C H A M P I O N S H I P N E W S L E T T E R N O 5 - 2 0 1 4

Deja Vu - Or We Have Been Here Before

Twelve months ago Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton came down to Welshpool for the Plains Rally and, for six of the eight stages, had to give best to Connor McCloskey before finally overhauling him to take victory. This time, the defending BTRDA Gold Star® Champions’ Ford Focus WRC led the fourth round of the REIS BTRDA Rally Series from start to finish and it wasn’t an Irishman who gave them most to worry about, but a Scotsman!...

Following a podium finish on the Somerset Stages, Dave Weston Jnr was back for more, going one better in Wales to take runner-up spot in his Impreza WRC. Stephen Petch/Ian Windress were also in the mix - on what we assume was the last event in their Focus WRC (they’ve entered the Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally in their new Fiesta R5), they were 2nd overall for the first couple of stages and then rounded the day off with FTD through Mick Jones’ Woodyard. They are now third in the points table, equal with Luke Francis/John H Roberts whose Lancer EVO9, which was uprated from N4 to B13 during the winter, is repaying their faith in it with a series of top-notch finishes.

Early-season Gold Star Championship leaders David Bogie/Kevin Rae were intent on putting the disappointment of a DNF in Somerset behind them, but alas it was not to be. Their Focus was running in 4th place for three-parts of the day, but more punctures than they had spare wheels on the second run through Cwmcelli caused a second consecutive retirement.

Euan Thorburn

Steve Perez/Paul Spooner enjoy a challenge but, from their point of view, the Plains seemed to be a rather unequal one! A number of niggling problems and one big one - a broken driveshaft - served to keep them down the order. 8th was the eventua l reward - the Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally (aka the Dukeries) next and they will be one of the - if not the only - previous winners taking the start.

The Group N battle on the Plains was something to behold! Tom Naughton/Andy Mort (Lancer

EVO9) came out on top in 5th place overall, Alex Allingham/Chris Williams (Impreza N10) were next, five seconds adrift, with Pat Naylor/Ian Lawrence (Lancer EVO9) missing out on a Top Six finish by a mere second. Even more frustrating that they lost 12 getting used to their new brakes on the first stage. Russ Thompson/Andy Murphy were 10th overall and 4th GpN scorers on the day, prompting co-driver Jamie Edwards to comment that ‘there are some seriously talented people in BTRDA Group N - that’s for sure!’. Accompanying Roland Llewellin, he took 5th Production Cup points but, with five rounds remaining,

the situation at the ‘sharp’ end is fascinating....

Bear in mind, firstly, that there are 20 points at stake for a ‘win’ on each event and that, as we approach the halfway stage of the season, the top four drivers are separated by just that margin. Having crossed the finish line on all four events so far, Russ Thompson not only holds sway in the Production Cup but also in the Gold Star table overall. Next up is Tom Naughton who, following a problem that prevented him finishing the Wyedean, has come back and taken maximums on the other three. Pat

Naylor also failed to finish the opener, while Roland Llewellin travelled all the way from Haverfordwest to the Lake District to record his only DNF to date.

So, the first weekend in (flaming?) June and everyone will be making a beeline for the East Midlands. Although the BTRDA Rally Series reaches its halfway stage whilst at Southwell Racecourse, no-one is in the slightest bit ‘comfortable’ and there is still plenty of time for things to change. However, while the clock is ticking, the alarm isn’t due to go off just yet.

David Weston Jnr

Stephen Petch

Tom Naughton

W i t h s o m e n e w l o c a l additions to the Silver Star ranks Matthew Robinson knew he was going to have his work cut to out to take home the BTRDA Silver Star Goblets. The local knowledge of the brothers Iuean and John Rowlands brothers and Jamie Jukes would provide some stiff competition.

From the start in Welshpool crews faced a leisurely drive out to the first stage in Hafren where after almost 9 miles it was no surprise to find Ieuan Rowlands leading the pack, 11 seconds quicker than the reigning Silver Star Champion. In fact Robinson was to provide the fi l l ing in a Rowlands sandwich with John Rowlands just 3 seconds in arrears. Another BTRDA newcomer, Jamie Jukes was next up, 15 seconds adr i f t wi th Jody Bowcott a further 10 seconds behind.

