2017 Archive Page

2nd October 2017: BHRC winners announced.

It was a winner-takes-all showdown in the Yorkshire forests between Pritchard/Clarke and Nick Elliott and Dave Price and Elliott was seven seconds up when he slid off for over a minute on the fourth stage. After seeing his rival off the road, Pritchard and Clarke were able to ease their pace and take maximum points to become the first crew to take a hat-trick of BHRC titles.

The rally started with 11-miles of Dalby in the darkness of Friday evening, made muddy and slippery after heavy rain. Remarkably, Pritchard and Elliott were just eight-tenths of a second apart by the end of the stage as Pritchard took a slender advantage.

Saturday morning started with 14 miles of Langdale and Elliott went five seconds faster, which grew in the following Staindale stage to take a 7.5s margin into stages in Gale Rigg and Cropton. Elliott continued his attack in Gale Rigg but a tricky corner caught Elliott out and the Escort went off backwards into the undergrowth. The car was undamaged but stuck and Pritchard, running next car, went by as Price organised recovery with spectators.

A minute and a half was lost and that dealt a fatal blow to Elliott’s title bid. Heading into the second run of Dalby, Pritchard had 67s in hand and, with a measured performance, arrived at the finish on Filey sea front 56s up on his season-long rival.

“It was close! It was a good fight all year and the conditions in Yorkshire made in difficult at the end,”  said Pritchard. “We just did what we had to do and that was all we could. It was a case of whoever cracked first and fortunately for us, that was Nick. But that’s rallying and anything can happen. It’s thanks to everyone who puts in the hours to get us here. Phil and I have the easy part! It is some achievement to win a hat-trick of BHRC titles and it’ll be a while before that record is broken, I’m sure.”

Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver completed a very impressive BHRC campaign with third overall on both the rally and in the championship. Like most crews, they found the Friday night stage a real challenge, but were quick all through Saturday, with second fastest in Dalby less than three seconds down on rally winner Steve Bannister after 11 miles.

Elliott/Price finally finished fourth while Steve Bennett and Osian Owen were fifth despite dropping nearly a minute with an overshoot and a spin on Friday night. They were nicely on the pace on Saturday. Rounding out the top six were Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons in another giant-killing performance in the Pinto-powered Escort Mk2.

Terry Cree and Richard Shores bagged class C3 spoils in their BMW 2002 after a strong run while Stuart Cariss/Linda Cariss (Ford Escort Mk1) topped class C2 with a spirited performance. Their rivals Mal Bayliss and Siobhan Pugh were out early on Saturday with a suspected fuel pump problem.

Provisional final championship points after round 9 (showing best 6 scores):

1 Pritchard/Clarke                     206

2 Elliott/Price                             200

3 Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver       167  

27th September 2017: End of season showdown.

This season has been all about two crews: defending double champions Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke and pretenders to the crown, Nick Elliott and Dave Price. Now the Ford Escort Mk2 crews head to Yorkshire to finally settle the matter and whichever crew takes maximum BHRC points, they will be champions. Pritchard and Clarke have a three-point lead over Elliott and Price and, with 30 points for first and 25 points for second, the top BHRC score on the Trackrod will earn the title.

Beyond the tense battle for the overall championship battle, the Trackrod Historic Cup will deliver some cracking historic action as the BHRC pays its annual visit to the classic Yorkshire forest stages. Drivers like Rudi Lancaster, Steve Bennett and Simon Webster have all shown fine Yorkshire pace in previous seasons and will be chasing Pritchard and Elliott.

Adding tremendous depth to the BDG-powered Mk2 pack will be the cars of Barry Stevenson-Wheeler/John Pickavance and Phil and Mick Squires, while lining up against the BDG-powered Ford Escort Mk2s will be the Pinto-powered version of Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons. Despite getting out of breath on the long straights in Dalby, their pace is such that they will be aiming to take some more scalps from the more powerful cars.

A welcome return to the championship in the Capital Construction Category 2 is the Ford Escort Mk1 of husband and wife Chris Browne and Ali-Cornwell-Browne, and they are joined by the next generation of rallying Browne, son Josh in his Pinto-powered Escort Mk2. For both cars, this is a pre-Roger Albert Clark Rally shakedown and a rare chance to get acclimatised to forest rallying in the dark once more.

