jointly organised by Kirkby Lonsdale Motor Club, Morecambe Car Club and West Cumbria Motor Sports Club, comprises of stages in Greystoke, Grizedale Forest and forestry in the North Lakes with the surfaces reported to be better than they ever have been.
There will be 17 registered Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK competitors taking part on the event including Appleby youngster Kris Hall and Penrith driver John Lloyd. Alastair Fisher, the nephew of the late Bertie, is also once to watch as he follows in the family tradition.
Spectators are welcome to the event. Information is available from the website: www.malcolmwilson.co.uk.
25.02.08 Cookson and Wilkinson suffer bad luck on Rallye Sunseeker
Cornwall driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson had some bad luck at the weekend as an incident meant they failed to finish the Rallye Sunseeker (22-23 February).
The pair had been enjoying a good run on the Bournemouth-based forest gravel event in their SparCornwall.com, SparDevon.com, VK Vodka Kick, Riverside Property Services and Kumho Tyres-supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) and were up to an impressive 10th overall before their rally came to a premature end on stage nine, the Grid Law test.
The crew left the road when all five wheel studs sheered off at the front driver’s side and the wheel parted company with the car, causing them to go off into the scenery. The car pirouetted on its nose before coming to a halt and although the damage was mainly superficial, it was enough to finish their event.
The Rallye Sunseeker was the first round of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship for Cookson and Wilkinson and they had got off to a promising start as they were up to 12th overall after the first two stages on Friday night and less than four seconds off the lead.
The pair had risen up to seventh by stage five and survived a spin in stage six in front of the crowds, which saw them slip to eighth as they lost around eight seconds. They dropped back down the order to 10th after stage eight before the incident ended their day but despite the retirement, Cookson remained positive.
“We were absolutely loving the event, the stages were great fun and the car was finally doing what it says on the tin, which was great, and to be honest we were getting more and more dialed into it when the wheel parted company and felt like we were on for a good result,” Cookson said.
“We had done lots of work with the diffs on the car after the problem on the Wyedean and it just felt brilliant and it was probably the best fun I’ve had in a car since getting back into the sport three years ago.
“Even though we had the accident, which was of course disappointing, I still left the event thinking we had a good time and set some times that were competitive which proved to us we can be on a reasonable pace, all we need now is some good luck.
“It was a well organised event and everyone involved needs a big congratulations on putting on a fabulous weekend of rallying.”
Cookson and Wilkinson now have six weeks to repair their Subaru WRC Spares-prepared Impreza ahead of round two of the MSA Gravel Rally Championship, the Border Counties Rally, on Saturday 5 April.
18.02.08 Pendragon Stages added to Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship
The Cumbria-based Pendragon Stages Rally has been added to the Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship (NHRC) calendar.
The addition of the Pendragon Stages, which takes place on Sunday 24 August, sees the NHRC calendar finalised for 2008 and it will be the sixth round of the series.
The rally, which is jointly run by Kirkby Lonsdale MC, Northallerton AC and Eden Valley MC, consists of 65 competitive asphalt miles across stages in Warcop and Lowther Park in Cumbria and last year a ramp was held after first service and at the finish in Penrith town centre.
Mike Collins, championship co-ordinator of the NHRC, said: “The Pendragon is a welcome addition to the NHRC calendar. It’s always a popular event and runs some great tarmac stages that I’m sure will be testing yet fun for our historic crews.
“Now the calendar is finalised for the year and we’re pleased with the high standard of events that we have got as rounds of the championship.”
The NHRC has been running for two years and landed its first major title sponsor in the form of Northallerton-based rally equipment and car preparation company Motoscope this year.
The 2008 Motoscope NHRC consists of eight rounds across a mix of asphalt and gravel in the north of England and Scottish Borders with the best five scores to count.
It is open to all cars that comply with the MSA’s requirements for historic rally cars in classes H1, H2 and H3 and only wheels and tyres used in that period are allowed.
In addition to title sponsor Motoscope; Tyres South Shore will also be supporting the series by providing tyres to championship winners on events as well as being available to supply tyres.
The next round will be the Worksop-based Robin Hood Historic Trophy on Sunday 9 March.
Website at: www.hrcrnorthernchampionship.co.uk
12.02.08 Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship gets underway
The Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship (NHRC) got underway on Sunday (10 February) with the season-opening North Yorkshire-based Riponian Stages Rally.
