Welcome to championship newsletter number 14 for the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship. I am pleased to report that round three, the DMACK Carlisle Stages (Saturday 22 June), ran very well and we have been delighted with the response to the first running of this new rally. Crews seemed to particularly like the quality of the stages and the very compact route. In this newsletter are early details of the 2014 rally! With regard to 2014, I can report that we are making good progress on the calendar. Our intention is to include seven or eight one-day gravel rallies, running as far as possible on Saturdays with scrutineering on Friday afternoon. We want to include events with the best quality stages and we will announce the schedule as soon as we are able to. There has been much talk about suspension recently and a great deal of work and research has been going on behind the scenes. The RAC team has also been out talking to competitors to ensure we fully understand the views and wishes of our competitors. Above all, we remain committed to upholding historic regulations and policing the championship firmly and fairly. More information on eligibility matters is included in John Cooper’s report (below). We plan to issue another newsletter during July to cover in more detail the situation regarding dampers. In the meantime, I hope many of you will enter some or all of the final three rallies of 2013. All of them are shaping up to be excellent events and are worthy of your support. Best regards Colin Heppenstall Monday 28 June 2013 E-mail: [email protected] Championship website: racrallychamp.org Championship newsletter: 14/2013 – 28 June 2013 racrallychamp.org West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship television partners Eligibility update I am pleased to report that Rob Harris (based in Skipton in Yorkshire) is now working alongside me on eligibility matter for the R.A.C. Rally Championship. At the DMACK Carlisle Stages, 26 cars were weighed at pre-event scrutineering and another car was weighed at post-event scrutineering. All cars were above the required minimum weight and the difference between the lightest and heaviest was 220 kg. Of course, not all cars weighed were Ford Escorts. During the event, every car was checked for complying tyres at the start of the first stage and around the service area during the day. At post-event scrutineering, 10 of the 11 cars selected were checked, with one having retired during the rally. Some issues, whilst not earth-shattering, will need clearing up in due course. The crews involved have been notified of any items that require attention. However, in most respects our cars fully comply with the regulations. I’d like to remind competitors in Series 5, 6 and 7 that they should have their RAC VIFs completed or be in the process of doing them. If you need form, they can be obtained from me. John Cooper 26 June 2013 Round 4: Neath Valley Stages (Saturday 10 August) Rally HQ will be in Resolven, with scrutineering, documentation, service and finish all taking place at the ‘Old Aluminium Works’ just off the A465 dual-carriageway. There is plenty of room for overnight camping, motorhomes and caravans. Scrutineering for RAC Championship contenders will be on Friday from 2pm until 6pm. On Saturday, the first car starts at 10.30am and finishes at approximately 4pm. There is only one mile of public road on the run out to SS1 and the first stage starts at 10.43am. The definitive route is 45 stage miles and 61 road miles. Clerk of the course Den Golding says that the stages are in the best ever condition and with an entry fee of £425, the event has a cost of just £9.44 per mile. Entries are already coming in nicely and the organisers are aiming at 100 cars, with a maximum of 120. Spectator access will be in Rheola forest and parking will be £10 per car, which will also include access to the service area. Regulations are available the event website: threecountiescarclub racrallychamp.org West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship television partners Robinson Road Planing Round 5: Red Kite Stages (Sunday 8 September) The date for the Red Kite is Sunday 8 September and the event will run to the format planned for the January date, with documentation and scrutineering in Llandovery on Saturday and stages in the Crychan/Cefn area on Sunday. Stages and stage routes will be unchanged from those planned in January. Regs for the new date should soon be on the event website at redkitestages.co.uk Round 6: Trackrod Rally (Friday/Saturday 27/28 September) Rod Parkin, head of the Trackrod team, has confirmed that the R.A.C Championship contenders will be first on the road both for the Friday evening leg and for the stages on