Championship and HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge

News round-up after event nine: Minilite Historic Somerset StagesWelcome to the fourth issue of the post-event news and gossip update for the 2005 Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship and HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge.The ninth and final round both series, the Minilite Historic Somerset Stages (29 October), featured six stages in the Croydon and Knowle forests along with four blasts up the Porlock toll road. NewsBrothers Neil and Chris Parsons returned to the BHRC in Somerset, just five weeks after their major accident in Belgium. A massive effort from Rally Xtreme and Canada Garage had the Escort repaired just in time. "It was a bare shell out of the paint shop last Sunday," said Neil. "But we were determined to get back out before the end of the season." After a sensible run, they finished eighth in the post-historics.Although they were beaten to class victory by a single second in Somerset, Peter Lythell and Gill Cotton clinched class C4 in the BHRC. They were pipped to the class win on the event by the similar Porsche 911 of Paul Drinkall/Roy Brown after a mighty last stage charge from Drinkall. BHRC championship co-ordinator Dave Lucas will return to the co-drivers seat for the Roger Albert Clark Rally. Lucas will partner Matt Barker in a Peugeot 205 for his first rally in over five years. "I did the RAC about 10 times, both driving and co-driving," says Lucas, who first competed on the original event in 1973.Having elected not to compete in Somerset, Hugh and Debbie Myers still volunteered to marshal on the event and ran the arrival control for the Croydon stage. They opted for the arrival control so they would get the chance for a natter with competitors!Only two crews completed the BHRC season with a 100% finishing record. Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) achieved the same record in 2004, while Craig Salter/Preston Ayres finished every event this season in their Escort Mk1 BDA.Having returned to the BHRC for Somerset, Bob Gibbons is planning a full campaign in the championship in 2006. The Welshman has only done three rounds this season in his Escort RS2000, but is aiming to do all nine events next year. Partnered by Stuart Cardell, they claimed a clear class C3 victory on Saturday.Minilite boss Don Simmons contested the event sponsored by his company in a Mk2 Escort hired from Darren Morris. Co-driven by former BHRC co-ordinator Brian Thomas, they finished 21st overall and claimed class D3 spoils after sorting out some early clutch problems.The Lotus Cortina of Neil Calvert and Arlene Cookson arrived in Somerset still sporting door panels from the Tour of Mull. It was their 15th year running course car on the famous Scottish event!Ken Forster and John Stanger-Leathes deserve credit for supporting the Somerset event; their journey from Northumberland took around nine hours. However, that was quicker than BHRC reporter and photographer Mike Hally, who managed to take 10 hours for the journey from Lancashire on Thursday after being delayed by a series of motorway shunts!As well as winning class B2 and finishing fifth overall in the BHRC, Matt and Dood Pearce also secured the Mini Magazine Trophy for the best performance of the year in a Mini.John Worthing and Bill Robertson had the dubious honour of posting the first retirement when they slid straight on at a notorious tightening left about a mile into Porlock. Although their Escort was undamaged, it was wedged over a bank and had to be winched off after the stage had finished.The latest BHRC DVD is now available from Hummingbird Productions. The DVD covering Mid Wales and the Manx is out and will soon be followed by two more, one for Flanders and the Trackrod and a final one for Somerset. The Somerset edition will also run extra in-car footage and lots of unseen funnies and out-takes from the season. For details, contact Hummingbird on 01522 853587 or e-mail to: hummingbirdproduction@yahoo.co.uk

Quotes of the event"I've never set foot in Minehead in my life." Dessie Nutt confirms that Somerset is a new experience for him."I did Porlock on the RAC Rally a long time ago." Neil Calvert on his previous knowledge of the stages."I serviced here on the RAC Rally in 1977." Neil Parsons had also been to Porlock before!"My 11 year-old daughter helped me bleed the brakes." Patrick Watts finished preparing the Sunbeam Tiger on Thursday night."It was 102 metres from the start of the accident to where it stopped." Chris Parsons reflects on their Flanders drama."This is our last go at learning!" Julian Burch reckons that he can't claim to be a novice any longer."Today has been breathtaking – an incredible fight." Jackie Smith lived every minute of Steven's dramatic day."Next year!" David Stokes plots his 2006 campaign."We finished all the rounds," says a delighted Craig Salter. "Obviously not going fast enough," adds Preston Ayres from the co-drivers' seat."We should have been upside down in the field." Ian Oakey reflects on a big moment in Knowle."Watching Steve Smith's lines on the forest stages; he just throws it at the undergrowth!" Neil Parsons follows in the wheeltracks of the new champion."David was a really worthy adversary!" Steven Smith on his title rival."It's one bollock away from having two!" David Stokes' philosophy on missing the title by a single point.

PointsProvisional BHRC overall driver points after nine rounds:1 Steven Smith 2072 David Stokes 2063 Jeremy Easson  1944 Dessie Nutt 1815 Matthew Pearce 1776 Ken Forster 176Provisional HRCR Classic overall driver points after nine rounds:1 Gareth Lloyd 2022 Martin Freestone 1903 Mark Clifford 1694 Dick Slaughter 1345 Ian Rix  1126 Stephen Hall 94