Faulkner and Parry crowned champions

The 2019 BTRDA Rally Championship came to an exciting climax last weekend, as Scott Faulkner and Gareth Parry went head to head against rivals Pay Naylor and Ian Lawrence in a winner takes all battle on the Trackrod Rally.

“This event isn’t familiar for me” explained Faulkner getting the excuses in early. “I’ve only competed here once back in 2014 and that was in a Diesel Land Rover Defender! The speeds are going to be dramatically different today, but we’ve got the bit between our teeth and we’re ready for a battle!”

Proton Iriz R5 takes start-to-finish Trackrod Rally Yorkshire win

Just weeks after securing a Woodpecker Stages Rally victory, Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress made it two-from-two in 2019 by taking their Proton Iriz R5 to a dominant Trackrod Rally Yorkshire win on Saturday (28th September).

Mellors opened up an eight-second lead on the opening stage of the five-test event in the Thornbridge Brewery backed Proton and was never headed, ensuring the Iriz R5 could enjoy a start to finish win in the difficult Dalby forest complex.

Trackrod Forest Stages

The Trackrod was once again the final round of the BTRDA and BHRC championships. With the BTRDA decided, for the main titles, all eyes were on the BHRC as 5 drivers could take the title. Matt Edwards & Hamish Campbell (131 Abarth) were fastest through the opening Friday night test but Matthew Robinson & Sam Collis (Escort MkII) hit back on Saturday and the pair swapped fastest stage times leaving Robinson just under 4 seconds ahead going in to the final stage. A spin and stall in front of our position didn’t help and the best part of 17 seconds were dropped, leaving Robinson victorious by just over 21s. Steve Bannister & Callum Atkinson (Escort MkII) completed the podium but all eyes were behind them as none of the top 3 were either registered or in with a shot of the title.

Mellors takes Proton Iriz R5 to impressive Woodpecker win

Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress secured a maiden national rally win for the Proton Iriz R5 since being Homologated by the FIA, taking victory by 20 seconds at last weekend’s Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally, a round of the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series (31st August) in Ludlow, Shropshire.

Mellors was fastest on all but one of the event’s five stages in the Welsh Marches and Shropshire forests with the Radnor test often used by the FIA World Rally Championship qualifier Wales Rally GB. Victory for the Thornbridge Brewery backed Proton further cements it’s capabilities as a front running international specification R5 machine.

Woodpecker Stages Rally

With the main titles decided in the BTRDA it was all down to who could perform on the day and it was Ollie Mellors & Ian Windress (Iriz R5) who took victory by 20 seconds. The story of the rally though was George Lepley & Tom Woodburn (Evo X) who were 2nd overall in only their 2nd time in a 4WD car. They were really on a roll once they got used to car setting two joint fastest stage times with Mellors and taking the final stage by 3 seconds. Stephen Petch & Michael Wilkinson (Fiesta WRC) completed the podium 13 seconds behind. Henri Grehan & Jack Bowen (Escort MkII) were the 1st 2WD crew home in 12th overall with Callum Black & Michael Gilbey (ZR) wrapping up the 1400 title in 19th overall.

MEM field two-car Proton Iriz R5 squad for the Woodpecker Stages

Ollie Mellors and Theo Bengry will each pilot a Proton Iriz R5 at this weekend’s Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally, round six of the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series (31st August).

Mellors and co-driver Ian Windress will start the Ludlow based event as number two seed and will be aiming to repeat the 2018 Cambrian Rally and Goodwood Forest Stage win for the Jaipur Iriz R5 in July. Bengry, with Les Forsbrook alongside, will be aiming for more experience of the potent four-wheel-drive machine after making the switch from historic rallying to the Leominster Car Auctions backed Proton earlier this season.

Builth Wells celebrates successful Nicky Grist Stages as Euan Thorburn claims BTRDA Rally Series title

The move into the centre of Builth Wells proved a huge success, as the Quinton MC-organised Nicky Grist Stages produced a carnival atmosphere, a great sporting spectacle for the town and a significant increase in footfall and trade on the high street – which had welcomed the event with open arms. On the stages, Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton won the event in their Ford Focus WRC to clinch the 2019 Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series title.

The Scottish duo, who had won the previous four rounds of the BTRDA Series, lost their initial Nicky Grist Stages lead on SS2 after losing time with a gearbox problem that affected the launch control and handbrake.

Nicky Grist Stages

Grey clouds hung over the Epynt military ranges for the Nicky Grist Stages. Euan Thorburn & Paul Beaton (Focus WRC) were on the cusp of taking the championship with a perfect score, but they had 8 tricky stages to complete. The first stage went to plan but stage 2 saw Stephen Petch & Michael Wilkinson (Fiesta WRC) go fastest to close in on Thorburn. Stage 3 saw Thorburn attack and he took 14 seconds out of Petch and by the service break he held a 21s lead with another fastest stage time. 3 more fastest stage times across stages 5-7 saw Thorburn extend his lead to over a minute and a 3rd fastest time saw Thorburn & Beaton home to victory and a perfect score to confirm the 2019 championship title.

Bilham: “I’m out to enjoy myself” at the Nicky Grist Stages

Bingley rally driver Sam Bilham is determined to “enjoy” himself next weekend as he contests the fifth round of the BTRDA Rally Series, the Nicky Grist Stages Rally (13th July).

Bilham will once again be behind the wheel of the Greenlight Sports and Entertainment Ford Fiesta R5 and has cited a more relaxed approach to the Builth Wells based event, which takes in classic Welsh Stages made famous by the FIA World Rally Championship qualifier, Wales Rally GB in the past.

Thorburn aims to clinch BTRDA title on the bumper 130 car Nicky Grist Stages

The forthcoming Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 13 July) has received a bumper 130 car entry, with top seeds Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton hoping that a good result on the eight stage Mid-Wales forestry event will clinch them the prestigious 2019 Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series title.