Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship and HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge

News round-up after event one: Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages

Welcome to the first issue for 2006 of the post-event news and gossip update for the 2006 Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship and HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge.

Round one of both series, the Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages over the weekend of 4/5 March ran in the dark (and ice!) of Saturday evening and then through until early Sunday afternoon.NewsDessie Nutt rallied his post-historic Porsche 911 for the first time, rather than his customary historic category car. "It was built in Africa four years ago and I've never used it." Gearbox problems hindered the 2.7-litre car, which could be seen on more BHRC rounds this year. However, he plans to revert to his older car for the Astra Stages next month. Dessie arrived in Worksop fresh from driving on a frozen lake in Norway and was wowed by the experience. It wasn't much warmer in Clipstone on Saturday night!The crowds were bigger than ever on the Robin Hood and it seems that the historics and classics were the big draw. Post-event chat on the leading rally forum (www.britishrally.co.uk) made it clear that the fans greatly enjoyed the spectacle. Certainly, the spectator stage at Blidworth was busier than ever.Kenyan rally driver Aslam Khan made his UK debut on the Robin Hood in Iain Freestone's Escort Mk1. More at home on the East African Safari, Khan was new to driving on snow and ice. "I just wanted to try an event in England," he said before finishing 13th in the Classic category.Kevin Broadhurst failed to finish the Robin Hood for the fourth time in a row at the weekend when his Escort Mk1 shed a wheel in Blidworth. He last finished the event in 2002. It even went wrong in the run-up to the event when the clutch blew on the rolling road on Thursday.Jimmy McRae was out of the Robin Hood rally before it even started when gearbox dramas sidelined his Prepfab Porsche 911 between scrutineering and the start of the rally. McRae still hopes to tackle more BHRC rounds this season. "I would like to do the championship," he said on Saturday.Lawrence Green finished the Robin Hood against a tree after a steering failure on his father's Mk1 Escort. Lawrence, partnered by Andy Turner, had borrowed Chris's car for the event, but was pitched out in the first Clipstone stage on Sunday morning. Chris went on to finish fourth in the historic category in his Lotus Cortina, partnered by Max Utting who had a spare weekend between the Sunseeker and the Malcolm Wilson Rallies.Classic Championship co-ordinator Simon Marks will switch to co-driving on the Rally of Kent this Sunday to partner Classic regular Dick Slaughter in his ex-Roger Clark Escort Mk2. Simon has co-driven before, but not for several years. He's also rallied a BMW 2002 with verve! Apparently Dick knows the stages quite well, as that's where he walks the dog!North-east based Patterson Ford Motor Group has added its support to the BHRC campaign of Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes this season. They are chasing the C2 title once more in their Escort Mk1 Mexico, which looked resplendent at the weekend following a winter respray.BHRC photographer Mike Hally was back in the UK after a recent cycling trip around India. He says UK roads now seem a doddle after that! He's had some e-mail problems but can now be reached via: photos@mikehally.comIn the musical seats department, Michelle Calvert will now be a regular fixture alongside dad Neil in his Lotus Cortina. However, Michelle will miss the Astra while in Australia, so Arlene Cookson will be back for that one. Meanwhile, Michelle's place in Mike Barratt's Mini has been taken by Joanne Watson.Entries for the Astra are coming along very nicely, with 46 already in and a number more expected now that the Robin Hood is over. The organisers have arranged all single-usage for the historics, running first on the road through the Clocaenog and Aberhirnant complexes.BHRC champion Steven Smith was honoured at the recent Historic Motorsport Awards ceremony with the accolade of 'rally driver of the year'. It was a well-deserved recognition for both Steven and the BHRC. Co-driver John Nichols was short-listed for the 'co-driver of the year' award, but was pipped by HRCR member Fred Bent, a veteran of road rallies.Comparing results on the Robin Hood, it was interesting to note that the leading post-historic and classic crews were setting stage times that would have put them well into the top 10 of the modern event.

Quotes of the weekend"I've never driven on ice before, so it should be fun." Kenyan visitor Aslam Khan prepares to tackle Hanger Hill in Iain Freestone's Escort Mk1."Hand beaten inner wings!" John Parker proudly displays his handiwork in the rebuilt Saab 96."I've seen more of this hotel than the stages!" Kevin Broadhurst ponders three non-finishes in a row on the Robin Hood, before adding a fourth the following day."It's like tarmac in places." Neil Calvert finds the frozen Clipstone stages in remarkable condition."We're a bit giddy; we haven’t been this high up the leader board!" Mike Barratt takes his Mini to fifth overall in the historic category. ""We went through the finish control at about 50mph." Graham Waite suffers brake failure at the end of Clipstone South on Saturday night."There are so many people out there to see the car." Steve Perez and the Stratos pull in the crowds."Flat in fifth, you take your foot off and nothing happens." Dave Watkins has his throttle stick open in Clipstone."It was about four JCB buckets worth of earth!" David Stokes describes the cause of the last-stage beaching that cost him victory."The driver is suffering from severe old age." John Stanger-Leathes explains how he and Ken Forster lost time with two moments in Clipstone on Sunday morning."Bloody awful starter motor. It should have cost us about five seconds, not six minutes." John Worthing's class C2 lead disappears in Clipstone.

PointsProvisional BHRC overall driver points after one round:1 Mark Solloway 312 Steven Smith 30= Philip Atkinson 304 Mike Barratt 275 Sean Lockyear 26= Patrick Watts 267 David Stokes 25= Neil Calvert  259 Russell Morgan  2310 Ernie Graham  22= Chris Green  22= Gordon Cameron  22= John Parker  22Provisional HRCR Classic overall driver points after one round:1 Gareth Lloyd 312 Richard Lane  273 James Potter 264 Martin Freestone 235 Arwel Evans 216 Dick Slaughter 207 Chris Shooter  188 Ian Rix  169 Dave Cobb  1310 Harry Shepherd 11= Julian Burch 11Championship DVDHummingbird Productions will again be filming all rounds of the 2006 championship to compile unrivalled reports of the events. Copies of the 2005 DVDs are still available and include the hilarious 'out-take' footage that was showing at the Robin Hood.

The Gareth Lloyd/Martin Freestone double act was a particular hit, while Ralph Abel was as 'off the wall' as ever! Many others feature, so look out for Michelle and her microphone this year!