Dunlop/WONAGO.com MSA British Historic Rally Championship -round three: Severn Valley Historic Rally
The 2010 Dunlop/WONAGO.com MSA British Historic Rally Championship resumes on Saturday 5 June with the Severn Valley Historic Rally, the third of eight events in the season of historic rallying.
An excellent field of nearly 70 cars, exceeding the 2009 entry, will deliver some superb action over some of the best gravel stages in the country, including some used on Wales Rally GB in November.Category 1Running first on the road will be the older cars from category one (pre '68) and it is Jonathan Gale and James Whitaker who will again lead the field away from the start in Builth Wells. Their Sunbeam Tiger is the car to beat in category one and the flowing Welsh stages will suit the rumbling V8. As ever, Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride will head the chase of the Tiger in their Porsche 911.
However, in Kielder on round two it was the amazing Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/Gill Cotton that emerged for a memorable victory over the Tiger and the Porsche.
Set to join the fray for the first time this year will be the Mini Cooper of Terry Cree and Richard Shores, although they could make a late change of car in the run-up to the event.Meanwhile, class B1 has four contenders, topped by the Sunbeam Imp Sport of Geoff Taylor and Val Thompson, with Thompson making her debut in the car. Mike Barratt and Jody Watson wheel out their Sunbeam Stiletto, while Simon Whitehead and Gary Wood run their Hillman Imp and Nick Pinkett and Jonathan Lodge have their two-stroke Saab 96 back in action.Category 2Category two, for the post-historic cars, ended in remarkable style in Kielder as the last stage caught out the Escorts of David Stokes/Guy Weaver and Jeremy Easson/Alun Cook. Both crews will be determined to make amends this weekend on stages they know well. Chasing the pair of old rivals in Escort Mk1s from class C5 will be the similar car of Chris Browne/Liz Jordan, but the Porsche challenge from class C4 will also be significant.
A debut victory last time out was a great result for Peter Smith and Russ Langthorne in their 911, while Tim Mason and Graham Wild have the speed to really attack the Escorts.
The contest for class C3 – for the Pinto-powered Escorts – has two key players as Tim Jones and Don James go head-to-head with Andrew Siddall and Captain Thompson. It is one win apiece to date, so it is all to play for as James Slaughter and Mark Casey head the chase of Jones and Siddall. However, their start is conditional upon the arrival schedule of Slaughter's second child!
The pace of class C2 standard setters Vince Bristow and Tim Sayer is remarkable in their 1600cc Escort Mk1 and it's difficult to see any of their class rivals getting close to the flying Sussex crew. Leading the pursuit will be the Hillman Avenger of Gary and Jane Edgington.Category 3The contest for category three has been one of the highlights of the opening two rallies, with wins going to Nick Elliott/Dave Price and Will Onions/Dave Williams as the action is fought out at a hugely impressive pace. However, the Severn Valley line-up will be missing potential winners Julian Reynolds and Ian Oakey due to work commitments for Reynolds.Instead, Elliott and Onions will go head to head, with Elliott in his rebuilt car after a major accident in Kielder. Splitting the pair of Ford Escort Mk2s in the starting line-up will be the very rapid Opel Ascona of Phil Collins/tba.A gaggle of quick Escorts packs out the rest of the top 10, with Darren Moon/Chris Parsons, Conor Corkill/Rob Fagg, Ryan Barrett/Barry Ferris and Terry Brown/Martin Jones all determined to bag a podium finish. Among them will be the Vauxhall Chevette of Rob Smith/Shaun O'Gorman, while more quick Escorts follow in the hands of Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James, Simon Tysoe/Cliff Simmons, Phil and Mick Squires, Tim Pearcey/Craig Drew and Roger Kilty/Lynette Banks.
Heading the class D3 pack, and sure to be up among the D5 Escorts, will be the Pinto-powered Mk2 of Richard Lane/Frank Richer, with their rivals including historic debutant James Belton and Paul Wakely in the Escort Mk2 previously rallied by Will Onions.Rejoining the BHRC after a break, and with a fresh class D3 Escort Mk2, will be Mark Clifford and Elgan Davies, while class D2 is the province of the Talbot Sunbeam of Pat Anderson/Andy Greenland.The Severn Valley Historic Rally is organised by Midland Manor Motor Club Ltd.
