june 2007

MID-WALES STAGES 2007

94 Competitors tackled 45 miles of action in the classic forests of Mid-Wales such as Tarenig and Hafren at the weekend.

The event was organised by Newtown and District AC and they had the good fortune of reasonably dry weather, in spite of which some of the forest stages were still slippery in places due to the heavy rain which had fallen the days before.

Ludlow Castle Motor Club’s Shaun Gardener and Ben Innes had suffered non finishes on the first two outings in the new TNT Tyres Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6.

Shaun & Ben

Their luck changed on the Mid-Wales Stages when they came though unscathed and won the event by 16 seconds after a fairly trouble free run.

Not so fortunate were the other LCMC members competing in the event.

The “ Flying Farmer “, Dave Brick co-driven by Michael Wilding, held 6th place O/A until the 8th stage of the day when the Ford Escort Mark 2 picked up a puncture.

Worse was to come in Tarenig, the last stage of the day, when they left the road and had to be pushed back on after a lengthy delay.

The time lost on being rescued dropped Dave and Michael to 35th place O/A.

Richard Preece, competing in the 205 Challenge Championship element of the rally, only managed 5 miles of the very first stage when they broke a stub axle causing early retirement.

Richard Preece

Rob Holloway and Jo Stone, also competing in the 205 Challenge, had a day full of mechanical problems but managed to finish 66TH O/A.

The Mid-Wales Stages was also a Round of the 2007 British Historic Rally Championship which Ludlow Motor Club’s John Worthing is contesting.

John Worthing

John was co-driven as usual by Bill Robertson from Dolgellau in the JT Foam & Fibre Mark 1 Ford Escort Mexico and they had managed to sort out the lack of engine power they suffered on the last event, the Severn Valley Stages.

The Historic section of the rally took place over two days, starting the day before the open category.

Despite a spin at a hairpin and clipping a post on the Saturday evening, John and Bill led their class on Saturday night by 41 seconds.
Things got even better on the Sunday for John and Bill who went on to win their class and finish 3rd O/A the Post Historic section , giving them very valuable points in the BHRC.

REPORT by KEITH GLUYAS

PHOTOS by ANTHONY GLUYAS

RALLY OF THE MIDLANDS 2007

The Trinity Hyundai Rally of the Midlands attracted nearly 65 entries the weekend.

The event was organised by Streetly Motor Club and commenced on Friday night with a special test around Hinckley town centre.

The following day the competitors faced three long tests around MIRA, the motor industry testing ground, and four around Mallory Racing Circuit.

On Sunday the action took place in the stately grounds of Merevale, Bramcote Army Barracks and Arbury Hall.

After nearly 100 miles of competition only 33 competitors crossed the finish line, with the majority retiring with mechanical problems.

The first over the finish ramp was Andrew Barker and Steven Mort in their Ford Focus ST1.

The only Ludlow Castle motor Club members to take part in the event were Richard Davies and Gareth Wilcox who had a trouble free day to finish 10th O/A in their 1400 Ford Escort Mark 2.

The Rally of the Midlands was a Round of the Web Benefit 2007 Heart of England Rally Championship.

As Richard and Gareth are competing in this Championship for the second year, this excellent result gave them valuable points.

The next Round of the HOE Championship will be the Azimghur Stages based in Colerne, Wiltshire.

REPORT by KEITH GLUYAS
PHOTOS by RALLY ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

SEVERN VALLEY NATIONAL RALLY 2007

The Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells hosted the 2007 Severn Valley National Rally at the weekend.

Once again the event, organised by Midland Manor Motor Club, was blessed with glorious weather and had a nearly full entry as it is one of the best supported rallies in Britain.

As usual, the Rally was actually three events in one, consisting of the National Event (which included various Championships), the Historic Challenge (made up Historic, Post Historic and Classic cars depending on their age) and the Clubmans Event.

The outright winner of the Rally was Lyonshall’s Andy Burton, co-driven by Shelley Rogerson, in his crowd pulling hybrid Peugeot Cosworth self built car.

Now that Andy has found a reliable engine he will be a hard man to beat, having already won the Somerset Stages (for the eighth time!) back in April, and now the Severn Valley National Rally.

The only representative from Ludlow Castle Motor Club in the National section was Andrew “Maps” Sankey who was co-driving for Hereford’s Roger Chilman in the Group N Subaru Impreza.

Unfortunately broken drive-shafts on the Impreza forced them out of the Rally on the long Radnor forest stage.

In the Classic section of the Historic Challenge, LCMC’s John Howells co-drove for Stoke on Trent’s Phil Squires as his twin brother was unable to make the event.

Unfortunately, John and Phil had to retire from the event due to time restraints.

LCMC’s John Worthing was competing in the Post-Historic section in his JT Foam and Fibre Ford Escort Mexico with Dolgellau’s Bill Robertson in the passenger’s seat.

John and Bill had a fraught day, with the engine underpowered after its rebuild since the Robin Hood Stages which had caused so much damage.

In spite of this handicap they brought the Mexico home second in Class, giving them valuable points in the British Historic Rally Championship.

Five LCMC crews competed in the Clubmans section and they had mixed fortunes.

Highest placed local crew was the “Flying Farmer”, Dave Brick, with Rob Woodhouse in the Ford Escort Mark 2.

After a comparatively trouble free day Dave and Rob finished 3rd O/a and 1st in Class in the Clubmans Rally.

Chris Ridge, co-driving for Bobby Mitchell, finished 14th 0/A, giving them both more points for the Ford Fiesta ST Challenge in which they are both competing this year.

Finishing one place behind them was Andy Bowen, co-driven by the Forest of Dean’s Paul Willetts in the Ford Escort G3. They also took 2nd in Class.

The rest of Ludlow Castle Motor Club’s members failed to get to the finish.

The TNT Tyres Mitsubishi Evo 6 of Shaun Gardener and Ben Innes shed a front wheel in Radnor, causing instant retirement.

Joe Price and Phil Clarke also retired in Radnor when the clutch of their Ford Escort Mark 2 failed.

Radnor forest also claimed Henri Grehan and Newtown’s John Evans when they rolled the Plas Lime Ford Escort RS out of the Rally.

REPORT & PHOTOS by KEITH GLUYAS