Will Nicholls and Nick Broom made a fine impression on their championship debut by winning the opening round of the HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge during the Alternative Sign Centre Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages on 6/7 March.
Competing in their newly-prepared Mk2 Escort, Nicholls/Broom survived a final stage scare that left their margin of victory slashed to just 10 seconds over defending champion Gareth Lloyd and Ryland James (Escort Mk2).
A highly-encouraging 14 car entry gathered for the first event of the new season, making the Robin Hood the best supported round to date in the new series from the Historic Rally Car Register. The 13-stage event in the Nottinghamshire forests ran alongside the Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship. After four stages in the dark of Saturday evening, the action resumed with a further nine stages on Sunday.
Having switched from their regular Subaru Impreza WRC for the event, Nicholls/Broom took an immediate lead on the pair of spectator stages in Rother Valley on Saturday evening. Martin Freestone/Chris Heyes (Escort) and Lloyd/James led the chase of the leaders into Sunday's daylight stages.
Throughout the day, Nicholls/Broom steadily extended their advantage and went into the final Clipstone stage with a lead of more than a minute. But disaster struck on the final corner of the rally as the car ground to a halt when an ignition lead came off the coil. "We both had to get out and push the car over the stage finish; there were no spectators about," explained Nicholls. Then came an anxious wait to see how much time they had lost, but their effort was rewarded with victory by just 10 seconds! "It was brilliant, we'll be out again," pledged Nicholls.
"No problems," reported Lloyd after taking second. "We had a good event, but Will was just going too fast!" Into a superb third overall and class D3 victory went Russ Langthorne/John Clarke, having entertained the fans with some spectacular moments in their Escort RS2000. Meanwhile, Freestone/Heyes took fourth, having incurred a minute's road penalty on Saturday evening, which they unsuccessfully contested.
Michael and David Pedley, in the ex-Steve Hill road rallying RS2000, claimed fifth from Ian Rix/Frank Richer in another Mk2 Escort. Other class victories went to Dave Cobb/Allen Craven (Toyota Corolla) and John Lythaby/James Savage (Rover SD1).
Early retirements due to engine dramas included the Escort of Richard Lepley/Peter Beer and the Chevette HSR of Gary Midwinter/Martin Saunders.
It was an excellent start to the HRCR Classic season and with a two-month break before the next event on the tarmac roads of Epynt, more crews are set to join in the action.