Through the morning stages the order remained unchanged with Ieuan Rowlands being chased over the three stages by Robinson, and extending his lead to just 14 seconds as crews entered Service in Dolgellau. Robinson’s gap to John Rowlands in third had increased to 15 seconds, with Jukes now finding himself 25 seconds adrift, and 26 seconds ahead of Bowcott. Jon Ballinger in the Manta had moved ahead of Jake Scannell and was in pursuit of Bowcott, the gap between the two being reduced to 11 seconds once JB had

got into his stride through Gartheiniog. In the classes Ieuan Rowlands in B12 was in a class of his own, both literally and numerically, while apart from Robinson, the pursuing pack were all in B11.

Further down the order, class N3 was led by Sacha Kakad from Tony Simpson both in Fiestas. In the Historic Cup Robinson had a healthy lead over Jake Scannell with Rex Ireland next up in his H2 Escort.

Unfortunately for Kit Leigh his third start of the year was no better than the previous two, a cracked head, presumably to the engine, not the one attached to his neck, causing his demise in

Silver Star and Historics - Rowlands the 1st Rules in Wales

Interesting difference in lines through a hairpin by the Rowlands duoIuean Rowlands

John Rowlands

Matthew Robinson

Hafren. 2011 Silver Star Champion Allan McDowall was another casualty, his historic spec Escort also going no further than Stage 1.

With almost 21 miles completed, a further 23 miles followed in the afternoon after Service was taken in Dolgellau. First up was a quick blast through Pantperthog. Over the 4 miles, Rowlands of the I variety, and Robinson couldn’t be separated, and just a further second adrift was Rowlands J. A good scrap was in store, and just behind the leading trio Jukes followed whilst Bowcott and Scannell had tied, but JB had dropped three seconds on the pair yet still separated them. From Pantperthog crews tackled Dyfi followed by runs through Cwm Celli and Gartheiniog, a total of 19 stage miles with just 11 road miles. There could be no respite,

and through Dyfi Ieuan Rowlands extended his lead by 7 seconds and by a further four through Cwm Celli. His lead was now up to 25 seconds and with 9 miles of Gartheiniog and quick visit to the Woodyard remaining, Robinson was going to have settle with points for second, there being no point in risking everything for the sake of a couple of points. John Rowlands was looking comfortable in third, 37 seconds ahead of Jukes who looked to be safe in fourth 51 seconds ahead of Bowcott.

As crews emerged from Gartheiniog, Ieuan had extended his lead by a further two seconds and Matthew had taken a further six out of John Rowlands. However, just when fourth was for the taking for Jamie Jukes, Gartheiniog was a disaster. Whatever the problem was, it dropped him well down the order and a deserved fourth on his first BTRDA outing was gone. A poor reward for a good drive.

With just the Woodyard remaining it was gently, gently, as, short though it is, it can be very unkind and take its prisoners. However, as crews entered the finish at Welshpool there were no nasties to report. Ieuan Rowlands had driven superbly to take his first BTRDA Silver Star win and was kept honest throughout the day by Matthew Robinson who was pleased he didn’t have to take home yet another BTRDA Goblet! For John Rowlands it was an untroubled third and Jody Bowcott collected fourth. In the classes Sacha Kakad took N3 from Tony Simpson with Simon Dalton third and in B11 it was John Rowlands followed by Jody Bowcott and Jon Ballinger. In the BTRDA Historic Cup Matthew Robinson took maximum points followed by Jake

Scannell and Rex Ireland.

The addition of new crews into the Silver Star Championship on the Plains was very welcome and provided Matthew Robinson with something to think about. It would be brilliant for the forthcoming events, and the Championship, if those crews could be persuaded to venture a bit further afield and take the fight to Matthew on some of the remaining rounds. As it is, his lead in Silver Star is now up to 17 points with Jon Ballinger in second and Sacha Kakad still holding on to third. With five rounds still to go anything can happen, so let battle resume on 7th June on the Rainworth Dukeries Rally.

