Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship

The third round of the 2007 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will take crews into Wales for the first time this year for the Seven Valley Historic Rally (2 June 2007). Once again a superb entry of 70 cars will compete over classic stages in the Radnor and Epynt regions on one of the most popular events in the BHRC calendar.Heading to Wales, David Stokes and Guy Weaver top the BHRC points' table and Stokes will be hoping to have further reason to celebrate after his 60th birthday on the Monday before the rally.Category 1Running first on the road will be the category 1 cars (pre '68) with defending champions Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies leading the way in their Sunbeam Tiger. Chasing the thundering Tiger will be the Porsche 911 of Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride, but another big challenge to Watts could come from the 911 of Stuart Rolt/Richard Pomfret. Rolt has not rallied much recently, but will take time out from his duties as chairman of the British Racing Drivers' Club to rally his Porsche.One of the biggest battles of the rally is likely to be among the Lotus Cortinas in class B4, with the cars of Philip Atkinson/Simon Coates, Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson, Jonathan Gale/Graham Gale and Bob Bean/'Captain' Thompson sure to be very evenly matched.Class B2 is set for a big battle between the Mini Coopers of Clive King/Bob Ward and Terry Cree/Richard Shores, while the Saab of Nick Pinkett/Alex Lucking heads class B1.Category 2Category 2 ('68 to '74) is all about Escort Mk1s and Porsche 911s and it was Richard Tuthill/John Bennie setting the pace on the opening two BHRC rounds. However, that has yet to translate into maximum scores and so it is Stokes/Weaver leading the championship table after a great start to the year in their Escort Mk1.Tuthill/Bennie will head the category 2/3 field away and will set a scorching pace, but the presence of Mark Solloway/Den Golding (Escort Mk1) in the is sure to give Tuthill a huge battle. Steven Smith/John Nichols (Porsche 911) will also be looking for a good result after a mixed start to the season, while Nick Whale/Sally Wood (Porsche 911) are running very strongly after category 2 victory on round two, the Pirelli Rally. Other leading crews at the head of the category 2 battle will be Sean Lockyear/Chris Wood (Porsche 911) and Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard (Escort Mk1).Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon will be aiming for another class C3 win in their Escort Mk1, while three crews will again battle over C2 spoils. Vince Bristow/Dean Mitchell are seeded top of the trio in their Escort Mk1, but John Worthing/Bill Robertson and Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes are right behind in what should be another highlight contest.Category 3New as a full part of the BHRC this season is category 3 for the 1975-81 cars and the Ford Escort Mk2 is the car to have. Running first among the category 3 cars will be local aces Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James in their ex-Roger Clark Escort Mk2, but they face an enormous challenge from similar cars from veteran Jimmy McRae (partnered by Andy Richardson) and rising young star Martin McCormack (partnered by Liam Moynihan). Irishman McCormack was sensational when he won the Pirelli Rally on his first visit to the Kielder stages. Wales is also new to him, but Martin is proving to be a fast learner.Another seven or eight class D5 Escorts pack out the category 3 entry, including the cars of Jason Lepley/Howard Pridmore, Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing and Phil Squires/Mick Squires. The BHRC battle in class D3 will be contested between the Escorts of Richard Lane/Frank Richer and Mark Clifford/Brett Clifford, with Chris White/Chris Dewsnap and Chris Shooter/Bev LeGood in hot pursuit.With such a strong category 3 entry, the division has more than justified its place as a full part of the BHRC this season.The Severn Valley Historic Rally is organised by Midland Manor Motor Club Ltd. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: severnvalleynational.co.uk