Abarth unveils stunning new 500 rally car

Abarth is continuing its tradition of building accessible competition machinery with the unveiling of its new Abarth 500 R3T rally car.

Revealed for the first time at this month’s 51st San Remo Rally, the Abarth 500 R3T will feature in a one-make rallying trophy in 2010. The European and Italian Trophies for the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse circuit racer will continue.

Home win for Pinder on Swift Sport Cup

The MSA British Rally Championship’s 2009 Swift Sport Cup was a cracker, going right to the final round on International Rally Yorkshire at the end of September.

At the end of nearly 100 miles of high speed competition in the forests of North Yorkshire, it was local lad Luke Pinder and co-driver Peter Scott who took victory in both event and one-make Championship.

Honda Civic Challenge Launched for 2010!

A one-make rally championship for Honda Civics is coming to the stages of Scotland next season! The Brick and Steel Civic Ecosse Challenge will run parallel to the highly successful 205 Ecosse Challenge, which has launched the rally careers of scores of drivers and co-drivers over the last seven years.

A one-two for Peugeot in ALMS Atlanta downpour

- Peugeot reigns with another one-two finish
- Poor weather brings race to an early finish
- Peugeot 908 HDi FAP follows Le Mans success with another win

Watson tames the Trackrod Rally

Swansea based 18 year old Tom Watson survived the high speed forest roads of North Yorkshire to record his second consecutive top six finish at the wheel of his TRT Welding backed Ford Fiesta ST on last weekends Trackrod Challenge Rally. This result also saw young Watson classified fourth in the VK Fiesta Sporting Trophy on a day when bravery and mechanical sympathy were required in equal doses.

Brick and Steel 205 Ecosse Challenge – Colin McRae Forest Stages Preview

This weekend’s Colin McRae Forest Stages could be a defining moment in the 2009 Brick and Steel 205 Ecosse Challenge. If results go the right way, both the 1.9-litre and 1.6-litre titles could be decided come the end of the Perth-based rally.

Isle of Mull junior John MacCrone has been the man to beat in the competitive 1.6-litre Challenge all year long, and a top six finish for the 20 year-old on Saturday will seal the series for John and co-driving uncle Peter MacCrone. With John MacCrone also in the running for Hankook Scottish Rally Championship’s Junior title, however, there will be no let-up from the Dervaig joiner.

Hänninen makes point for Škoda Motorsport at San Remo

Despite a disappointing San Remo Rally, Škoda Motorsport can take heart from its performance in this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge series. Jan Kopecký’s title challenge ended when the Czech driver retired from the rally after the second stage, but team-mate Juho Hänninen put in a good performance.

Things looked good for the Škoda team when Kopecký and co-driver Petr Starý won the first stage. Unfortunately, the duel between Kopecký and championship leader Kris Meeke ended prematurely when the Czech damaged the left rear suspension of his car after clipping a wall.

Report, round eight: Trackrod Historic Cup

The fast and dusty stages of Yorkshire played host to the eighth and final round of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Trackrod Historic Cup (26 September).

Another category one victory for Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) confirmed them as overall BHRC champions, while victory in category three was a superb result for Julian Reynolds and Ian Oakey, who set a fearsome pace in their Escort Mk2.

Cronin takes emphatic Yorkshire victory to seal 2009 BRC

Keith Cronin and Greg Shinnors set a blistering pace on International Rally Yorkshire to not only take their third gravel victory of 2009, but with it secure the MSA British Rally Championship at their first attempt.

The battle with season-long championship rivals Mark Higgins and Bryan Thomas was all-but won on the first of the day’s nine stages, where the 23 year old from County Cork took thirteen seconds of the triple British rally Champion. Sadly on the last stage, any hope of a late chance for Higgins was quashed when his Pirelli TEG Sport Impreza left the road at high speed.

Peugeot UK’s Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle win in Sanremo to clinch IRC Intercontinental Rally Challenge Drivers’ title

Peugeot UK’s Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle are on top of the world after winning the Sanremo Rally to clinch the Drivers’ Championship in the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.