Sacha Kakad

Jody Bowcott

If there is one thing competitors are not short of in the Morris Lubricants 1400’s and thats effort. Mat Smith and Giles Dykes started with a bang on the Wyedean, retired on the Malcolm Wilson, had to miss the Somerset as a result and came back with a bang on the Plains.

Having won the event in 2013 the pairing were a lways going to be favourite with nearest challengers Justin Lawson, Dave Bennett and Darren Pinchin sitting out the event. Regardless they

certainly went for it from the outset taking a comforting 25 second advantage on the 9 mile Hafren stage, but more importantly the engine, which had caused their retirement in Cumbria, had also stood up to the first stern test. Not content with that they continued with fastest times over the next two stages up to service gradually extending their lead over the nearest challenger to 52 seconds. After service they continued in the same manner, the only problem being that they had a problem starting the car so had to leave it running. Nevertheless they did not seem to ease up and took a clean sweep of

fastest times over the remaining five stages to not only win by a dominant 3m.30s but also send out a big message that after narrowly missing out on the 1400 title last year, they intend 2014 to be their year.

Behind them Roger Priestnall/Jamie Forrest were making their second appearance of the year in the Proton wanting to build on the satisfactory 4th place on the Somerset. Unfortunately after a very promising start over the first three stages where they took second fastest times a persistent misfire couldn’t be fixed in service and they chose to retire rather than risk the engine.

Plains and Simple for Smith

Mat Smith

Dan Gray

David Martin

Next up were Dan Gray and Matt Rogers whose only blemish to a good start to the year had been their roll on the Malcolm Wilson. During the morning the car seemed to be down on power and then the clutch cable snapped in Garthieniog costing valuable time, but they pressed on and second place was a solid reward for their efforts to put them in fourth place in the table.

David Martin/Richard Simmonds had started the day needing to keep on the tail of Dave Brick who currently had two maximum scores to his name if they were to have a chance for the 1400C class title in their sites. However their quest was given a distinct lift when Brick suffered problems on the first stage losing over 5 minutes and then retired in SS3 when a wheel went walkabout. However Martin was probably taken aback to find that the fastest time on the first stage in the Class had gone to Matthew Jackson/Sacha Heriot, who had clearly wrung the neck of their 1 litre Micra over the Hafren stage to lead by 2 seconds. Unfortunately, all things being equal, the cc difference should always prevail and Martin’s 1400 Astra hauled the Micra pair back in to win by 26 seconds, but not without still having to share equal times on two of the later stages.

Marcel Freling and Karen Robinson also hoped for a good start with the title lead in sight but were another to be hit with problems on the first stage, losing a minute to the leader and languishing down in 12th place. So began the climb back up the field to eventually finish fifth and just 7 seconds behind third placed finisher Martin. A difficult day but the 26 points returned justified the hard work and effort and gives them the championship lead by 10 points from Ryan Weston / Mark McCulloch who were also pleased to finish with the same shaped Proton they started

with after two previous successive rolls. Justin Lawson’s no-show drops him to third on 81 points.

For two others however the day wasn’t so kind. Joe Evett and Calvin Houldsworth had made an excellent debut on the Somerset in their new MG ZR, finishing a well deserved second overall. However on the Plains it couldn’t be much different and a heavy impact with a tree on the first stage badly damaged the car and we can only hope that it is repairable and they will be out again soon so we can see more of their exciting driving.

Also disappearing early were Kieran Darrington and Pam Hilton. Kieran was making a very welcome return after last competing on the Cambrian in 2012 and after sorting out a serious health issue. Sadly rallying was not being so considerate and a broken driveshaft on their Vauxhall Corsa on the first stage, brought matters to an early conclusion.

So next its off to the forests of Sherwood for the Dukeries Rally, which wasn’t very kind to Smith last year, so could there be yet another twist in this exciting Morris Lubricants 1400 season.

Jayne Auden - Leading Lady and 5th Overall

Marcel Freling

Rally First - Rory is Proving ReliableThe BTRDA Rally First category was another success story with 19 crews entered on the Plains and the excellent reliability of these cars again illustrated by the 18 finishers. (Unfortunately Des Fletcher / John Goff rolled their Twingo and stopped it from being 100%).

