May 4th, 2010
Barry and Michael Lindsay’s well judged pace on the Squarepage Systems Rally helped them to 5th overall and take yet another set of maximum championship points. The Dunfermline Car Club organised rally was run at the old Ingliston Race track that’s adjacent to Edinburgh Airport where 8 stages were set out for 40 miles of competition. Saturday’s rally was run around the usual tight confines of the Royal Highland Showground but with an added twist. The organisers managed to gain access for the first time to the garden section of the complex and with a mix of narrow, blind sections; a jump over a bridge and fast perimeter roads it added some variety to the usual straights with square corners.
The opening 2 stages were damp after some overnight rain but the Lindsays seized the opportunity to transmit all their car’s power onto the road and were 4th overall while the more powerful cars struggled with wheel spin down straights as well as out of corners. This was a lead they would never lose despite Barry Renwick / Ken Bills getting within 3 seconds at the lunch halt. So with the confidence of true champions, they “backed off” to the finish but still managed to go 7 seconds faster on the final stage which just happened to be a repeat of stage 7.
Gareth White and Callum Atkinson registered their arrival in the championship with a fine second top points score as they finished 8th overall in the rally. Driving the ex Jason Pritchard Citroen C2R2 Cup car, they adapted well to the venue and reported a trouble free drive. Their times got better as the day progressed and they ended up just 1 second and 2 seconds shy of the Lindsay’s Peugeot 106 on the last 2 stages. It looks like the youngsters will keep our class leaders honest on future rallies and not only push them very hard but bring more variety with their French machine.
And from a championship point of view, the drive of the rally was from Andrew Fry and Michael Hunter. Using their Rover MG ZR, the young Dumfries crew drove with commitment to find themselves up to 14th at halfway. A push in the afternoon’s stages would see the 1400cc powered car move further up the leaderboard to finish a fantastic 3rd in championship and 10th overall in the rally.
A brief mention for David Hope / Fiona Gourlay driving a Subaru Impreza to 11th overall and Dave Seed / Mick Morpeth in their Ford Escort G4, just 1 second behind. Once again both crews were starting their championship year with good solid performances and the Ford crew will be rueing the 23 seconds they lost on the first slippy stage as they just couldn’t make up the time lost over the remaining 7 tests. Paul Dolan and Derrick Fawcett’s championship hopes continued to progress ever upwards with a solid 14th overall. The Northallerton crew felt robbed of a top 10 finish when they broke a drive shaft on the very first stage. They crawled out of the test and the resultant loss of over 1 minute meant that they were only 36th fastest after stage 1. But they just got their heads down and with the Evo 7 now working the way Mitsubishi had intended, they charged back up the time sheets to score more valuable points
As for the retirement’s list – well young Matt Thompson’s move across from the navigator’s seat ended with a lack of drive (and gearbox oil) in his Mitsubishi Evo IX on stage 4; Peppe Planeta and Giles Dykes retired their Ford Fiesta after stage 2 with engine problems and started the long drive back to the Isle of Man earlier than planned; Hexham’s Chris Grieve had to call it a day when his Peugeot 106 retired at the lunch halt as he investigated the source of his poor handling – it turned out to be the limited slip diff not working; and finally Barry Renwick and Ken Bills in the immaculate Ford Escort Mk2 retired from 6th position on stage 5 with a noise on the transmission – it sounded as though it could be expensive so they decided to save the car for another day. On a brighter note when the rally lost a few crews from the effects of the Icelandic Ash Cloud, we only had one non starter who was stuck in the southern hemisphere.
And so after 4 rounds of the championship, Alistair Hutchinson still leads the driver’s table from Barry Lindsay and Paul Dolan. While across in the co-driver’s section we have St John Dykes ahead of Michael Lindsay and Andrew Lees.
A big thank you goes to Dunfermline Car Club for putting on yet another well organised event to their usual high standard and once again this venue has proved that a well driven car with less power can be quicker than the boys with the big motors.