Up against Chris Browne in Category 2 will be the mighty Datsun 240Z of the irrepressible Jeremy Easson and Mike Reynolds along with the rapid BMW 2002 of Terry Cree and Richard Shores.

In the 1600cc division of Category 2, there will be another instalment in the season-long contest between the Escort Mk1s of York-based Stuart and Linda Cariss and Welsh crew Mal Bayliss and Siobhan Pugh. Bayliss is overdue a good finish after a frustrating season of mechanical dramas but the local husband and wife crew will be hard to beat on familiar stages.

The Trackrod Historic Cup is based in Filey with scrutineering on Friday afternoon followed by the rally start at 7pm and one 11-mile special stage. The rally resumes at 8.30am on Saturday and the crews will return to Filey from around 3pm. 

19th September 2017: Pritchard takes Isle of Man double header, continued...

Pritchard and Clarke were faultless as they dominated the historics and took a maximum score to set up a winner-takes-all final on the Trackrod Rally at the end of September.

Former championship leaders Nick Elliott and Dave Price achieved their target of a third place score (in round 7) on their first experience of the challenging island roads while Rob Smith and Alun Cook took second overall across the event. Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver finished the event third overall in the BHRC ranks after a strong performance.

The annual voyage to the Isle of Man delivered a typically tough test for crews and cars on the closed roads of the island. This year’s stages were notably tight and twisty and heavy rain showers, particularly on Thursday evening, added to the challenge. Tyre choice was always difficult and those who crossed the finish line in front of the TT grandstands on Saturday afternoon deserve great credit.

Pritchard and Clarke set the pace on the opening stage on Marine Drive and ended Thursday's five stages with a 17-second lead over Smith Alun Cook. Out when heavy rain struck stage two was island newcomer Neil Williams and his co-driver Ashley Trimble who clouted a bank and retired their Escort Mk2. There was also trouble for Ryan Barrett and Paul McCann who stopped to change a puncture on the evening's final stage and lost over four minutes. They later retired with a misfire issue.

Pritchard was caught on the wrong tyres on the opening stages of Friday but Smith was not able to capitalise as he was twice held up in the first stage by stricken modern crews and lost around 20 seconds.

Smith continued to attack, but Pritchard reached the half-way point on Friday afternoon with a 35s margin to claim the first set of BHRC points. Meanwhile Elliott achieved his target of third place in the first part of the double-header. However, he had bent the steering on the Sand Quarry stage and later retired from part two rather than take risks in a car that wasn't quite right.

Pritchard continued his faultless performance as part two started and any chance of Smith going with him ended on Marine Drive when he slid into a kerb, bounced through some posts and damaged the spot lights. A hand injury from the wheel kick-back compounded his woes.

Saturday brought further tricky tyre choices but nothing could unsettle Pritchard and he calmly drove to one of the most important victories of his career to date. Smith held station in second and third among the BHRC crews was a very good result for Lancaster and Weaver after a consistently strong rally.

Others were not destined to reach the finish, including Stanley Orr and Andrew Bushe who set a cracking pace until Stanley's Escort Mk1 was sidelined by alternator failure, while Eliot Retallick and Tim Tugwell crashed their Hillman Avenger out of the rally late on Friday.

A clutch of fine performances packed out the next places among the BHRC contenders, who were headed by Barry Stevenson-Wheeler and John Pickavance after a tremendous run in their Escort Mk2. Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons duly took top points in Class D3 after a mature rally on Ben's first rally on the island. He started steadily and built pace all weekend for a great result. Friend finished just ahead of Phil and Mick Squires who turned in a typically consistent performance, with Tim Freeman/Paul Williams not far behind.

In the Capital Construction Category 2, it was a mixed weekend for Phil Jobson and Arwel Jenkins. They did enough in the first part of the double-header to secure the category title but were sidelined on Saturday by a minor gearbox problem for their Escort Mk1. That left the second Category 2 victory to Ken Graham and Rory McCann in their first rally in an ex-Barry Jordan Hillman Avenger. Graham is usually part of the service crew for Paul and Ryan Barrett but showed a good turn of speed in the 1600cc Avenger.

