The MSA and BTRDA have agreed to rest the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship in 2017 following the retirement of long-time championship coordinator Andrew Haill.
Both parties recognise that this news will disappoint competitors but they can rest assured that the championship will be relaunched and reinvigorated in 2018. Read More »
It was a pleasure to be up on the Otterburn ranges again and it was good news that the Cheviot was running again, after being cancelled in 2015. With the title sewn up Damian Cole & Paul Morris wheeled out the Escort MkII for a change and were not helped by the damp conditions early on. David Tinn & Giles Dykes (Satria Neo) made the most of 4WD and ran away to a 50 second lead by the end of the 2nd loop of stages. With the stages drying from there on in they extended their lead to over a minute before easing back on the final two loops to take victory by 70 seconds. Read More »
A damp start on Epynt saw Damian Cole & Paul Morris (Fiesta WRC) take the initiative with a series of fastest stage times, over the first two loops, to take a half minute lead. Bob Fowden & Paul Wakely (Impreza WRC) were 2nd overall after a fastest stage time in the first 6 stages. Stage 7 saw Steve Simpson & Patrick Walsh (Impreza WRC) leap ahead in to 2nd place courtesy of their first stage win. Cole was well ahead though and 7 fastest stage times in total, saw him take a significant step towards another Asphalt championship title, winning by 43 seconds. Read More »
Strong gusting winds ravaged the Otterburn ranges as the crews took on the Tyneside Stages. Damian Cole & Paul Morris (Fiesta WRC) took the opening stage by 5 seconds and never looked back. The lead incremented out slowly as a result of 4 fastest stage times and 4 equal fastest stage times, including fastest times on the final two in drizzly conditions, to see an eventual winning margin of 22 seconds for Cole. After a recent string of bad fortune up at Otterburn, Steve Simpson & Patrick Walsh (Impreza WRC) were 2nd overall but they had a tough battle event long with Alex Laffey & Andrew Roughead (Fiesta R5 Evo). Read More »
As is fitting with the Isle of Man there was mixed weather for the Manx National. The opening night was dry and saw Ashley Field & Janice Moore (Darrian GTR+) take the lead after the opening pair of stages through Ramsey. The bogey was then beaten on stage 3 by the top two as Jason Pritchard & Phil Clarke (Focus WRC) looked to establish themselves. Another pair of fastest times through the final two stages saw them take the lead and open up a 46 seconds advantage over Simon Bowen & Richard Robinson (Impreza WRC S11). Field had dropped behind Pritchard on stage 4 but a 40 second loss on stage 5 saw him slip behind Bowen too. Read More »
After a cloudy start the Tour of Epynt was played out under glorious spring sunshine, with tyre choices now all based upon how soft the crews wanted the rubber to be. The top 4 were hard to separate over the opening pair of stages with Steve Simpson & Patrick Walsh (Impreza WRC) taking the lead by 3 seconds from Damian Cole & Paul Morris (Fiesta WRC) tied with Simon Mauger & Jonathan Hawkins (Metro 4M4). The 2nd loop saw Simpson extend his lead as Cole put a few seconds between himself and Mauger. With Simpson having beat the bogey time on stage 4 he then did the same on stage 5 to extend his lead and remained untouchable for the rest of the day, to take victory. Read More »
The organisers of the 2016 MSA Asphalt Rally Championship are delighted to announce a full seven-round calendar that not only includes the best sealed surface events the UK currently has to offer, but also takes advantage of the opportunity to sample rallying in the Irish Republic at first-hand. Read More »
The REIS Asphalt Championship made its 2nd visit of the season to Epynt for the Mewla Rally. The event started in atrocious conditions and it was Peter Lloyd & Carl Sorenson (Impreza WRC S12) who held an early advantage after the first loop of stages. It was a lead that would only grow and they took their 2nd win in 4 weeks over the ranges, this time against the massed ranks of the National championship runners. It was 2nd place that was crucial for the championship. Simon Mauger & Brian Cammack (Escort MkII) had to beat Damian Cole & James Morgan (Focus WRC) and after the first loop they were ahead but as the stages dried out Cole moved past. Read More »
Damian Cole was supposed to be on a family holiday in Devon at the time of the Tyneside Stages Rally (July 31), but when you’re increasingly well placed to win the REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship for the second year in a row, you don’t let a little matter like that prevent you from getting behind the wheel! The effort brought due reward too, with Cole and co-driver James Morgan winning the event outright in their Ford Focus WRC and becoming the first pairing of 2011 to achieve two maximum scores. Read More »
One year on from Damien Cole’s victory he was looking to make win no.2 of the season in his Focus WRC and with variable weather conditions few would bet against him. However it was the Escort MkII of Simon Mauger & Brian Cammack who defied their power and technology deficit to the WRC machinery around them to take a well deserved win. It was only by 7 seconds as late dramas saw Cole close in, co-driven by James Morgan, but Mauger held on. Completing the podium were previous winners Eian Pritchard & Steve McPhee (Impreza WRC S11) over a minute further back. Read More »