The next rally in the championship is the Jim Clark National based at Kelso Racecourse but run on the closed public roads around the Duns area. This event will tag onto the tails of the International Rally run on the 28th and 29th May. The event regulations and entry forms have been out for some weeks now and over 50 entries have already been received by the organisers. As mentioned in earlier bulletins, entries will close at the discounted rates on May 4th. All information is publicised on their website www.jimclarkrally.com and anyone considering doing the rally should be aware that the organisers do not print or send paper copies of anything unless requested. Anyone having trouble accessing the site should contact either Colin Pagan, on 07967 478765 or David Malthouse on 07792 226914 
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news
March 9th, 2010
Regulations have just been released for the next event in the championship – the Squarepage Systems Stages. This rally, scheduled for Saturday 24th April, is being organised by Dunfermline Car Club and will be based at Ingliston, near Edinburgh. The organisers are offering 8 stages giving about 40 competitive miles and they will also be using a new part of the venue which is 100% tarmac but has never been used for rallying before.
Something else new for this event will be television coverage. The organisers have done a deal to get an hour on television with a DVD going to all that enter the rally. Details have yet to be finalised but there will be £20 added to the entry fee with the organisers picking up the other half of the cost and it will be shown on Motors TV.
As mentioned before, the organisers are very keen to stress that this rally is NOT a re-run of the event scheduled there on 13th March. They will be using completely new routes allowing for much more flexibility and more miles.
The Jim Clark Rally organisers have published preliminary details of their 2010 event with the issuing of Rally Guide 1.
The Jim Clark National Rally is the fifth round of this year’s championship. This will take place on the evening of Friday 28th and Saturday 29th May and is part of 6 separate ‘rallies’ taking place that weekend. It is the annual opportunity to compete over the closed public roads around the Duns area.
Rally Guide 1 provides information about all six different rallies to be held over the late May Bank Holiday weekend. Included in the document are details of the six rallies, including the National Rally which will be based in Kelso.
With regard to re-fuelling you should be aware that this will be done only by visiting the re-fueling rigs or a petrol station. No-one will be allowed to put fuel in cars by any other means. Carless and Sunoco have confirmed that they will be at the Jim Clark Rally and they will be in position for the duration of the three days of competition. Shell have yet to make a commitment. At present I cannot say whether there will be room in the zone that the organisers have in mind. There will definitely be NO management cars / auxiliary vehicles allowed on the National and those that infringe this will be penalised.
The organisers promise that the event regulations and entry forms are due out during the week commencing 15th March with entries closing at the discounted rates on May 4th.
It should be noted that the organisers have declared that all of their communications will only be available via the event’s website. The Rally Guide 1 is to be found in the ‘competitors’ section of the site you can go directly there by using the following link www.jimclarkrally.com
Anyone having trouble accessing the site should contact either Colin Pagan, on 07967 478765 or David Malthouse on 07792 226914
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news
February 9th, 2010
Bob Grant & Pete Carstairs in their Subaru Impreza
Bob’s back with a bang. Bob Grant and Pete Carstairs returned to the series on the North West Stages and although they would be the first crew home, once again we have another co-driver taking the top honours. After the last event we talked about the youngster Jack Morton setting out on his rallying career but this time it was the turn of a man with many year’s experience. Chris Thirling was a last minute choice of co driver for Darren Doherty but he would step into the ex Tristian Pye Subaru Impreza N12 and end up winning the event.
It was Grant and Carstairs who drove their usual Subaru Impreza with the pace and reliability to lead home the remaining 13 championship crews home. Although never quite on the pace of the winners, the crew suffered on the tight hairpins of the Promenade stages and the slippy, mud covered roads with overshoots were not uncommon. However, they kept the pressure on Doherty / Thirling over the 82 miles of competitive rallying and were just 29 seconds adrift at the finish to claim a magnificent 2nd overall in the event.
And second driver home would be Craig Pennington. Craig is another new name to the series this year and after his non finish on the Christmas Stages he was pleased to get such a strong finish under his belt. Starting from a lowly number of 49, he was quickly on the pace in his Mitsubishi Evo VII and would go into the overnight halt in 16th place. A steady run throughout the 24 stages on Saturday would see him push further up the leader board and end up a fine 12th overall.
