Round one: Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages Rally
The 2006 Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship got off to a magnificent start on the Alternative Sign Centre Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages over the weekend (4/5 March). A superb entry, tremendous competition and bumper crowds lining the stages made it the best possible start to the season. Ultimately, Mark Solloway and Mark Crisp took the post-historic win in their Escort Mk1 while Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies were unstoppable in the historic category in their Sunbeam Tiger.Historic (category 1)Running first on the road meant that Watts/Davies were first into the very icy and, in parts, snowy Hanger Hill stage on Saturday evening. Despite a misfire, which was cured by a new batch of fuel, the Tiger ended the opening leg with a modest eight-second lead over the Lotus Cortina of Philip Atkinson/Simon Coates.
On Sunday, with the car running cleanly, Watts was able to stretch clear and eventually win by over a minute and a half. "Today it was flying," said Watts. "I was just seeing how post many post-historic Escorts I could beat!"
Atkinson/Coates maintained their excellent run to take second in historics and win class B4, fending off the similar cars of Neil Calvert/Michelle Calvert and Chris Green/Max Utting in the process. "We had a good run on Saturday night," said Atkinson after a great result.Chasing the Cortinas with a typically committed performance was the hard-charging Mini Cooper S of Clive King and Bob Ward. Unfortunately they were later excluded for being towed through a control, which handed class B2 to the Cooper S of Mike Barratt/Joanne Watson. Only a puncture towards the end of the main Clipstone stage on Sunday morning hindered their progress.
Gordon Cameron and Sheila Grimshaw kept the pressure on Barratt/Watson, and ended the rally less than a minute behind.
Back competing for the first time since badly damaging the car in Belgium last September, John Parker and Robert Harrison took maximum class B1 points in their Saab 96, finishing well clear of the similar car of Nick Pinkett/Caroline Lodge.Post-historic (category 2)When Ray Bellm decided to miss the event, Solloway took over his entry in the Escort Mk1 used by Mark Higgins to win the Roger Albert Clark Rally in November. He set the pace on the tricky Saturday evening stages, but at the end of the leg just four seconds split the top four cars.
Revelling in the conditions, Steven Smith/John Nichols were second in their Escort RS2000, with Steve Perez/Steve Harris third in the magnificent Lancia Stratos and David Stokes/Guy Weaver fourth in their Escort Mk1.
In the opening stage, Smith/Nichols had caught the Classic category Mk2 Escort of Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James. "We lost three bulbs out of six for the remaining two stages," reported Smith after following Lloyd for the last mile of the Hanger Hill stage.
In the dry and, at times dusty, conditions of Sunday, Solloway/Crisp set a cracking pace and had edged 15s ahead of Stokes/Weaver with two stages to run. However, in Harlow Wood, Solloway had a half-spin and hit gear selection problems as he rejoined. "I pulled it apart on the next road section and changed the gear lever," said Solloway. With the final run through Birklands to go, Solloway and Stokes were level, with Smith only 16s adrift in the far less powerful RS2000.
Stokes/Weaver attacked in Birklands, but slid sideways to a halt, beached on an earth bank. They spent an agonising 26s stationery as spectators pushed the Escort off the bank and they dropped to third behind Smith/Nichols as a result.
"That was a really good event," reported Solloway. "I've just got to keep winning now," he added. "I threw it away on a big pile of earth," admitted Stokes. "But I did try and there's no other way to go!"
"That's a result we're delighted with," reported Smith, after matching the leader's pace on an event where power is all-important.
Despite a very last minute change of co-driver, Ernie Graham was a fine fourth in his Escort Mk1. When co-driver Robin Kellard had to rush home due to a family injury just before the start, it seemed that Ernie might have to withdraw. But Andrew Stokes, brother of David, jumped in with about five minutes to spare and helped Graham to an excellent result.
Craig Salter/Preston Ayres (Escort Mk1) also had a fine run to fifth place, just ahead of the crowd-pleasing Stratos. "We did stages four and five stuck in fifth gear," explained Perez of their lost time. "We came here to test the car and we've learnt a lot," he added. Setting fastest time on the opening stage proved just how much progress the team is making with the car.Maximum class C4 points went to the Porsche 911 of Sean Lockyear/Chris Wood. "That's the first finish in the car and we've had a very good run," said Lockyear, who was chased by the 911 of Graham Wilson/Keith Fellowes.
Smith/Nichols dominated class C3, as Dave Dyer/Graham Wride and Bob Gibbons/Stuart Cardell gave valiant chase.
Meanwhile, C2 fell to the flying Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon Escort Mexico. "We've had a couple of overshoots, but the car ran well," reported Morgan. However, leading C2 overnight in a stunning seventh overall had been John Worthing/Bill Robertson (Escort Mk1). Unfortunately, they slide wide on Sunday morning and stalled, which became a major drama when the starter motor packed up. Eventually, after a push start and a moment in a ditch, they took a stage maximum. They put Vince Bristow/Dean Mitchell into the class lead until a halfshaft failed on their Escort.
Second in C2 were Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes (Escort Mexico). They were 14s adrift of Morgan/Kenyon, and regretted two moments in Clipstone South that cost them 25s.
