Bird battles to third on Border Counties rally

2005 ANCRO Champion Paul Bird got his 2009 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship bid underway with a solid third place finish on the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally this weekend.

Driving the www.supercasino.com, Vent Axia and Kick Energy-backed Ford Focus WRC07, the Penrith driver along with co driver Ian Windress from Northallerton were hoping to put the disappointments of a non-score on the opening ANCRO round in Bournemouth and an off in the following weekend’s Malcolm Wilson Rally behind them.

Seventh heaven for Cookson

Saltash driver Alan Cookson and London co-driver Julian Wilkinson made the long trip north to Jedburgh in Scotland worthwhile when they recorded a superb seventh place finish overall on the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally.

The crew were contesting the second round of the 2009 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship in their Robert Wiseman Dairies, Kick Energy, GillettsSpar.com, Kumho Tyres, Riverside Property Services and Olverelectrical.com supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car and after a solid top ten placing on the opening round, were hoping for another decent points haul.

Dodd takes victory in Border battle

Defending champions Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery claimed the honours for a second time as they won this weekend’s Brick & Steel Border Counties National Rally.

After non-scoring in the opening round on Rallye Sunseeker, the pair, in their Hyundai Accent WRC, took maximum points in the second round of the 2009 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship as they finished a narrow five seconds ahead of the Ford Focus WRC of former champion Steve Perez and co-driver Paul Spooner on the Jedburgh-based event.

Perez pipped for victory on Border Counties Rally

Kick Energy rally driver Steve Perez was denied his second win of the month by the smallest of margins when he just missed out on victory on today’s Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally which comprised round two of the 2009 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship.

Driving the ex Marcus Grönholm Ford Focus RS WRC 07, the Chesterfield businessman, along with Welsh co driver Paul Spooner, held the overnight lead by over half a minute after the two Friday night stages in Wauchope Forest and was continuing his charge in the fast and dusty stages of Kielder Forest to lead after SS4 by 28 seconds over defending ANCRO Champions Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC).

Border Counties Rally

A glorious day greeted the National Gravel and Scottish Championship crews in the borders. Overall honours looked very much like one from the top and so it proved to be, as they locked out the podium positions. It was Marcus Dodd & Andrew Bargery who took their ageing Accent WRC to victory over the Focus WRC pairing of Steve Perez and Paul Bird, (co-driven by Paul Spooner and Ian Windress respectively). Perez took the lead on the Friday night stages, but both Dodd and Bird continually gained ground on the Saturday, with Dodd taking victory by just under 6 seconds from Perez with Bird a further 18 seconds back in third.

The switch to Historics begins!

David Higgins says one of his biggest challenges switching to the Dunlop Gambia British Historic Rally Championship this year will be to restrain himself from having too much fun.

As the 2004 British rally champion prepares to switch from a Subaru Impreza N14 to a Ford Escort Mk1, the temptation to enjoy rear wheel drive action could prove too much.