Malcolm Davey and Paul Slingsby drove their Ford Escort MkI home to 16th overall and take 3rd place crew. The vastly experienced crew from Bradford couldn’t quite match their feat of winning the class and claiming 14th overall as they did on last year’s North West Stages but they would still take home a good bagful of points.
The Durham Team of Mark and Matt Thompson (Peugeot 206), Alistair Hutchinson/St John Dykes (Renault Clio) and Paul Dolan/Derrick Fawcett (Mitsubishi Evo VII) would finish in 18th, 19th and 22nd overall.
Last time out, Steve Doherty / Peter Grant blew the engine of their Ford Escort and only managed to get a new motor installed the day before the rally. The boys’ hopes for a good run only lasted until stage 15 when they retired with overheating problems. Also unlucky not to make it back to the finish were the father and son pairing of John and Chris Haygarth. Started from number 57, they obviously revelled when driving their Subaru Impreza in the dark to go into the overnight parc ferme a fantastic 9th overall. A good run on the Saturday would end after the last Promenade stage and they were still in a fine 13th overall – the reason for retirement being a windscreen problem.
It may be the first weekend in February but after 3 rallies, we now go into the ‘mid season break’ for 11 weeks now. A quick look at the leading positions in the championship and we have Alistair Hutchinson at the top of the driver’s table ahead of Paul Swift with Malcolm Davey and Paul Dolan in joint 3rd and across in the co driver’s section we have St John Dykes leading Andrew Lees and Giles Dykes. In the classes we have Class 1 being led by Andrew Fry and Michael Hunter; class 2 it’s Barry and Michael Lindsay; in class 3 we have Alistair Hutchinson and St John Dykes and finally class 5 is headed by Paul Dolan and Giles Dykes.
A special mention to the organisers of the Legend Fires North West Stages for putting on a very professional rally. All the indoor facilities at the Norbreck Castle Hotel were fantastic; the opportunity for spectators to view cars in action on the Promenade stage just over the road from Rally HQ was great and all the competitors who made it back to the finish would know that they had completed a brilliant event for the clubman.
So after the upcoming 11 week break, we’ll have our first rally of the year in Scotland. The Squarepage Systems Stages will be organised by Dunfermline Car Club and be based at Ingliston. They will be using a new part of the venue which is 100% tarmac but has never been used for motorsport before. Competitors will have to cross a road but it is a private road which will be closed to the public and so no tax or insurance is required. The organisers are keen to stress that this rally is NOT a re-run of the event scheduled there on 13th March. There will be using completely new routes allowing for much more flexibility and more miles. They may be adding £20 to the entry fee as they may have television coverage (an hour on Motors TV) with a DVD going to all that paid the entry. So it looks like 12 stages with approximately 45 stage miles and television coverage with regulations due out soon.
And a quick mention for the new rally in our championship this year – the Jim Clark National. This event will take place on the Friday 28th and Saturday 29th May and is part of 6 separate ‘rallies’ happening in the famous area of Duns that weekend. This is a rare chance to compete over closed public roads and the organisers promise that Rally Guide 1 is due for publication anytime now and should contain basic information about all of the Jim Clark rallies. Event regulations and entry forms are due out on the 28th March with entries closing at the discounted rates on May 4th.
All information is publicised on their website www.jimclarkrally.com and you should be aware that the organisers do not print or send paper copies of anything unless requested. Anyone having trouble accessing the site should contact either Colin Pagan, on 07967 478765 or David Malthouse on 07792 226914
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news, Uncategorized
January 20th, 2010
Image supplied courtesy of AML Photography
Paul Swift and Andrew Lees were the fastest crew on the recent Jack Frost Rally but Jack Morton is the new name on everyone’s lips. And the reason is not simply because he was on his second ever rally and finished 4th overall. It’s also because he’s just 15 years old, a navigator and his calm attitude in coping with the pressure of being second / third overall for most of the 8 stage event. Jack’s first rallying experience was a couple of weeks earlier when he contested the Christmas Stages in a 1400cc Vauxhall Nova but he was totally cool about everything happening a lot faster on the stages. Although Morton’s driver wasn’t registered for the championship, he is a renowned tarmac driving expert and the youngster is certainly a name to watch out for in the future.