So far 20 competitors have registered for the NHRC, which is affiliated to the HRCR (Historic Rally Car Register), and four crews took to the stages on Sunday’s opening round.
Darren Moon and John McNichol took the honours in the NHRC as they finished an impressive eighth overall and first in the historic class and class D5 on the 44-mile Thirsk-based forest gravel event in their Mk2 Ford Escort.
Carlisle driver Paul Drinkall and Orpington co-driver Roy Brown were the only other crew to make it to the finish line as they came home 25th overall, second in the historic class and first in the NHRC class C4 in their Porsche 911 and were over three minutes behind Moon/McNichol.
Pickering crew Steve Magson and Geoff Atkinson failed to finish the event and probably had the worst luck of the day as they retired ahead of the penultimate stage with a water pump problem on their Opel Ascona. Prior to their retirement they were 16th overall.
York driver Tom Hewick and Chesterfield co-driver Sam Collis made it to the finish in their Mk2 Ford Escort but were OTL (over time limit) after they took a stage maximum and had a problem in stage 11, Pry Rigg 2. They were 15th overall before they suffered the issue.
Meanwhile, Richard Pocklington, managing director of series sponsor Motoscope, and his co-driver Dan Loveday, who also works for Motoscope, did not start the event due to illness.
Mike Collins, championship co-ordinator of the NHRC, said: “It’s great that the season’s now started and we have our first winners on the leaderboard.
“It’s a shame that only two of the four crews made it round but we’ve had some positive feedback on the event. We’re now looking forward to the next round, the Robin Hood Historic Trophy, which we hope to have more crews out on as we’ve had lots of interest in the series.”
The NHRC has been running for two years and landed its first major title sponsor in the form of Northallerton-based rally equipment and car preparation company Motoscope this year.
The 2008 Motoscope NHRC consists of eight rounds across a mix of asphalt and gravel in the north of England and Scottish Borders with the best five scores to count.
It is open to all cars that comply with the MSA’s requirements for historic rally cars in classes H1, H2 and H3 and only wheels and tyres used in that period are allowed.
In addition to title sponsor Motoscope; Tyres South Shore will also be supporting the series by providing tyres to championship winners on events as well as being available to supply tyres.
The next round will be the Worksop-based Robin Hood Historic Trophy on Sunday 9 March.
Website at: www.hrcrnorthernchampionship.co.uk.
11.02.08 Cookson and Wilkinson finish tough Wyedean Forest Rally
Cornwall driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson finished a tough Wyedean Forest Rally on Saturday (9 February).
The pair came home 29th overall and 11th in class WR1 in their SparCornwall.com, SparDevon.com and Kumho Tyres-supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) but they endured a difficult day before finally making it to the finish of the 45-mile Forest of Dean-based gravel event.
They began the day with a burnt out starter motor and had to tow start the car. On replacing the starter motor with a spare they realised that it was broken as well so they had to start the rally with added pressure, knowing that stalling the car could put them out of the event.
The crew survived a big moment over a hidden jump in stage two after getting adjusted to the car and softening the suspension and altering the brake bias. In stage three they lost a few seconds when they overshot a right hairpin before the cockpit began to fill with smoke. On stopping to inspect the car they realised the rear bumper was smouldering on the exhaust following the overshoot and ripped it off before continuing after losing around a minute and a half in time.
On stage four Cookson/Wilkinson posted the second fastest time behind event winners Andy Burton and Shelley Rogerson and service saw the fitting of a new, working starter motor.
Stage five threw up its fair share of drama as the crew survived a couple of spins with the final two stages running fairly smoothly for them to finish their first gravel event since July’s Swansea Bay Rally and their first in the Impreza WRC.
“We’re just so glad to have finished. Maybe 29th overall wasn’t the aim but the finish was, especially with everything that the day threw up,” Cookson said.
“I’m really pleased we did the event as it has given us a good insight into the car pre Sunseeker and hopefully we can make some quick changes to improve it. It was a great event run by great people.”
Cookson and Wilkinson will begin their MSA Gravel Rally Championship campaign in just two weeks when they take part in the season-opening Bournemouth-based Rallye Sunseeker on 22-23 February.
They will be contesting the MSA National Gravel Championship for a second time this year after doing it in 2007 in their N10 Subaru Impreza and finishing third overall in the Subaru Trophy.