Saturday. Friday will take in stages in Dalby and Staindale, starting from around 8pm, while Saturday’s stages will be in Langdale, Gale Rigg and Cropton. NO DOUBLE USE AND FIRST THROUGH for the R.A.C. Championship: 45 miles of prime forest for a very competitive entry fee! The event has a nice new website at rallyyorkshire.co.uk and regs are due out soon. McCormack takes round three Marty McCormack and Phil Clarke took victory on round three of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship, the DMACK Carlisle Stages (Saturday 22 June). The brand new rally, organised by the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club, ran across stages in the Newcastleton and Kershope region and was adjudged a great success as crews praised the quality of stages and slick and friendly organisation. With a very compact route and minimal stage mileage, the event was a great addition to the championship schedule. Overnight rain dampened down the stages, but right from the start McCormack’s Escort Mk2 was the pacesetter, taking eight seconds out of nearest rivals Nick Elliott/Dave Price through the opening Arthur’s Seat stage, with another eight seconds before Jason Pritchard/Dale Furniss in third. The pattern continued over the next two stages, with McCormack exiting the 10- miler through Kershope 19 seconds up on Elliott as they headed for service. “No problems at all, I stayed on the road and it was all good; like a Carlsberg morning,” said McCormack. “I didn’t start to feel confident until the third stage, as the thoughts of being in a ditch one mile in didn’t really excite me,” Elliott added. Pritchard was still in third as they returned to service, but had lost time with a slight off on stage three. “I lost it under braking and had the front wheels over a racrallychamp.org West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship television partners Robinson Road Planing ditch,” he explained. Tapio Laukkanen/Glenn Patterson had started cautiously in the Finn’s first Ford Escort outing for 21 years. “Stage one was a learning lesson, stage two slightly better and then stupid mistakes through not listening and it was slippy,” he explained after dropping from an early fourth to sixth, behind Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks and Matt Edwards/Sam Collis. Pearcey rated his performance as ‘rubbish’ having tried to crash on at least two stages. Edwards also had problems: “We hit a rock on stage one and damaged the manifold, but had to fix it to pass the noise test leaving service and we have no service crew,” he said. Heavy rain played its part during the afternoon stages, a re-run of the morning’s mileage, but made no difference to McCormack. “The whole day was really good. I kept my head down doing what we were doing, plus I didn’t back off in the rain,” he said after securing his win by 36 seconds. Elliott also consolidated his hold on second: “I pushed more as I got more confident. It was my first time on some of these stages, so very happy with second,” he concluded. Apart from ‘a few slips and slides,’ Pritchard came through the afternoon unscathed and also won the FIA Appendix K class in his Escort Mk2. Edwards moved into fourth on stage four and built a cushion over Pearcey. “We had to keep fixing the manifold all afternoon though,” added Edwards. Steering problems started to drop Laukkanen down the order too. “I stalled at a junction in stage five though, but it was great fun,” he said after dropping to 11th at the finish. His fall brought the Escort Mk1 of Richard Hill/Dave Robson into the top six. “Maybe I was a bit cautious at first with my new navigator and then lost time on stage five as I couldn’t see in the rain,” said Hill after clinching victory in Series Two. His delay gave Rob Smith/Alun Cook an outside chance of snatching sixth, with only five seconds between them and a 10-mile stage to finish. “We got a rear puncture though and the car hadn’t missed a beat all day,” said Smith who still managed to retain seventh. Jimmy McRae and Pauline Gullick upped their pace during the afternoon and broke into the top ten, before sealing eighth in their Escort Mk2. “I could have done with doing the first three stages again,” said McRae. The Escorts of James Potter/Robert Duck and Will Nicholls/Nick Broom completed the top ten, Nicholls also taking second in Series 5 for Appendix K cars, with Steve Perez/Carl Williamson sadly having suffered a broken diff on the Lancia Stratos the opening stage. Ian Beveridge/Paul Price (Volvo PV544) and Stephen Higgins/Howard Allison (Saab 96) contested Series One, with Beveridge really enjoying the stages on the way to victory. Class C3 in Series Two was decided on the last stage when Dick Slaughter/Tim Sayer (Escort MK1) went