Paul Swift and Andrew Lees may have been a little surprised to take the spoils of fastest crew but they were also very delighted too. Driving their pristine Escort Mark I RS2000, the local boys steadily moved up the leader board as the day progressed to take an excellent 7th overall. Going into the last stage, Paul felt he couldn’t take back the 2 seconds that Chris and Kath Singer were ahead of him but a slip by the Mitsubishi crew let the Escort though. It was a trouble free day mechanically and a chance to show why he drives cars on the limit as the day job too. A very professional display.
So what happened to the Singers ? Despite finishing the first stage in a lowly 21st position, the husband and wife team pushed hard in their Evo 6 to get back up to 7th heading into the last stage. Unfortunately, they ended up going backwards into the gravel trap at the end of the pit straight. A fine recovery saw them drop just 4 seconds to the chasing Swift / Lees but it also meant the loss of maximum points too. At the end of the day, the Mitsubishi crew were happy to finish in 8th considering the number of spins they’d incurred all day and rued the lack of softer tyres.
A new crew to this year’s championship is Michael Glendinning and Andrew Roughead in an Escort Mark II. The Tyne Valley pairing reported no problems and Michael’s commitment and reliability saw him hold 8th and 9th place for 7 of the day’s 8 stages. They would end up just 3 seconds shy of the Singers and were rewarded with 3rd registered crew and their first good haul of points this year after a disastrous Christmas Stages didn’t suit
Alistair Hutchinson was re-united with his regular co-driver St John Dykes this time out and their Renault Clio finished a fine 10th overall. Alistair wasn’t able to repeat his giant killing act from the last rally and complained about the lack of grip on some of the faster sections of the track. But that’s no shame as at the finish, our top 4 drivers were just separated by a mere 9 seconds.
A quick mention of one more new name to the championship – another youngster to watch in the coming days is Chris Grieve. He was driving an ex Peugeot Super Cup 106, on his first rally, and although he had to contend with clutch problems, the North Tyne man used his experience from the Legends Racing Series to good effect and his commitment was rewarded with an excellent 13th overall. That was just 10 seconds behind our current champions Barry and Michael Lindsay in a similar car. Yes the Lindsays did have a little problem with a slipping clutch on the last couple of stages and they would lose some time. However, the son and father crew still managed to claim maximum points in the class. They’ll have to watch their backs on forthcoming events though as it looks like this will be a hotly contested class again in 2010.
And what happened to some of the fancied runners ? Well, the Thompsons retired their Peugeot 206 with gearbox failure on stage 1 and were quickly joined by Steve Doherty / Peter Grant when they ventilated the block of their Ford Escort on the same stage. Billy McLelland actually completed the first stage before retiring with a blown turbo on his Mitsubishi Evo V. And more gearbox woes would see the end of Chris Myers / Matt Whattam ( Mitsubishi Evo IX ) from a fine 3rd overall and the Wigan crew of Martin Farrar and Andy Ward in the Subaru Impreza.
A big thank you must go to Terry Wright and his team at Darlington Motor Club for putting on another slick event, the Cartersport Jack Frost Stages. Perhaps they were a little bit luckier than the guys from the Christmas Stages as they didn’t have the full force of the weather against them but they still put in extra snow clearing efforts in the week leading up to the rally. Rally day passed off as a pleasantly mild, sunny day that was a huge change from 2 weeks earlier. And although it was the same racing circuit used 15 days apart, there was sufficient variation in the layout to give the rally it’s own challenge and character.