The pair entered the Sunseeker last year but will not be wanting a repeat performance after the gearbox broke whilst backing it off the trailer and they failed to make it to the start of the event.
“Initially our aim is to try and get on the pace of the other WRC cars on these events. I think if we can get off to a good, confident start we can do okay but getting some points on the board, especially after last year’s misfortune on the event, is going to be the aim,” Cookson said.
“From what I’ve been told the stages are very similar to those on the Tempest Rally, which we’ve done twice now so I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully the tough time we’ve had in the car this weekend will pay off.”
Cookson has become familiar with the Bournemouth area recently after opening a Spar shop in Upton near Poole on Friday (8 February). The shop was formerly known as Triangle Stores to the locals but has since undergone a £200,000 refit and offers everything from off-licence products, newspapers and groceries as well as having a its own in-store bakery department.
Cookson and Wilkinson will start at car number 26 on the Rallye Sunseeker in their Subaru WRC Spares-prepared Impreza.
06.02.08 Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship gets set to start
The 2008 Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship (NHRC) gets underway this Sunday (10 February) with round one, the North Yorkshire-based Riponian Stages Rally.
So far 20 competitors have registered for the NHRC, which is affiliated to the HRCR (Historic Rally Car Register), and four crews will be in action in this weekend’s opening round.
Darren Moon and John McNichol head the NHRC entries seeded at number 14 in their Mk2 Ford Escort in class D5. Hot on their tail is Pickering crew Steve Magson and Geoff Atkinson in their Opel Ascona at number 15 and who will also be pushing them for the class honours in D5.
Carlisle driver Paul Drinkall and Orpington co-driver Roy Brown start at number 33 in their Porsche 911 and will be the only contenders in class C4.
Behind them at number 34 is York driver Tom Hewick and co-driver Alex Lund in their Mk2 Escort, who will also be pushing for victory in class D5.
Mike Collins, championship co-ordinator of the NHRC, said: “To date we have more registrations than we did at this time last year, we have had a lot of interest and are confident of a lot more entries from the Robin Hood Forest Stages onwards.
“The Riponian will be a good event to start the season with and we’re looking forward to getting the championship started.”
Meanwhile, Richard Pocklington, managing director of series sponsor Motoscope, will also be in action in the 44-mile Thirsk-based forest gravel event with co-driver Dan Loveday, who also works for Motoscope, in their Mk2 Ford Escort.
The NHRC has been running for two years and landed its first major title sponsor in the form of Northallerton-based rally equipment and car preparation company Motoscope this year.
Mr Pocklington said: “The Riponian is a good local rally and we thought we would come out and support the NHRC on the first round.”
The 2008 Motoscope NHRC consists of eight rounds across a mix of asphalt and gravel in the north of England and Scottish Borders with the best five scores to count.
It is open to all cars that comply with the MSA’s requirements for historic rally cars in classes H1, H2 and H3 and only wheels and tyres used in that period are allowed.
In addition to title sponsor Motoscope; Tyres South Shore will also be supporting the series by providing tyres to championship winners on events as well as being available to supply tyres.
Website at: www.hrcrnorthernchampionship.co.uk
06.02.08 Cookson and Wilkinson kick-off season with Wyedean Rally
Alan Cookson and Julian Wilkinson will kick-off their season with this Saturday’s (9 February) Wyedean Forest Rally.
Cornwall driver Cookson and London co-driver Wilkinson will contest the 45-mile Forest of Dean-based gravel event in their new SparCornwall.com, SparDevon.com and Kumho Tyres-supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC) after making the step-up from a Group N-spec Impreza, in which they competed the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship in last season.
The crew have been out in the 1998 Impreza WRC before, winning last year’s Smeatharpe Stages Rally before retiring with a clutch problem in November’s Tempest Rally whilst lying third overall.
They will be contesting the MSA National Gravel Championship for a second time this year with the opening round the Bournemouth-based Rallye Sunseeker on February 22-23 and are using this weekend’s event as a shakedown.
“We’re using the Wyedean as more of a test ahead of the Sunseeker to get used to the car again as we’ve not been out in it since November,” Cookson said.
“The aim is to get a finish on the Wyedean. I’ve never done it before, I’ve spectated on it once and I’ve always wanted to do it so now’s our chance and it’s probably one of the most local events we will get to do this year.