This was a tough event for Andrew Stokes and Adrian McNally but they achieved Stokes' ambition of finishing the rally in their Ford Escort Mk1. They were innocent parties in a head-on collision involving Belgian driver Peter Tsjoen during the pre-event recce but were determined to start the rally in the car that Andrew's late brother David took to many successes on the island. Despite losing four minutes to a fuel pump problem, they finished 16th in the historic field.

Finally, the Vintage Car Radiator Company Category 1 went, once more, to the Mini Cooper S of Phil Harris and Richard Suter after another exemplary performance. Harris was quick to praise both his co-driver and the car preparation from RSR Historic Engineering and reckoned that the concluding Classic stage was the absolute highlight of the rally.

Provisional championship points after round 8 of 9 (showing best 6 scores):

1 Pritchard/Clarke                       193

2 Elliott/Price                                  190

3 Lancaster/Weaver                   150  

2nd August 2017: Pritchard wins on Epynt.

Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke took an important victory in round six of the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Harry Flatters Rally on Epynt (Sunday 30 July).

The result gives Pritchard and Clarke a shot at a third title if they can take maximum points from the remaining three rounds. Championship leaders Nick Elliott and Dave Price were edged back to fourth on the asphalt event by Rob Smith/Alun Cook and Neil Williams/Sion Jones after a tremendous four-way battle of Ford Escort Mk2s. Read the full report here.

The annual charge over the demanding Epynt ranges was a very well-received event and the crews enjoyed five long stages, each of around 14 miles. The Brecon Motor Club rally ran slickly all day and the serious rain held off until crews were back in Brecon for the finish.

Pritchard was on the wrong tyres for the opening stage and dropped 17s as a result. Meanwhile, Elliott took the lead from Williams and Smith but a spin on the second stage cost Elliott a few seconds and it was Smith who went narrowly ahead of Williams. However a heavy landing near the start of the stage left Smith contending with a bent steering rack. After a precautionary gearbox change following SS2, Pritchard really attacked on the third test and went nine seconds faster than anyone to take a three-second lead.

The fourth stage was a repeat of SS3 running from east to west across the ranges and Pritchard took another eight seconds from his rivals and, even though Smith topped the final test by three seconds, Pritchard had done enough to secure his first BHRC win of the season. Second place was only settled on the final stage when Smith’s attack turned a one-second advantage for Williams into a five-second deficit, while Elliott was close behind in fourth.

Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver were a minute further back as the best of the rest, while Tim Freeman/Paul Williams beat Simon Webster/Jez Rogers by just a second in a close contest further down the overall top 10.

Into eighth in the BHRC ranks went Barry Stevenson-Wheeler/John Pickavance after a trying opening stage when a brand new rev limiter refused to allow their Escort Mk2 to run at more than 6000rpm. Phil and Mick Squires had a good run to ninth while first in the Capital Construction Category 2 was the Escort Mk1 of Andrew Stokes and Adrian McNally. The final stage of the rally was named in honour of Andrew’s late brother David, as the 2015 Harry Flatters was his final rally.

Phil Jobson/Arwel Jenkins ran out of suitable tyres for their Escort Mk1 on SS4 and dropped time, to finish a frustrating 13s down on Category 2 rival Stokes, while Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons struggled through the first two stages with a chronic misfire and lost around five minutes as a result. Leading the 1600cc cars in Category 2 was the Escort Mk1 of John Williams/Gethin Sollis while the Vintage Car Radiator Co Category 1 was again won by the Mini Cooper of Phil Harris and Richard Suter. A fifth category win from five starts means that Harris and Suter are now secure as Category 2 champions.

Provisional championship points after round 6 of 9:                          

1 Nick Elliott/Dave Price             161

2 Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke      151

3 Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver     105

3rd July 2017:  Smith tops Mintex MSA BHRC in Ireland 

Rob Smith and Alun Cook took top honours in round five of the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Trim-based ALMC Stages in Ireland (Sunday 2 July). Also the award winners have been announced for the ALMC stages.

The championship’s first visit to the Republic of Ireland for at least 15 years marked the start a run of four asphalt rallies as the schedule heads into the second half of the season. Smith, now an established asphalt ace, joined the regular contenders for the first time this season in his immaculate RSR-prepared Ford Escort Mk2 and the Towcester-based driver came away with maximum points.