The next rally in the championship is the Legend Fires North West Stages. This rally is always very popular and so the usual full entry is expected as this always includes some very quick crews too. The organisers are promising a multi venue rally with several special stages at a number of different venues and the total stage mileage is in the region of 80 miles. The rally runs over the evening of Friday 5th February and all day on Saturday 6th with the rally headquarters being at the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool for the first time; the event’s scrutineering and central service area will also be located there too. The organisers have already received 88 entries so if you’re considering doing the rally, then get in touch with the Entries Secretary, Ann McCormack – her contact details and all the necessary information, regulations and entry forms are available at www.nwstages.co.uk
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news
January 6th, 2010
Image supplied courtesy of AML Photography
New Year and what a start to the year. The Christmas Stages may have been run at a familiar venue but with the unusual, very seasonal weather, we have an un-familiar winner in Alistair Hutchinson. Alistair used all of the month leading up to the event rebuilding the car and with the wintry conditions lately his main aim was to get to the finish in one piece. He came armed with 4 remould snow tyres and it was to prove a wise investment. The Renault Clio was to have more grip on the stages that those with loads more power, and even most crews with 4 wheel drive too. A small ‘driving problem’ ( puncture maybe ? ) on stage 6 resulted in him losing a minute but that was his only problem all day. Rumour has it that he’s hoping for more snow on the next event and then he can use the same tyres again before selling them as ‘hardly used’ !! By the finish, Alistair had not only achieved his aim but also bagged a cracking 5th overall too.
Second championship contender was a newbie in the form of Steve Doherty. Steve brought his 2 litre Ford Escort from Manchester to a venue where he’s never visited before and after a steady drive ended up 11th overall. Being new to the series, Steve enlisted the services of the experienced Peter Grant to sit alongside him and apart from being baulked on one stage for a minute, he had no problems to report.
And coming in third in our championship was another new face to the series, Paul Swift. Paul is a ‘precision driving expert’ by trade and rallying gives him an opportunity to pitch his skills against the clock. He spent a lot of the day with the car at various angles and nudged the bodywork on occasions so his day was in no way ‘incident free’. He and co-driver Andrew Lees lost a lot of time on the very first stage but recovered well until stage 6 when he dropped over a minute, yet they would still end the day in a fine 13th overall.
Congratulations to all 19 registered championship crews who made it to the finish as quite a few competitors retired due a variety of reasons ranging from lack of suitable tyres to lack of ability in the arctic conditions. Our reigning champions, Barry and Michael Lindsay, did make it to the finish but struggled through stages 5 and 6 with a power steering problem and so decided to disconnect it altogether for the final stage. Fortunately for them the icy surface meant Barry didn’t need the muscles of Popeye to steer the car home to another class win and 17th overall. Bill Bates / Kari Bosworth weren’t as lucky as they sheared the wheels studs on their Peugeot 106 near the end of stage 1. Bill was really frustrated as he was using some good snow tyres and was one of the few to have grip. Although he managed to eventually fix the problem, he would end up OTL.
Those of us who were present on the day applaud Ian Jackson and his team from Northallerton Motor Club. Not only did they have to re-schedule the rally with less than 2 months notice ( effects of the Croft Noisy days dispute ), but they also had to battle long and hard with the weather. The snow and ice moving team worked twice between Christmas Day and the event to make sure it ran and then on the day the well drilled organising team coped admirably with the freezing cold and driving snow. Special mention too to the marshals and timekeepers stuck out in the open and the enthusiastic sponsor who never stopped helping from before 6am in the morning – well done to everyone involved with the organisation of the Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally.
The next round of the championship will be the Cartersport Jack Frost Stages which will be held on January 17th. Once again the rally will be based at the Croft circuit where 8 stages will be run offering a total of 36 miles. At the moment, the organisers have 20 spaces left and officially, entries closed on Monday 4th January but after the success of the Christmas Stages they’re expecting a rush of entries. If you’re still thinking of doing the rally you should contact Terry Wright at Darlington Motor Club as soon as possible, more information for this event is available at www.darlington-motor-club.org.uk
And then less than 3 weeks later we have the Legend Fires North West Stages. This is always an extremely popular event so a full entry is expected. The rally runs over the evening of Friday 5th February and all day on Saturday 6th. This year the rally will have a new base, the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool where the event’s scrutineering and central service area will also be located. For those competitors who haven’t tackled the event before you can be sure of a multi venue rally with several special stages at a number of different venues providing approximately 80 stages miles. It’s also the one rally in this year’s calendar in which every starter is guaranteed to run in the dark ! If you’re thinking of doing the rally you’re encouraged to get your entry in quick – you’ll find the regulations and entry form at www.nwstages.co.uk
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news
December 14th, 2009
I know that it’s still over 2 weeks before we start the first round of this year’s championship, but the regulations have just been released today for the third event. The Legend Fires North West Stages Rally will take place on the 5th and 6th February and is always a very popular event with competitors.