off after leading all day. Terry Cree/Richard Shores (BMW 2002) moved through to win with David Kirby/Chris Rixon (Escort Mk1) a minute racrallychamp.org West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship television partners Robinson Road Planing down in second. “I thought we were quicker at the start, it felt fast,” said Kirby. Hill/Robson led Class C5 in Series Two all day and only Nick Jarvis/Craig Thorley survived, after Mark and Tim Tugwell rolled their Escort Mk1 out of the rally. Class C2 went to Robin Shuttleworth and Ron Roughead (Escort Mk1 Mexico), who ran first on the road in a trial initiative to support the 1600cc cars from Series Two and Three. Class D3 in Series Three featured a day-long duel between Peter Smith/Patrick Walsh (Opel Kadett) and the Ford Escort Mk2 of Ben Mellors/Alex Lee. Mellors led from stage three, while Smith retired on the final stage with an overheating engine, which promoted Alan Hughes/Richard Wardle (Escort Mk2) into second. Tim Mason and Graham Wild (Porsche 911) were never headed in Class D4, while Guy Anderson/Kim Baker (Sunbeam Lotus) secured second from Steve Magson/Geoff Atkinson (Vauxhall Chevette) as Magson struggled all day with food poisoning. Simon Wallis/Graham Wride were the only Series Four starters in their BMW 325 and a broken engine mounting got them back to service after the first three stages but no further with the engine resting on the steering rack and sump guard. With Dylan Davies/Llion Williams retiring their Escort Mk1 with a cracked roll cage after the first stage, Barry Jordan/James Gratton-Smith topped Series Seven in their Escort Mk2, comfortably clear of the similar car of Martyn Hawkswell/Nick Welch. Full results are available at rallies.info Carlisle award winners announced The special award winners for the third round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship have been announced following the DMACK Carlisle Stages (Saturday 22 June). Matthew Robinson and Nigel Hutchinson posted the first retirement of the rally when their Ford Escort Mk2 developed a misfire on the way to the opening stage. The last retirement was the Ford Escort Mk1 of Dick Slaughter/Tim Sayer, which went off on the final stage. Both crews will receive a £100 voucher from West Wales Rally Spares, as will Ford Escort Mk2 crew Ben Mellors and Alex Lee after their number came out of the hat in the draw for a third voucher. Meanwhile, class C3 contenders David Kirby and Chris Rixon will receive a cheque for £225 from Holton Homes after their number came out of the draw for a refund of 50% of the event entry fee. The ‘Spirit of the Rally’ product award from Fuchs Lubricants goes to Vauxhall Chevette driver Steve Magson who battled to the finish despite suffering with food poisoning. His last visit to the Kershope stage ended in a roll on the 2012 Roger Albert Clark Rally. racrallychamp.org West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship television partners Robinson Road Planing Will Midgley and Paul Slingsby won the Best Improvement on Seeding, which is a set of axle brake pads from Mintex, in their Toyota Corolla. Finally, Matt Edwards won the ‘Hard Charger’ award of a 20-litre jerry can from Green Valley Industrial Supplies. Despite a damaged exhaust and no service crew, Edwards and Sam Collis battled home in a strong fourth place. Carlisle Stages to return in 2014 Following the first running of the new DMACK Carlisle Stages, plans are already under way for the 2014 event with a provisional date set of Saturday 21 June. This year’s event, round three of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship, was hailed as a great success and drew widespread praise from competitors. Superb stages, slick and friendly organisation and a compact route and format drew universal acclaim from competitors. The event featured 45 stage miles and just 65 road miles, with a 10am start and the first car back at the finish by 3pm. Organised by the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club, the rally had a superb start venue, rally HQ and service area at the premises of the R J Murray & Sons Haulage Company in Longtown, five minutes from the M6 at Carlisle. Crews reported that the stages in the Kershope and Newcastleton complexes were in first class condition. Even though the inaugural Carlisle Stages has only just been completed, plans for 2014 are already being laid. “This event has got great potential and we plan to grow it year on year,” said rally manager Colin Heppenstall. “We had a couple of regional associations observing the rally this year and we hope that they will decide to include the Carlisle Stages in their 2014 championship calendars.” The 2014 event is, of course, already included in the provisional