 However, for leading season-long championship contenders Nick Elliott/Dave Price and Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke it was an unfruitful trip across the water. Neither crew finished the rally and there was particular disappointment for Pritchard when distributor failure put him out when leading. The result means no change at the top of the championship leader board, with Elliott retaining a 20-point margin. Pritchard had hoped to pull back some points on the asphalt event, but will now try and do that on round six, the Harry Flatters Rally on Epynt (Sunday 30 July).

“It was a great event with some amazing stages”,  said Pritchard. "The Viking Motorsport car was a pleasure to drive and we were setting top times against the modern cars.”

Leading the chase of Smith in the final result was Northern Irish crew Stanley Orr/Stephen McAuley (Ford Escort Mk1), after beating Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver (Escort Mk2) by less than four seconds. Orr was only a minute down on Smith after more than an hour of rallying and had to keep pushing hard to fend off the charging Lancaster. Tim Freeman and Paul Williams were not far adrift in fourth place in their Ford Escort Mk2, while Phil Jobson and Arwel Jenkins were classified fifth despite a lengthy delay. 

Provisional championship points after round 5 of 9:                  

1 Nick Elliott/Dave Price             130

2 Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke       110

3 Ben Friend/Cliffy Simmons       70    

Award Winners for ALMC Stages.

The special award winners from the fifth round of the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the ALMC Stages (Sunday 2 July) have also now been announced; and they are as follows...

Rob Smith and Alun Cook, the top BHRC finishers on the event, collected the award for the "Best Improvement on Seeding", which is a set of axle brake pads from Mintex.

The "Spirit of the Rally" product award from Fuchs Lubricants went to Stanley Orr, who came back into the championship strongly after some early season car problems. The Northern Irish driver was the leading challenger to BHRC winner Rob Smith by the end of the rally.

Finally, Rudi Lancaster won the "Hard Charger" award of a 20-litre jerry can from Green Valley Industrial Supplies. With co-driver Guy Weaver, the Devon driver had another attacking drive to finish third among the BHRC contenders and within four seconds of the runner-up position.

6th June 2017: Elliott's four tops in Mintex MSA BHRC

Nick Elliott and Dave Price made it four wins from four rallies in the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship on Saturday's Severn Valley Stages (3 June).

6th June 2017: BHRC Severn Valley award winners announced

 The special award winners from the fourth round of the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Severn Valley Stages (Saturday 3 June) have been announced. 6th June 2017: Elliott makes it four in a row, continued...

The Ford Escort Mk2 crew finished with a winning margin of just five seconds over defending champions Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke after a fierce battle on dry and fast Welsh forest stages. Once again, other BHRC category wins went to Phil Harris/Richard Suter (Mini Cooper) and Phil Jobson/Arwel Jenkins (Ford Escort Mk1). The event was very well-received by crews with much positive feedback on stage conditions.

Just as on the preceding Pirelli Historic Rally, it was incredibly close between Elliott and Pritchard right from the start. Over the first three stages in Cefn, Crychan and Gwibedog, Pritchard went ahead by just two seconds. Then in Radnor, Elliott made a really big push on the fast and flowing stage to earn an eight-second lead for the second run of Cefn, Crychan and Gwibedog. Pritchard pushed again on the final loop to reduce the gap to only five seconds, but Elliott completed a quartet of 2017 wins.

Steve Bennett and Osian Owen had a good, clear run to take the final step on the podium, while Simon Webster and Jez Rogers scored a fine fourth, but Webster was still gobsmacked by Elliott's pace in Radnor. Another strong run netted fifth overall for Tim Freeman and Paul Williams, while Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons were stars with sixth place using only Pinto power as they won Class D3 over an attacking performance by Rex Ireland and Adrian Scadding.

 Top points in the Capital Construction Category 2 went to Phil Jobson and Arwel Jenkins but it was a troubled end to the rally for Jobson with a carburettor-induced misfire and a trip into a ditch on the final loop. Class C2 winners were Eliot Retallick and Tim Tugwell with another mighty charge in their Hillman Avenger as Stuart Cariss/Linda Cariss and Mal Bayliss/Siobhan Pugh led the chase. Like several crews, Cariss and Bayliss were held up by an accident in Radnor for one of the modern cars and took a notional time for the stage.