Having lost their rally HQ of the last 5 years at Pontins Blackpool Holiday Centre, the organisers will base the 2010 rally at the Norbreck Castle Hotel. The opening stages on the Friday evening will utilise the most northerly part of Blackpool’s famous Promenade and provide a mixture of fast straights and hairpin bends. And for the keen spectators, the event’s central service area will also be located close to rally HQ giving spectators a one-stop scrutineering/stage/service opportunity. This multi venue rally will contain several stages at a number of different venues providing approximately 80 stages miles. This rally is also the only one is the calendar in which every starter is guaranteed to run in the dark – a bit of a novelty these days !
If you’re thinking of doing the rally you’re encouraged to get your entry in quick – you’ll find the regulations and entry form here
But moving back to our opening round – the Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally on January 2nd. The closing date for entries has now passed and the organisers have received 87 entries. As mentioned before, the first 85 are guaranteed a start and the remainder will now be ‘hand picked’ at the organisers’ discretion. The seeding committee are busy working on the official entry list and this is expected at any time on the rally website – keep up to date with the latest on the event here
And finally for now, the latest news on The Cartersport Jack Frost Stages which will be held on January 17th. The second round is just like the Christmas Stages in that it will be based at the Croft circuit again where 8 stages will be run offering a total of 36 miles. The organisers have now received 37 entries and you have until Monday 4th January to get your entry in for this one. Anyone struggling to pay for the entry fee at the moment should be aware that the event regulations state that all cheques will be banked on 31st December so you can post date your cheque for that date. The link for this event is http://www.darlington-motor-club.org.uk/series_home.php?seriesid=21
As ever, more details of the championship can be found at North of England Rally Championship website
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news
December 7th, 2009
The championship has finally been granted a permit and we are now up and running for 2010. The regulations and registration form have been published and the website updated to reflect these changes. As most of you will be aware, AS Performance have agreed to continue with their support of the championship for another year and we’re very pleased to have them on board again.
Once more the championship will consist of 10 rallies with competitors being able to count their best 7 scores. This year, we’ve included the Jim Clark National rally in the series so competitors will get one of the few opportunities to be able to run over closed public roads in mainland Britain. A new feature for 2010 will be the introduction of a class for cars running to F1000 and FS1000 specifications – we hope that this will attract new faces and cars to the championship.
The first event of the year is the Christmas Stages on January 2nd and the rally will be based as usual at the Croft Circuit. The organisers are offering 8 stages covering 40 miles and they have already have received 69 of the possible 95 entries. Only the first 85 received are guaranteed a run, with the remaining 10 chosen at the organisers’ discretion, and the closing date for entries is Saturday 12th December – more information can be found on the rally website
The Jack Frost Stages on January 17th is the second round and will also be based at Croft again. The organisers haven’t received as many entries as the Christmas Stages ( yet ! ) but you will need to get your entry in by Monday 4th January for this one. The link for this event is here.
More details can be found via the link at North of England Rally Championship website
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news
November 16th, 2009
The final event of the 2009 championship is the annual awards presentation. This year’s awards night will be very similar to recent years in that it will follow a familiar format and be held at the same place.
The place is The Grange Club in Chester le Street and date is Wednesday 18th November. We hope to start at 8:30.
A reminder for everyone on how to find the venue; the postal address, is Pelaw Grange Stadium, Drum Road, Chester le Street, Co Durham; if you’re relying on a satellite navigation system – the post code is DH3 2AF and for all the navigators out there you’ll be able to find it on OS map 88, the reference is 271537.
As well as handing out the awards to the lucky winners, there will be the usual excellent hot buffet and the chance to catch up with everyone over a drink. There will also be the latest news of the 2010 series.
Congratulations to all the award winners, we look forward to seeing you all on the 18th. Everyone will be welcome so bring your friends along to enjoy what should be a cracking night.
