Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally ChampionshipPress release: Monday, 12 March, 2007Report, round one: Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages RallyThe Porsche 911 of Richard Tuthill and John Bennie claimed the opening victory of the 2007 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Alternative Sign Centre Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages over the weekend of 10/11 March. After a fine battle with the Porsche 911RS of Dom Buckley/Paul Spooner, Tuthill/Bennie emerged at the end of the final Clipstone stage as winners of one of the most competitive BHRC events to date.Other category wins went to Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) and Jimmy McRae/Andy Richardson (Ford Escort Mk2) as record numbers of spectators packed into the Nottinghamshire stages to witness some tremendous rallying. The Robin Hood was organised by Lindholme Motor Sports Club Ltd.Category 1The Sunbeam Tiger of Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies was expected to set the category one pace, but major electrical problems forced them to stop twice on the opening stage in the darkness of Saturday evening. Instead, Nutt/McBride took the lead and were able to edge clear of the battling Lotus Cortinas of Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson and Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson. "It's been a good event and being on notes made it even better," said Nutt after an excellent win.Just short of his 69th birthday, Bean drove a blinder of a rally to beat Calvert, but it was always very close and the lead changed back to Bean on the final stage.When Clive King/Bob Ward had to stop and change a puncture on their Mini Cooper, series newcomers Terry Cree/Richard Shores moved their Mini ahead in class B2 on the driver's first rally for 10 years. Despite finishing with a failing head gasket, Keith Reed and Kieron Patterson won class B3 in their Cortina GT, while John Parker and Robert Harrison fought back from a catalogue of dramas on Saturday night to win B1 in their Saab 96.Category 2With so many quick crews on the start list, the pace in category two was always going to be fierce. The first stage proved incident packed, as Mark Solloway/Den Golding and Dominic Frattaroli/Cliff Simmons (Datsun 240Z) both rolled and Steven Smith/John Nichols went out with suspension damage on their Porsche 911.Through it all, Tuthill/Bennie set the pace to finish the first leg ahead of Jeremy Easson/Alun Cook (Escort Mk1) and Buckley/Spooner. On a one-off run in Brian Bell's Porsche, Buckley attacked on Sunday morning and edged briefly ahead of Tuthill. However, Tuthill retaliated and when Buckley hit gearbox problems on the last two stages, the battle was over."It's a very good feeling and just fantastic to be back out rallying again," said Tuthill. Buckley held on to second place, but last stage clutch and gearbox problems cost Easson third. Instead, Sean Lockyear/Chris Wood made it a Porsche clean sweep of the top three places, having won a rally-long battle with C5 winners David Stokes/Guy Weaver (Ford Escort Mk1).A tremendous performance from Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon took their Escort to C3 victory and a highly impressive eighth overall in category two, while John Worthing/Bill Robertson (Escort Mexico) were mighty in winning C2 after setting a scorching pace on Saturday night. Steve and Tony Graham took their lovely Lancia Fulvia to C1 victory.Category 3The best ever category three entry was led home by McRae/Richardson, but for much of the rally they had to push hard to stay clear of Irish rising star Martin McCormack. Partnered by Liam Moynihan, 21-year old McCormack was sensationally quick in his Escort Mk2 on his BHRC debut and was within 10s of McRae until damaging the suspension on the penultimate stage and retiring.Another star of the early stages was Grant Shand, who flew in the dark in his Escort Mk2 with David Young on the notes. Shand slipped back a little on Sunday as Peter Slights/Joyce Champion got into the groove and moved through to second place. Like Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James, Slights had not got off to a particularly quick start, but upped his pace on Sunday while Lloyd finished fourth behind Shand. "I really got my head right for the last two stages," said Lloyd.Class D3 was won in style by the new pairing of Arwel Evans/Ian Oakey (Escort RS2000), although Richard Lane/Frank Richer were less than half a minute down at the finish. "Ian was brilliant on the notes," said Evans after they finished seventh overall in category three.Note: the BHRC championship positions after this event remain provisional pending further technical checks.