Rally Drivers Didier Auriol and Chris Ingram at Reis Race Retro

French Rally driver Didier Auriol, who won the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1994, will make his debut at this year’s Reis Race Retro. He will be joined by the current European Rally Champion Chris Ingram.

Born in Montpellier and initially an ambulance driver, Auriol started rallying in an old Simca 1000. After winning his first French Rallye Championship in 1986 behind the wheel of a Metro 6R4, he repeated his success in 1987 and ’88 but this time in a works Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.

Friendly fans make SOL Rally Barbados a must-do

The enthusiasm of the island’s fan base and the selflessness of fellow competitors are among the key drivers behind British couple Sean Kukula and Emma Arthur’s decision to return to Sol Rally Barbados for the third time this year. The 31st running of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event is scheduled for Friday to Sunday, May 29 to 31, with The Rally Show and Flow King of the Hill the previous weekend.

Kukula recalls many occasions when the unique atmosphere and camaraderie of the event has helped them through a tough situation, while co-driver Emma, who gets to celebrate her June birthday during their Caribbean trip, says: “We continue to be blown away by the support, enthusiasm and kindness shown to us by all involved, from the Rally Club guys, spectators and marshals to our fellow competitors. Sean and I are very much looking forward to coming back out in May to catch up with everyone.”

Best of British Crowned at Motorsport UK’s Night of Champions

FIA Deputy President (Sport) Graham Stoker was one of the high profile figures crowning the 2019 British Champions during Motorsport UK’s prestigious Night of Champions ceremony in London last night (25 January).

National Track Championships

After a year away we returned to the Manchester velodrome to catch a day of the 2020 National Track Championships. There were a total of six titles decided on the Saturday and they went the following way – Women’s Team Pursuit – Team Breeze (Ella Barnwell, Jenny Holl, Josie Knight, Anna Docherty, Anna Shackley), Men’s kilometre – Jonny Wale (HUUB Wattbike p/b Vita Coco), Women’s scratch race – Ella Barnwell (Team Breeze), Men’s points race – Rhys Britton (Team Inspired), Men’s sprint – Hamish Turnbull (Slingshot) and the Women’s keirin – Lauren Bell (Black Line).

Proton return to the British Rally Championship with Iriz R5

Proton will return to the British Rally Championship this season for the first time since 2016 as Mellors Elliot Motorsport and Ollie Mellors mount a full assault on the series behind the wheel of the newly homologated Iriz R5.

Backed by Thornbridge Brewery, Reliable Vehicle Logistics and Michelin, Mellors and co-driver Ian Windress will tackle the six-round series in the machine which has seen recent development work from a string of high-profile drivers both in the UK and Ireland, including two-time World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm.

Allingham launches British Historic Rally Championship title tilt

Three-time Welsh Rally Champion Alex Allingham will mount a full assault on the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship (BHRC) in 2020, behind the wheel of the Weir Rallying UK Ford Escort Mk II.

Allingham will be joined by Ross Weir in the co-drivers seat as the duo aim to add the prestigious British title to their impressive list of accolades between them. The pairing will be going head to head with some of the fastest historic crews in the UK in the new-look eight-round series.

Creighton launches Junior British Rally Championship title bid with Fiesta switch

Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award nominee William Creighton will fight for the Junior British Rally Championship title in 2020 and €60,000 towards an FIA Junior World Rally Championship [JWRC] programme the following year in a brand-new M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2.

Clee Hills Trial

Crisp and cold conditions greeted the crews tackling the Clee Hills Trial with the ground sticky rather than totally slippery, following the recent long periods of rain. Flounders Folly, which has served us well over the years, was our first port of call where the class 1-6 cars tackled it first, before the class 0 cars had their run. The alternative route was then opened up for the bikes and the class 7 & 8 cars. We then completed our day with the class 7 & 8 cars at Easthope, which looked more challenging than it actually was.

BTRDA Sporting Trials, Gold & Silver Star Championship

The 2020 BTRDA Sporting Trials, Gold & Silver Star Championship returned to Huntington, 4 years after it saw Josh Veale secure the title. The 10 hills set out provided a varied challenge and it was Bryan Walker & Mark Simpson who took the lead with only a single point scored on hill 9. Josh & Tristan Veale were joint 2nd with Andy Wilks & Mark Smith on 4 points. 2019 champions Ian & Keil Wright were early retirements and unable to defend their title. With the hills getting trickier Walker could only manage to keep to 10 points but maintained the lead. Andrew McKinney & Chris Millar were the class of the round, scoring just 6 points and leaping up to 2nd overall, just 3 points behind Walker. Veale and Wilks matched each other to hold joint 3rd with John & Ryan McKinney join them after a good 2nd round.

SOL Rally Barbados joins FIA NACAM Championship

Sol Rally Barbados is inscribed on the calendar of the world governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), for the first time in 2020 as it becomes a round of the NACAM Championship. The 31st running of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event is scheduled for Friday to Sunday, May 29 to 31, with The Rally Show and Flow King of the Hill the previous weekend.

Established in 2008, the FIA Regional Rally Championship for the NACAM zone (North America, Central America, the Caribbean and the north of South America) will this year comprise six rounds, split equally between gravel and tarmac for the first time. It opens at the third round of the World Championship, Rally Mexico in March, and includes three further events in the same country, plus one each in Barbados and Canada.