 More notable performances inside the overall top 10 included a really good run for Barry Stevenson-Wheeler/John Pickavance, while rallying returnee Roger Chilman showed very good pace on his historic Escort Mk2 debut with Iestyn Williams alongside and but for a one-minute road penalty would have been fifth.

 Phil Harris/Richard Suter overcame the loss of first gear and early oil pressure worries to win the Vintage Car Radiator Company Category 1 again in their Mini Cooper, while the unluckiest crew of the day were Aziz Tejpar and Steve Davey who suffered head-gasket failure on their Escort Mk1 on the run out to the first stage.

2nd May 2017: - Elliott makes it three from three

Nick Elliott and Dave Price continued their impressive form in the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship with a third win in a row on the Pirelli Historic Rally (29 April).

The Ford Escort Mk2 crew finished with a winning margin of just 6.5 seconds over defending champions Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke after a day-long tussle in dry and dusty conditions in Kielder forest. Other category wins went to Phil Harris/Richard Suter (Mini Cooper) and Phil Jobson/Arwel Jenkins (Ford Escort Mk1).

The fast and flowing Kielder stages were in fine condition and the rally format of running the historic and two-wheel drive cars first on the road for single usage of the stages drew widespread acclaim from the competitors.

Just four long stages were needed to cover the competitive distance and Elliott, despite running first on the road, put down a marker on the opening 10.47-mile Whitesike test. Elliott took an immediate 5s lead over Stanley Orr/Stephen McAuley, with Pritchard/Clarke a further 5s down.

Next came more than 15 miles in Black Fell and Pritchard showed tremendous form to be just 0.8s down on Elliott after more than 15 minutes of competition. After service came the 14.69-mile Clintburn stage and once again there was very little between the top two as Elliott added only 1.5s to his advantage. Going into the deciding nine miles of Claver Hill Elliott's lead was just over 12 seconds and it was all to play for. Pritchard really attached and pulled back 5.9s but it was not quite enough and Elliott was confirmed as winner with a winning margin of just 6.5s at the conclusion of a fine contest between two drivers at the top of their game. Elliott/Price won Category 3 while Pritchard/Clarke headed Category K.

Little more than a minute down on the leading pair was a great result for Simon Webster/Jez Rogers, while Steve Bennett and Osian Owen took fourth on their first rally together. Other Category 3 class winners included Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons (Ford Escort Mk2) who again won D3 as well as finishing fifth in the category.

Orr/McAuley (Ford Escort Mk1) set the early pace in the Capital Construction Category 2 but went out with broken steering on stage 2 and so it was local driver Phil Jobson and his Welsh co-driver Arwel Jenkins who won the category after rivals Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson took a stage maximum in Clintburn.

In Class C2 Elliot Retallick and Tim Tugwell (Hillman Avenger) took another class win, while in the Vintage Car Radiator Company Category 1, the Mini Cooper of Phil Harris and Richard Suter maintained a perfect record for 2017 with their only concern being a puncture towards the end of the opening stage.

3rd April 2017: Rally North Wales, Elliott takes second win.

Nick Elliott and Dave Price made it two wins from two rounds in the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship with a resounding victory on the historic section of Rally North Wales (Saturday 1 April).

Pritchard struggled to find a rhythm and dropped to third behind Joe Price/Chris Brooks. With a 29s deficit to Elliott at main service, Price led the chase but had a moment on the second Gartheiniog stage and parked his Escort on its side and out of the rally.

Pritchard/Clarke re-took second place but were so nearly caught on the final Dyfi stage when Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver trimmed the gap to a single second in the fight for the runner-up position. Elliott/Price won Category 3 while Pritchard/Clarke headed Category K.

Other Category 3 class winners, following strong performances, were Ben Friend/Cliffy Simmons (Ford Escort Mk2) in D3 and David Hopkins/Tony Vart (Sunbeam Talbot) in D2.

Stanley Orr/Stephen McAuley set the pace in the Capital Construction Category 2 as Orr gained useful seat time in his BDA-powered Escort Mk1. They emerged clear winners ahead of good runs for Phil Jobson/Arwel Jenkins and Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson.

