march 2006

WOLD CONSTRUCTION NORTH HUMBERSIDE FOREST RALLY

120 crews took part in Saturday’s North Humberside Rally, the 3rd Round of the 2006 Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Championship.

The crews had to compete on six Special Stages in the North East Forests, with 2 trips each through Gale Rigg and Cropton, and once only through Langdale and Dalby.

The event proved tough going as only 80 cars reached the finish, the first being that of the winner, Stephen Petch’s Hyundai Accent WRC.

Five Ludlow Castle Motor Club crews made the long trip up north to compete in the event and they had mixed results.

The most successful LCMC member was Neil Weaver who finished an amazing 19th O/A, 1st in Class B9, 2nd 2-wheel drive car and 1st Xspec 1400 Championship contender in his Vauxhall Corsa.

This third win in succession ensures that Neil maintains his lead in this year’s 1400 Championship.

Alex Allingham was the next LCMC member to finish, crossing the finish line in 26th place O/A in his Subaru Impreza. Alex is now the leading under 25 driver in the BTRDA Championship.

The Opel Manta of Gordon Davies finished 48th and 2nd in Class B12.

The other two Ludlow crews both suffered ill fortune on the 4th stage of the day, Dalby Forest.

Roger Chilman Jnr and Andrew Sankey’s Matador / Tarmac Mitusbishi EVO 6 came to a halt in Dalby when a drive-shaft broke. This caused them to ground out on a bank and they were unable to get the car moving again.
This non-finish means that they lose their lead in the Silverstone Tyres Gold Star Championship. Roger drops to 3rd Gold Star driver and Andrew to 2nd Gold Star Co-driver, but there are another seven Rounds to go in the Championship which is still wide open.

Henri Grehan and Chris Ridge also retired in Dalby Forest when their RS Ford Escort Mark 2 suffered mechanical problems.

Entries are still available for LCMC’s Ditton Priors Stages Rally on 9th April.
Please contact Lin Weaver on 01584 879900 for further details.

REPORT by KEITH GLUYAS
PHOTOS by RALLY ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY

AGBO STAGES 2006

Owen Motoring Club organised the Agbo Stages Rally at Weston Park, near Telford, on Sunday 12th March.

65 cars were entered in the event which was the first Round of the 2006 Jam Motorsport Heart of England Rally Championship, but a few competitors withdrew before the start because of the very wintry conditions.

The competitors were allowed a non-timed run on the very first stage of the day so they could familiarise themselves with the icy stretches of roads which remained for the start of the rally.

This was followed by nine timed runs through the park and although the ice soon thawed out the bitterly cold winds remained all day, and the eventual winners were Aberystwyth’s Gary Thomas and Simon Bevan in a Mark 2 Escort.

Ludlow Castle had four crews competing on the event, the highest placed being Nick Skidmore and Ben Innes who brought their Peugeot 205 Mi16 home in 10th place O/A and 2nd in Class C.

This result meant that Ben picked up his second trophy that weekend having finished 7th O/A with Shaun Gardener on the Malcolm Wilson Rally on the Saturday.

Not far behind Nick and Ben were Richard Davies and Gareth Wilcox, who finished in the Mark 2 Ford Escort, a fine 12th O/A and first in Class A.

Trevor Ridge, more used to rear wheel drive Ford Escorts, co-driven by Simon Parry, crossed the finish line in 28th place in the Vauxhall Astra.

Brothers Martin and Chris Ridge were forced to retire their Vauxhall Nova with mechanical problems. Before their retirement they had an action packed day with plenty of spins along the way.

Ludlow Castle Motor Club members will be out in action next weekend on The North Humberside and Tour of Caerwent Rallies.

Nick Skidmore & Ben Innes

REPORT by KEITH GLUYAS

PHOTOS by RALLY ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY

MALCOLM WILSON RALLY

The second round of the 2006 Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Rally Series took place at the weekend.

A maximum 150 cars took part in the event based at Cockermouth, with 45 miles of action on nine Special Stages in the Cumbrian forests.

First and second positions O/A were filled by non-Championship contenders, with third place taken by Ludlow Castle Motor Club’s Roger Chilman Jnr and Andrew Sankey in the Matador / Tarmac Mitsubishi EVO 6 after a trouble-free day.

Roger and Andrew, 2005 Champions, were the first Championship contenders to cross the finish line and this result now puts them into the lead in the 2006 Gold Star Championship.

Other LCMC members competing on the event had mixed fortunes.

Despite breaking two drive-shafts Shaun Gardener and Ben Innes still managed to bring home the TNT Tyres (Ludlow) Mitsubishi EVO 5 in 7th place O/A, putting them into second place in the Gold Star Championship.

Alex Allingham produced a fine performance in his Group N Subaru Impreza finishing 24th O/A.

Not so fortunate were non-finishers Andrew and Shane Bowen who were forced to retire their Ford Escort G3 on the second stage of the day.

Similar fate befell Gordon Davies when his Opel Manta suffered mechanical problems on the penultimate stage of the day, forcing him out of the rally.

The Xspec 1400 Championship contenders competed in front of the Open Category on the event and there was no surprise when the eventual winner of this section was announced.

Neil Weaver in his Vauxhall Corsa once again showed his speed by winning the 1400 section and finishing 17th O/A leaving much more powerful machinery in his tracks.

This win ensures that Neil maintains his lead in the 2006 Xspec 1400 Championship.

REPORT by KEITH GLUYAS

TELFORD MOONBEAM ROAD RALLY

Telford MC organised the Moonbeam Road Rally which took place in North Shropshire throughout last Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The event was dogged by the wintry weather which descended upon the area the weekend and was eventually cancelled at the half-way stage.

75 competitors took place in the event and the first Ludlow Castle Motor Club member to finish was navigator, Phil Clarke, taking third place O/A.

The top ten was finished off by LCMC’s Anthony Gluyas and Richard Preece in the Opel Manta after a fairly trouble free night, despite the slippery conditions.

REPORT by KEITH GLUYAS