But Rally First is not just about reliability because the Plains Rally saw quite a battle, with five different crews taking fastest times during the day and with Rory Jones / Tom Hughes (MG ZR) coming out ahead by just 7 seconds and the leading four crews covered by less than 30 seconds.

The day started in Hafren and it was Nick Carr / Joe Sturdy (VW Lupo) who set the initial pace 7 seconds ahead of the rest, but that was to be the biggest lead in the category throughout the day. Neil Andrew / Dom Adams (VW Lupo) took the lead by just 1 second on the second stage but then promptly lost more than 25 seconds in Gartheiniog to the current Rally First championship leaders Rory Jones / Tom Hughes (MG ZR) who were now just 2 seconds behind Carr / Sturdy at the Service halt. It was then the turn of Sion Ellis/Tom Jordan (Micra) to set fastest time in Pantperthog but it was not sufficient to take the lead which was now held by Jones / Hughes.

James Watkins / Caron Tomlinson (Micra), with new engine in place, had been going well on their favourite stages but the loss of nearly a minute in the first Gartheiniog left them with the literal mountain to climb and despite setting fastest times on both Dyfi and Gartheiniog 2 in the afternoon they could not quite make up sufficient time in this very competitive category. Gartheiniog 2 was however a problem for Morgan Handford / Richard Davies (Polo) when they snapped a gearbox mount which limited the gear selection and stopped any further progress up the field.

The final short stage in the Woodyard was just sufficient for Carr / Sturdy to get back ahead of Andrew / Adams but both crews came up short of catching Jones / Hughes, who as a result of this win retain the BTRDA Rally First championship lead after four events.

RF1.6 had two runners out, Ron Hall with the experienced Phil Spilsted alongside, were out on their second event and climbed steadily up the leaderboard and when Des Fletcher and John Goff rolled out of the event on SS3 it was just a case of bringing the car home for Ron to take his first silverware home.

Meanwhile in the Rally First 1 litre class turned out to be a straight contest between Jon and John Steer

(Micra) and the current championship points leaders, 17yr old Sam Bilham (Micra) accompanied by Graham Wild. This time it was Jon Steer who got off to the better start in Hafren and despite the two crews

swapping fastest times throughout the day, the class lead did not change. Behind the two leading crews it was Chris Shaw / Yan Griffiths (Micra) who took the 3rd class award.

Rory Jones

Jon Steer

Forthcoming Events

Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally - 7th JuneJust under two weeks away now from the Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally running on the 7th June based in the famous Sherwood Forest area of Nottinghamshire.

Entries are still open although seeding is now taking place however this should not stop you from getting your entry in asap if you still intend to take part.

This website, www.dukeries-rally.co.uk carries all the pre-event information as it is available, including the event regulations, on-line entry facilities, entry lists, marshalling and spectator information and links to the live event results.

Nicky Grist Stages Rally - 12th JulyEntries are also open for this popular Welsh event based at the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells.

With Nicky Grist into his 3rd year of sponsorship of the flagship event the rally continues to grow and the organisers work hard to ensure the entrants get a fresh and challenging time on some of the finest gravel roads in Britain, on the Eypnt Ranges.

This year is no exception, with the rally taking in a concentrated 44 miles with the service again being based in the Showground.

The event website where online entries are available is www.nickygriststages.co.uk/competitiors.php.

MINTEX / QUESTMEAD BONUS SCHEMEThe winners of the Mintex Awards on the BETTA Somerset Stages, each of whom receive a set of FREE competition brake pads from Questmead Ltd, were:-

Best Improvement on Start Number in GS / SS Championships: Jody Bowcott – Ford Escort Mk2 (B11)

Best Improvement on Start Number in Millers 1400/MG/RF: Sion Ellis – Nissan Micra (RF1.4)

Alan Brown or Steve Brown from Questmead can be found in the Service Area at most events. To claim

your reward we advise that you contact them in advance to arrange the required product. They can be contacted on 01706 363939. Email: sales@questmead.co.uk

Photographs Courtesy of Ralliphotos WalesContact - ralliphotoswales@yahoo.co.uk

Wales Rally of Great Britain 2014Road to Wales

For a second year the BTRDA Rally Series and its competitors have been offered two FREE Prize Drive entries by the Wales Rally GB organisers in the November Wales Rally GB National event. Won last year by our 2013 Gold Star Champions Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton and Rally First Champions Joe Evett and Calvin Houldsworth, for 2014 the National event entries will be awarded to both the 2014 BTRDA Rally Gold Star winners and the winners of the MSA English Championship, giving the chance to more competitors to win these fantastic prizes.

