ASP / NETRC championship showdown 2014
Championship Countdown to the Cheviot. As we now look forward to the final rally of our championship year, the Cheviot Keith Knox Stages Rally will once again decide who will be our champions. Will it be new names on the top trophies for 2014 or will it be our current champions taking the honours yet again ?
With the championship positions after the recent Pendragon Stages now final, a closer look at the sharp end of the overall tables show that the driver’s title will be decided in favour of one of three men. Darren Doherty stands in the lead by 8 points from Barry Lindsay with Ian Forgan another 5 further adrift. Darren’s season didn’t start until the North West Stages but he’s scored well in his Subaru Impreza on every event that he’s started this year. On the other hand, Barry got off to a flyer on the opening 2 rallies at Croft and was comfortably leading the championship. However, he’s only started half of the 6 events since January and therefore slipped up a little in the race. Ian is new to us and only kicked off his campaign in Blackpool but he’s contested all 6 rallies since February and picked up handy points consistently.
And while Barry is our current champion with his little Peugeot 106 (something he’s managed on 5 previous occasions too), Ian joined as the reigning Scottish Tarmack champion. So it’s clear to see that Darren’s in good company with men who know how to win championships …
The championship Regulations state that contenders can count their 6 best scores of the year and although Ian has started 6 rallies his non-finish on the Tyneside Stages due to a diff failure on his Ford Ka mean the zero points awarded for round 6 will automatically be dropped after the Cheviot. Meanwhile as Darren and Barry have only started 5 events, whatever scores they achieve on the Cheviot will be added to their current total. All 3 drivers have already used their Jokers this year so there’s no possible hidden surprises to come for anyone.
Across in the co-driver’s section it’s less complicated as Michael Lindsay heads Kathryn Forgan by just 6 points. Both have played their Jokers as well and also have to rely on other family members to help decide matters. In Michael’s case it’s his son Barry doing the driving while for Kathryn, it’s her husband Ian pushing the pedals and holding the wheel that she’s relying on for the good finish. Or could it be that really it’s the drivers that are relying on their co-driver’s to get them the finish that decides it all ?
So that’s the overall tables but let’s not forget the classes as there are still a few ‘winners’ to be decided on the Cheviot.
This year’s rally will have new sponsors in ALM Engineering Solutions and FordPartsUK. The Regulations have just been released and tell us that Hadrian Motor Sports Club and Whickham Motor Club are this year offering 80 competitive miles in 9 special stages run over a total distance of 140 miles on the infamous Otterburn military ranges. A Recce of the stages and Scrutineering will take place on the Ranges and then followed by Documentation at Otterburn Village Hall on Saturday 8thNovember. The competition starts at 8:30 the next day with the Organisers planning that the rally will finish in daylight too. The results are expected to be published at the Otterburn Castle Country House Hotel. There’s lots more information about the rally available online at www.cheviotstages.org.uk/
And to finish off for the moment, there’s been an update to our History page on the championship website. A reminder in images of our champion from a couple of years ago showing everyone a clean Escort back bumper … for more go to www.nerallychamp.com/page?history