calendar for the R.A.C. Rally Championship. Championship celebrates Category 1 cars Historic rally cars from the pre ’68 Category One will be celebrated over the next two rounds of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship, the Neath Valley Stages (10 August) and the Red Kite Stages (8 September). The idea is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of four cars that have been the mainstay of Category One over the years. Half a century ago, 1963 heralded the arrival of the Mini Cooper S, the Porsche 911, the Ford Lotus Cortina and the Hillman Imp. The two Welsh events will be ideal for the Category One cars and the Neath Valley Stages offers the only chance of 2013 to rally in the forests made famous by Wales Rally GB. Both events promise classic gravel stages in prime condition and, in line racrallychamp.org West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship television partners Robinson Road Planing with tradition for these cars on gravel rallies, Category One cars contesting these events will run first on the road. At a time of the season when opportunities to contest top quality Welsh stages in a Category One car are very limited, it is hoped that this initiative will bring out a good field of these wonderful cars on these events. Those registered for the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship will, of course, score points in the Walker Castings Category One within the championship. To mark the 50th anniversaries, special awards will be presented to the best presented Mini Cooper S, Porsche 911, Ford Lotus Cortina and Hillman Imp across the two rallies. A panel of expert judges, including scrutineers, will look at the cars and the four selected winners will each receive a special 40cm x 30cm framed canvas print of their car in action. Mature drivers to be celebrated Drivers over the age of 55 will be celebrated with a special award in the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship. The highest scoring mature driver at the end of the season will be rewarded with a suitable trophy and prize at the championship prize-giving in October. The move to acknowledge the significant number of drivers over the age of 55 came after youngster Marty McCormack and 40-something Nick Elliott set the pace over the opening two events of the season. Drivers of a relevant age will be asked to tick a box at championship signing-on to confirm they qualify for the award. “Historic rallying has a very broad appeal across the age groups,” said championship manager Colin Heppenstall. “We are very pleased to have a number of mature drivers competing and they bring a great deal to the WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship, in terms of speed, experience and good humour. This award will recognise how much we value them.” Another award added to the end of season trophies will be for the best performance by a non-Ford in the final championship standings. With many Ford Escorts packing out the entry list, the ‘It’s not an Escort’ award will be presented to the best placed car from any other manufacturer. 750,000 views on iRally for R.A.C. Rally and Championship Over 750,000 views on iRally is the outstanding result to date in 2013 for the 2012 Roger Albert Clark Rally and the 2013 West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship. Three-quarters of a million views confirm the rally and the championship as the most viewed coverage of historic rallying, and show the value of the partnership with iRally. Coverage of the opening event of the 2013 season, the Mid Wales racrallychamp.org West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship television partners Robinson Road Planing Stages, broke the 200,000 mark when it went live in mid-March. The free iRally App is available for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices and offers an incredibly popular rally video channel. The entire R.A.C. Rally Championship will be available on iRally this year through the standard-setting TV programmes produced by David Winstanley of rallytv.co.uk. “These figures show that interest in historic rallying is running at an absolute high,” said Greg Strange of iRally. “When we add the coverage of this weekend’s DMACK Carlisle Stages, we will be getting close to one million views.” Championship manager Colin Heppenstall is equally delighted with the results: “We want to make coverage of our events as freely available to as many people as possible. iRally is certainly delivering on that commitment.” For more about iRally, please visit bit.ly/iRallyNow, or download the App free from the App Store or Google Play.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 17:00:11 +0000
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