Even if you are not fortunate to take these awards then the Wales Rally GB organisers have previously offered very good deals to take part which we will keep you advised of as the year progresses. The event also takes place after our season close and on many stages that you will have competed on this year, so is well worth considering an entry.

The WRGB organisers have opened up a webpage showing the current leaderboard and which can be found at www.walesrallygb.com/roadtowales/leaderboard.php. More details on all the build up to the event can be found at www.walesrallygb.com.

The current leaders after the Plains Rally are: BTRDA Rally Series - Russ Thompson MSA English Rally Championship - Matthew Robinson

Championship Sponsors

Podium result for Bilham after Plains Rally thrillerBingley rally star Sam Bilham brought a third podium result in a row back to West Yorkshire last weekend as he contested the fourth round of the Morris Lubricants 1400 section of the REIS BTRDA Rally Series, the Plains Rally. After tackling over 43 competitive stage miles in the baking Spring Sunshine, Bilham piloted his Nissan Micra to a solid second in the Rally First one-litre class, extending his lead even further in the category and closing the gap to the Junior driver award for under 23 year olds competitors.

The 17 year old from Bingley has had a confidence building start to the season with a podium position to his name on every event he has contested in the championship, but the youngster was certainly aware of the infamous nature of the Welsh stages he would be competing on and called on his experienced co-driver Graham Wild to guide him successfully through the Welshpool based event.

“It was always going to be hard to know how to tackle this event” said Bilham, “after all, it’s only my third ever loose surface rally. But I’m certainly starting to adapt my driving style to gravel a lot better after several years on asphalt and these stages are full of tricky sections which I was well aware of before the start. But we kept the concentration levels up in the car and I was really pleased with how my stage times developed throughout the event, I know there is more to come from both the car and my ability”.

But his solid run of results almost came to nothing as on the penultimate stage of the event, Gartheiniog 2, Bilham picked up a puncture in the Micra which haemorrhaged a chunk of time, throwing away any possibility of making in-roads on the leader. “About one and half miles from the end of the stage, we picked up a rear puncture, which in its self isn’t too much of an issue” he explains. “But the tyre then ripped the rear brake pipe off the calliper and my brake pedal went straight to floor just as we were approaching a corner with a large drop on the outside. I have to say a huge thank you to the team for their quick thinking and carrying out an effective repair, allowing us to complete the event and get the podium result we came here for”.

Bilham will now head to The Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally on the 7th June which takes crews into the Sherwood Forest complex for the fifth round of the REIS BTRDA Rally Series.

For more information on Sam and his rallying career, visit www.sambilhammotorsport.webs.com.

Article courtesy of MCR Marketing Solutions. Photo (c) Chris Huish RallySport Media

MCR Marketing Solutions, The Old Coach House, Rectory Road, Lanivet, Cornwall, PL30 5HG 07870 216931 / 07540 186092

info@mcrmarketingsolutions.com

w: www.mcrmarketingsolutions.com e: matt@mcrmarketingsolutions.com

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Podium result for Bilham after Plains Rally thriller