“We want to get 45 miles under our belts and get match fit for the first round of the MSA National Gravel Championship. Hopefully we won’t pick up any damage, as there’s only two weeks in between to get it repaired.
”I’d like to thank Steve Furzeland for his help with preparing and running the car. I think without him, I would have probably never made the step up to a WRC.”
Cookson and Wilkinson finished third overall in the 2007 Subaru Trophy in the MSA National Gravel Championship in their N10 Impreza and will be hoping to emulate their success in this year’s series in their Subaru WRC.
The car has an interesting history as it was the car that Francois Delecour campaigned on five World Rally Championship rounds in the 1998/99 season, which included Rally GB. It also featured in one of the early Colin McRae computer games, as well as being one of the early test cars that Prodrive ran.
The pair start at car number 20 on the Wyedean Forest Rally in their Subaru WRC Spares-prepared Impreza.
24.01.08 Malcolm Wilson Rally regs now online
Regulations for the Malcolm Wilson Rally on Saturday 1 March are now available for download online at the event’s website: www.malcolmwilson.co.uk.
As well as the regulations being available, competitors can also put their entries in and pay on the site this year and with the popular Cumbria gravel event expected to fill-up fast with 150 spaces available, crews are advised to get their forms in ASAP.
The Malcolm Wilson Rally, supported by the Cockermouth-based M-Sport boss, is the second round of the BTRDA Forest Rally Series and the first round of the Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK as well as being a qualifying round of the MSA English Rally Championship, the ANECCC Stage Rally Championship and the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship.
The event, jointly organised by Kirkby Lonsdale Motor Club, Morecambe Car Club and West Cumbria Motor Sports Club, comprises of 43 stage miles in Greystoke, Grizedale Forest and forestry in the North Lakes.
Scrutineering will again take place at M-Sport at Dovenby Hall with the start and finish held in Cockermouth town centre and the central service area based at Penrith Truck Stop.
Regulations are also available in hard copy. Anyone wishing to request a set can email the entries secretary Ian Wright on: wright516@btinternet.com.
04.01.08 Motoscope to sponsor Northern Historic Rally Championship
The 2008 Northern Historic Rally Championship (NHRC) will be sponsored by North Yorkshire-based rally equipment and car preparation company Motoscope.
The NHRC has been running for two years, proving popular with competitors and as the series continues to grow it has now landed its first major title sponsor in the form of Northallerton business Motoscope.
The 2008 Motoscope NHRC will consist of eight rounds across a mix of asphalt and gravel in the north of England and Scottish Borders with the best five scores to count.
It is open to all cars that comply with the MSA’s requirements for historic rally cars in classes H1, H2 and H3 and only wheels and tyres used in that period are allowed. Tyres South Shore will also be supporting the series by providing tyres to championship winners on events as well as being available to supply tyres.
The opening round of the Motoscope NHRC is the Thirsk-based Riponian Rally on Sunday 10 February and regulations are now available.
Mike Collins, championship co-ordinator of the NHRC, said: “The championship has grown over the two years since its inception and we thought it was now time to move it on a little and get a sponsor on board as we want to make it bigger and better in 2008.
“It’s great to have the backing of a company that’s well established within rallying and that also has strong links with historic rallying. We’re delighted to be associated with Motoscope and have them on board as our sponsor; we’re looking forward to working together in the new season.
“The NHRC is a competitive series that has some quality events on the calendar that appeals to any competitors who are based within the Northern region.”
Richard Pocklington, managing director of Motoscope, said: “The NHRC is a championship that is continuing to expand and we’re proud to be supporting the series in 2008. It offers some good rallies and appeals right across the scale to people with smaller budgets and crews who want some tough competition.”
Registration for the 2008 Motoscope NHRC costs £15 per person or £28 per crew.
The series will have a stand at the HRCR Open Day at Gaydon Heritage Motor Museum on Saturday 12 January or anyone requiring information or a set of regs can contact Neil Sawyer on 01757 269210 before 8pm or Mike Collins on 01757 269219 before 9pm.
At the end of the season the overall winners will be awarded the Roger Sutcliffe Memorial Trophy with prizes for first and second place in the categories and first, second and third place in the classes.
Website at: www.hrcrnorthernchampionship.co.uk. |