In Class C2 it was another battle of the Hillman Avengers as Elliot Retallick/Tim Tugwell headed Andrew Stokes/Adrian McNally in the BHRC order. Simon Pickering and Paul Barbet (Ford Escort Mk1) claimed class C3, just as they did on the Red Kite.

In the Vintage Car Radiator Company Category 1, the Mini Cooper of Phil Harris/Richard Suter headed the Ford Cortina GT of Mike Barratt/Emily Retallick. Both crews enjoyed the road conditions, although Harris had a big scare when he nearly put the Mini off the road.

Leading positions:

Category 1

1 Phil Harris/Richard Suter (Mini Cooper)

2 Mike Barratt/Emily Retallick (Ford Cortina GT)

 Category 2

1 Stanley Orr/Stephen McAuley (Ford Escort Mk1)

2 Phil Jobson/Arwel Jenkins (Ford Escort Mk1)

3 Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson (Ford Escort Mk1)

4 Eliot Retallick/Tim Tugwell (Hillman Avenger)

5 Jeremy Easson/Mike Reynolds (Datsun 240Z)

 Category K and Category 3

1 Nick Elliott/Dave Price (Ford Escort Mk2)

2 Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke (Ford Escort Mk2)

3 Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver (Ford Escort Mk2)

4 Tim Freeman/Paul Williams (Ford Escort Mk2)

5 Ben Friend/Cliffy Simmons (Ford Escort Mk2)

 Category 4

1 Jake Scannell/Adrian Stevens (Toyota Corolla)

 Class winners:

Phil Harris/Richard Suter (Mini Cooper); Mike Barratt/Emily Retallick (Ford Cortina GT); Retallick/Tugwell; Simon Pickering/Paul Barbet (Ford Escort Mk1); Orr/McAuley; David Hopkins/Tony Vart (Sunbeam Talbot); Friend/Simmons; Elliott/Price; Pritchard/Clarke; Jake Scannell/Adrian Stevens (Toyota Corolla).

Stage winners:

Elliott (SS1 & SS6)

20th February 2017 Elliott takes opening round continued...

Nick Elliott and Dave Price opened their bid for the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship in the best possible style on the opening round, Sunday's Red Kite Stages.  

The Cheltenham Ford Escort Mk2 crew finished the day with a winning margin of 35 seconds over the defending champions Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke, after 45-miles of classic Welsh stages on the Llandovery-based event.

Elliott/Price won Category 3 while Pritchard/Clarke headed Category K at the start of what is likely to a fierce championship battle. Joe Price/Chris Brooks should have made it a three-way lead contest, but were forced out by diff failure in the second stage. Other Category 3 class winners were Ben Friend/Cliffy Simmons (Ford Escort Mk2) in D3 and David Hopkins/Tony Vart (Sunbeam Talbot) in D2.

Stanley Orr/Stephen McAuley set the early pace in the Capital Construction Category 2 as Orr stepped up to BDA power in his Escort Mk1, but rear suspension problems that had dogged their progress finally put them out in Crychan. Instead, the category was a battle of the Hillman Avengers as Elliot Retallick/Tim Tugwell headed Andrew Stokes/Adrian McNally after a day-long contest. Simon Pickering and Paul Barbet (Ford Escort Mk1) were third and claimed class C3.

In the Vintage Car Radiator Company Category 1, the Mini Cooper of Phil Harris/Richard Suter saw off the Ford Cortina GT of Mike Barratt/Emily Retallick. Like most of the crews, Harris reported excellent stages on an event that was extremely well organised by the team from Amman and District Motor Club.

Leading positions:

Category 1

Category 2

Category K and Category 3

Class winners:

Stage winners:

13th February 2017: Pirelli announces BHRC prize fund

 Pirelli has announced an £8000 prize package for this year’s Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship.

 Pirelli will present vouchers for £500, £300 and £200 for the first three overall registered contenders on each of the eight rounds of the championship. The vouchers will be redeemable against Pirelli tyres.

 The award scheme will be open to registered BHRC contenders who commit to running Pirelli tyres on all rounds of the 2017 championship and display Pirelli logos on all four corners of the car. Crews will also be required to wear Pirelli podium caps and Pirelli bobble hats when appropriate.

Championship manager Colin Heppenstall had this to say about the prize;

 “This is a tremendous boost for the BHRC and we are very grateful to Pirelli for making this award scheme possible”.