Rally Reports

Spadeadam Team Rally Win! – Jack Frost Report

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By Barry Lindsay

The Jack Frost rally win for Barry Lindsay & Caroline Lodge was meant to happen because there were quite a few stumbling blocks that could have stopped them in their tracks before the event started.

Their car for the day was to be a SG Petch car offered as a Prize-drive for the winner of the SG Petch ANECCC stage Championship. Steve Bannister & Callum Atkinson won the championship but passed the prize down to 2nd. This happened to be Lindsay & Lodge. This was announced just after the Grizedale and at this point they were building a new Fiesta for the prize-drive.

A few weeks before the Jack Frost the car wasn’t ready so it was agreed with the motorsport manager that Barry best get the 106 prepared ‘just in case’. A few days later plans changed again, Barry & Caroline were to use Steve Petch’s own car the WD40 Fiesta S2000T. Continue reading →

Rally Results (October 2017)

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Adgespeed Rally  3 Sisters Jerry Hettrick navigated Tom Pearson to 29th OA (15th in class).

Rally Results (August 2017)

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Tyneside Stages – Rory Young & Allan Cathers took runner up spot on the event which they had lead after the first group of stages. The R5 spec machine was down on top speed to the WRC spec cars.

Rally Results – July 2017

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Greystoke Stages – Darren Martin /Martin Steele finished 8th OA 5th in class, Barry Lindsay / Caroline Lodge were 12th OA 1st in class. James Coxon navigated Mark Shaw to 18th OA 3rd in class, Jamie Martin / Kyle Gass were 28th OA 7th in class, Rob Graham / Helen Harkness were 33rd OA 7th class.

ALMC Historic – Phil Jobson was 6th OA 5th in class.

The ALMC Stages 2017

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By Phil Jobson

This is the aftermath of our ‘off’ on SS3 of the ALMC Stages Rally starting from Trim in Co. Meath, Ireland. Three loops of three very fast bumpy stages posed a tough challenge for the disappointingly low number of only 7 crews contesting this BHRC round over the Irish Sea.

Only 20 seconds separated all 7 BHRC crews after the first stage. The second stage went well for us too, despite being on well used Pirelli tyres and the driver coping with a swollen thumb sustained following food poisoning on Friday night. Continue reading →

Greystoke Stages 2017

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By Barry Lindsay

West Cumbria MC’s Greystoke Stages was run to a new format in 2017 with no split junctions. However before you get that far the event is so popular it’s a race to get an entry. 55 entries plus reserves within 20min of entries being available at 8am on a Sunday morning!
Darren Martin & Martin Steele were seeded at 10 in the Evo9, with Barry Lindsay & Caroline Lodge at 15 in the 206. James Coxon was navigating for Mark Shaw at 25 in the Sunbeam. Rob Graham & Helen Harkness were in the Mk1 Escort at 33 then Jamie Martin & Kyle Gass at 48 in the Subaru.
Continue reading →

Rally Results (June 2017)

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Warcop Stages – Barrie Thomson & Jerry Hettrick brought the Clio home 24th OA 2nd in the upto 2ltr class. James Coxon navigated his way to 33rd Overall (6th in class). William Thomson navigated Tom Pearson to 37th Overall (10th in class).

Severn Valley – Phil Jobson finished 13th OA 3rd in class on the British Historic championship event.

DMACK Carlisle Stages – Darren Martin & Martin Steele despite the poor seeding and passing cars all day finished 15th Overall 3rd in class. Barry Lindsay & Caroline Lodge brought the 206 back out to get a finish in 24th Overall (2nd in class). Rob Graham & Helen Harkness were 36th Overall and won the Historic up to 1600 class.

Severn Valley Historic Stages 4th round MSA British Historic Rally Championship.

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By Phil Jobson

Starting from Builth Wells show ground, the Severn Valley takes in some of the very best fast flowing stages around the Epynt ranges in Wales; classics such as Crychan and Radnor.

Having beaten Stanley Orr on the Pirelli and him choosing not to contest this round, there was prospect of us taking maximum BHRC points. But with our improved pace I was hopeful of taking the challenge to other C5 contenders such as Andrew Stokes in his late brother and Rally legend, David’s BDA Escort Mk1. Also entered, though not registered BHRC, Ernie Graham and Gary Smith are pace setters with Escort Mk1s.

We set quickest C5 time through the short first stage Cefn (Arwel tells me that Cefn means ‘Back’ in Welsh apparently), but by only 1 second from Ernie Graham. Through Crychan and Gwibedog, Gary Smith clawed back time from us while Ernie Graham pulled ahead of the Class. This left Gary Smith and ourselves on the same time. Tyre wear was high, so at first service we decided to fit new medium compound Pirellis, hoping they’d last. We then set exactly the same time as Gary through the 8.91 mile Radnor. All to play for in the final loop. At second service Richard replaced a front tyre that would certainly have punctured otherwise Continue reading →

Rally Results (May 2017)

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Pirelli Rally
Phil Jobson / Arwel Jenkins finished 8th Overall in the Historic and won their class.

John Overend Stages
Darren Martin / Martin Steele took there Subaru to 13th Overall (11th in class), Jamie Martin / Kyle Gass were 27th Overall (16th in class) in an Evo.

RSAC Scottish Rally , National B
Rory Young / Allan Cathers took there Fiesta R5 to 4th OA (2nd class),
John McIlwraith took the Subaru to 13th OA (3rd in class).
Darren Martin / Pete Johnson were 23rd Overall (5th in class)

Pirelli International 2017 Exclusive – Behind the scenes view.

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By Barry Lindsay

Rallying is a lot more than a driver and navigator in a car going as fast as they can, anyone who wants to get involved in the running of an event is part of a big team of officials. Here’s an insight to only my small part of a big event.

Pirelli meetings start about September 7 to 8 months before when all it is,  is a blank note pad and a copy of Kielder map with a red line on it. Following the 2016 debrief it was obvious more chicanes were needed. So    I was to organize another 42 large bales wrapped and stored for winter. Along with another role I was appointed that first night; the role of Chief Marshal.

By December’s cold icy days, a route and format were decided and I went on a route survey choosing points we could have chicanes  where  a  marshal could man them and have a car parked at or near. The conclusion after this was we are going to need a lot more bales. Continue reading →