Preview, round one: Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages Rally
The 2006 Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship kicks off with the Alternative Sign Centre Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages on 4/5 March. The superb 90-car entry for the historic section of the rally will run first on the forest stages of Nottinghamshire, with three stages in the dark of Saturday evening and a further seven stages on Sunday. Category 1As usual, the oldest cars in the historic category (pre '68) will run first on the road, thus getting the best stage conditions. An encouraging entry of over 20 category 1 cars will be led away by the thundering Sunbeam Tiger of Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies, winners of the category on the 2005 Robin Hood. It's hard to see anyone in the historics rivalling the pace of the former touring car racer, with the mighty Tiger well suited to the Nottinghamshire stages.
At least half a dozen Lotus Cortinas will head the chase of the Tiger with Chris Green/Max Utting and Neil Calvert/Michelle Calvert sure to be to the fore. However, right up among the Cortinas will be Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/tba. Though the Volvo lacks the power of the Cortinas, Waite throws the car around to great effect and knows these forests well.
Another very competitive class is B2 for the 1300cc cars, where seven Mini Coopers take on the MG Midget of Adam and Ian Tomlinson. Setting the Mini pace should be Mike Barratt/Joanne Watson, but the speed of Clive King/Bob Ward and Henry Hardiment/Bernard Baker will be worth watching. King, in particular, is one of the most spectacular Mini drivers around and could be a major contender if he does a full BHRC campaign.
Finally, three of the crowd-pleasing two-stroke Saab 96s are out in class B1 with John Parker/Robert Harrison likely to set the pace now that their car has been refettled after an accident in Belgium last September.Category 2With nearly 50 entries, the post-historic (1968-74) category is the most popular of the three categories in the BHRC. At least half a dozen Porsche 911s will battle over class C4 and that could be as many as eight once the plans of Steven Smith/John Nichols and Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride are confirmed. Reigning champions Smith and Nichols are planning to campaign a newly prepared 911 in C4 this season, but the car will probably not be finished in time for the Robin Hood. If the car is not ready, they are set to run an Escort RS2000 for the weekend.Nutt/McBride, meanwhile, won the title in 2004 in their familiar historic 911, but might just move to Nutt's post-historic 911 for this season. All will be revealed in the days before the rally.
Certainly running a C4 911 are Jimmy McRae and Campbell Roy. This is the Prepfab entered car that they used on the Roger Albert Clark Rally last year and the presence of a rallying legend in the field adds further to the strength of the class. More very quick Porsches will be campaigned by Brian Bell/Paul Spooner, Peter Lythell/Liz Jordan, Andrew Street/Jez Mason and Graham Wilson/Keith Fellows, but the quickest car of all in C4 could be the Datsun 240Z of Dominic Frattaroli/Wyn Thomas. They won post-historic last year, but later crashed heavily on the Isle of Man and have been working flat out to finish a new car in recent weeks. If it is ready in time, they will fly!
The BDA-powered Mk1 Escorts have class C5 to themselves and it is 2005 championship runner-up David Stokes who will start as favourite. Stokes has a new co-driver in Guy Weaver and has plenty of opposition including 2005 FIA European Historic Rally champion Ernie Graham, partnered by Robin Kellard, Ray Bellm/Mark Solloway, Chris Browne/Alison Cornwell and Craig Salter/Preston Ayres.
Class C3 is also dominated by Mk1 Escorts, and could be one of the most open classes of the rally. Martin Kenny/Dave Stocking, Bob Gibbons/Stuart Cardell, Frank Cunningham/Arron Forde and Dave Dyer/Graham Wride are all potential winners, while Mark Creswell/Rachael Brockington could be dark horses.
In 2005, the 1600cc class (C2) was one of the most competitive of all and that should continue this year as 2005 champions Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes again go head to head with John Worthing/Bill Robertson in a battle of the Escort Mexicos. However, Robin Shuttleworth/Mark Midgley will also be very quick and the pace of Vince Bristow/Dean Mitchell could provide a surprise or two.The Robin Hood is organised by Lindholme Motor Sports Club Ltd and for more details about the event, please visit the website at: robinhoodforeststages.co.uk