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news
October 16th, 2009
The local crew comes good at last. After several years of trying, Chris and Katherine Singer have finally finished as top crew on a championship round. The husband and wife team, who live within earshot of the famous Otterburn military ranges, produced a top performance to lead home the many contenders on this year’s Cheviot Keith Knox Rally. Having made the move up from an ex Peugeot Super Cup 106 to a Mitsubishi Evo 6 in mid season, they set top ten times all day and by gradually upping their pace they would finish a worthy 4th overall. This would be a just reward for their consistency and to go better than on the Lindisfarne Rally where their rear diff failed on the final stage when in 7th place.
And although the Mitsubishi crew set a cracking pace all day, they didn’t have an easy run to take the top spot. After the first 4 stages, it was Bob Grant who was setting the pace. Driving his regular immaculate Subaru Impreza, Bob and regular co-driver Pete Carstairs set off at a terrific pace with the intention of carrying on where he left off at the end of his previous visit to Otterburn – the Lindisfarne Rally. At the end of the initial loop, the Scots crew held a 6 seconds lead over the Mitsubishi crew which they managed to stretch out to 29 seconds by the end of the re-run. However, on the fourth stage of the afternoon’s run, disaster struck when a puncture caught them out and the resultant time loss getting the wheel changed and then driving back to service was too much and the current champions were out.
Driving their Peugeot 106, Barry and Michael Lindsay would be very happy to settle for second on a day when the championship would be decided in their favour. The Spadeadam crew started the rally 2 points behind recent leaders Pete Gibson and Adam Bradford in their Vauxhall Nova. Although Pete and Adam have driven quickly all year, their reliability of finishing every one of the 9 rounds so far has pushed them to the top of the pile. But it was to all go very horribly wrong three quarters of the way through the very first stage. Going down the fast twisty section towards North Yardhope, the rear end of the Nova stepped out and the car was quickly launched into a couple of rolls. Although the car landed on it’s wheels and the crew were unhurt, the damage was too great to continue and their season was over. Once Barry and Michael learnt of the Nova’s retirement it was a case of keeping out of trouble, trying to drive in the middle of the road resisting the temptation to push too hard and dice with other competitors. They simply used their wise heads to bring the car home safely for another championship.
It’s good to report another new name at the top of the results with Mark and Matt Thompson recording their best result of the season. The Durham Motor Club pairing put in another consistent run in their smart Peugeot 206 to regularly record top 20 times and push themselves into a fine 3rd overall championship contender on the day
And a quick update of some of the crews who never made it to the finish. David Conley moved up from his ageing Hillman Avenger to a Talbot Sunbeam but his run only lasted until stage 4 when a gearbox mount broke and then a faulty water pump was discovered in service; Geoffrey Harkness and Caroline Lodge returned to the series after their slight indiscretion on the Pendragon and were steadily moving up the leaderboard and looking to break into the top 20 – they stopped with mechanical problems on stage 10; and finally Rob Hornshaw’s cracking drive to bring his beautiful Ford Escort Mark 2 to finish just inside the top ten came to nothing when he was excluded after his service crew was found on a prohibited link road.
A quick look at the overall and class winners for 2009:-
- Barry Lindsay 1st overall driver.
- Michael Lindsay 1st overall co-driver.
- Stephen Bethwaite 1st driver class 1.
- Ann Forster 1st co-driver class 1.
- Barry Lindsay 1st driver class 2.
- Michael Lindsay 1st co-driver class 2.
- Mark Thompson 1st driver class 3.
- Matthew Thompson 1st co-driver class 3.
- Rob Hornshaw 1st driver class 4.
- Rob Dawson 1st co-driver class 4.
- Bob Grant 1st driver class 5.
- Phil Short 1st co-driver class 5.
All the above positions are provisional for 7 days.
Thanks go to the organisers of the Cheviot Keith Knox Rally, Whickham and District Motor Club and Hadrian Motor Sports Club for providing another stern test for man and machine – just a shame the local micro climate decided to offer most of the seasons in the one day. Another cracking rally run over some of the best tarmac roads available to rallying in England and a fitting end to another good year of rallying competition too !
The last event of the year will be the annual end of season awards presentation. More details will be announced in the very near future.
Courtesy of Peter Grant – North of England Tarmacadam Rally Championship
Tags: Rally, Tarmacadam
Posted in Event news