Bingley rally star Sam Bilham brought a third podium result in a row back to West Yorkshire last weekend as he contested the fourth round of the BTRDA Gravel Rally Championship, The Plains Rally. After tackling over 43 competitive stage miles in the baking Spring Sunshine, Bilham piloted his Nissan Micra to a solid second in the Rally First one-litre class, extending his lead even further in the category and closing the gap to the Junior driver award for under 23 year olds competitors. The 17 year old from Bingley has had a confidence building start to the season with a podium position to his name on every event he has contested in the championship, but the youngster was certainly aware of the infamous nature of the Welsh stages he would be competing on and called on his experienced co-driver Graham Wild to guide him successfully through the Welshpool based event. “It was always going to be hard to know how to tackle this event” said Bilham, “after all, it’s only my third ever loose surface rally. But I’m certainly starting to adapt my driving style to gravel a lot better after several years on asphalt and these stages are full of tricky sections which I was well aware of before the start. But we kept the concentration levels up in the car and I was really pleased with how my stage times developed throughout the event, I know there is more to come from both the car and my ability”. But his solid run of results almost came to nothing as on the penultimate stage of the event, Gartheiniog 2, Bilham picked up a puncture in the Micra which hemorrhaged a chuck of time, throwing away any possibility of making in-roads on the leader. “About one and half miles from the end of the stage, we picked up a rear puncture, which in its self isn’t too much of an issue” he explains. “But the tyre then ripped the rear brake pipe off the caliper and my brake pedal went straight to floor just as we were approaching a corner with a large drop on the outside. I have to say a huge thank you to the team for their quick thinking and carrying out an effective repair, allowing us to complete the event and get the podium result we came here for”. Bilham will now head to The Rainworth Skoda Forest Rally on the 7th June which takes crews into the Shrwood Forest complex for the fifth round of the BTRDA National Gravel Championship. For more information on Sam and his rallying career, visit sambilhammotorsport.webs.com

-Ends-

For more information on Sam Bilham or to arrange an interview, contact Matt: e: matt@mcrmarketingsolutions.com t: +44 (0) 7870 216931 w: www.mcrmarketingsolutions.com

Competitors Route Notes

Special Stage TV ProgrammesIts now well established that the Special Stage team will be out filming all nine rounds of the Championship for publication on the Motors TV channel No. 447 as well as Freeview Ch. 240 for eligible TV’s. As last year there will be two programmes, an hour programme covering the 4WD and 2WD sections and a separate half hour programme for the Morris Lubricants 1400’s.

The schedule of programmes is listed below and programmes will repeated during the following week, but you will need to check the Motors TV website for exact times, www.motorstv.com/tv-guide-uk.

Can we also make an appeal that you try to keep the Special Stage team updated with how your event went and if you have any video coverage that they may be able to use. This is very important in making the programmes interesting and informative. You can email them at  specialstage@hotmail.co.uk or complete their online form at www.specialstage.co.uk/page4.htm.

EVENT EVENT DATE TV PROGRAMME DATE TIME

Weir Engineering Wyedean Rally 15th February

BTRDA - Friday 7th March 9.00pmWeir Engineering Wyedean Rally 15th February

1400’s - Friday 7th March 10.30pm

Malcolm Wilson Rally 8th MarchBTRDA - Friday 21st March 9.00pm

Malcolm Wilson Rally 8th March1400’s - Friday 21st March 11.00pm

Somerset Stages 12th AprilBTRDA - Friday 25th April 9.00pm

Somerset Stages 12th April1400’s - Friday 25th April 10.35pm

Plains Rally 17th MayBTRDA - Friday 30th May 9.00pm

Plains Rally 17th May1400’s - Friday 30th May 10.00pm

Dukeries Rally 7th JuneBTRDA - Friday 20th June 9.00pm

Dukeries Rally 7th June1400’s - Friday 20th June 10.35pm

Nicky Grist Stages 12th JulyBTRDA - Friday 25th July 9.00pm

Nicky Grist Stages 12th July1400’s - Friday 25th July 10.00pm

Woodpecker Stages 30th August BTRDA - Friday 12th September 9.00pmWoodpecker Stages 30th August1400’s - Friday 12th September 10.00pm

Trackrod Rally 27th SeptemberBTRDA - Friday 10th October 9.00pm

Trackrod Rally 27th September1400’s - Friday 17th October 10.00pm

Cambrian Rally 18th OctoberBTRDA - Friday 31st October 9.30pm

Cambrian Rally 18th October1400’s – Friday 31st October 11.30pm

Season Reviews -BTRDA – TBA TBA

Season Reviews -1400’s - TBA TBA