Wraps come off 2018 Trackrod Rally Yorkshire

Following the success of the 2017 event, Trackrod Rally Yorkshire (September 28/29) will return to the historic East Coast town of Filey with the two-day event finishing with a ceremonial awards presentation on the town’s elegant sea front during Saturday afternoon.

Billed as one of the county’s biggest and most diverse rally, Trackrod Rally Yorkshire will feature a vast array of cars from the 1960s to the present day. As in recent years, Rally Yorkshire comprises two events: the Trackrod Historic Cup covering approximately 57 competitive miles, and the Trackrod Forest Stages, with a competitive route of around 45 miles.

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Final TV date for 2017 BHRC

The TV coverage of rounds seven, eight and nine of the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship will first be screened on Tuesday 17 October at 4.50pm on Motorsport TV.

2018 BHRC dates announced

The provisional calendar for the 2018 MSA British Historic Rally Championship has been announced as the series organisers move to ensure that the historic crews get the best possible road conditions on the five gravel rallies.

Bilham secures BTRDA Junior Award at Rally Yorkshire

Bingley rally driver Sam Bilham endured a tough return to the 2017 DMACK Fiesta ST Trophy with engine issues forcing the current champion out of contention for a home win on Trackrod Rally Yorkshire (30th September).

But a fifth-place category finish was enough to add another title to his name, securing the Ravenol BTRDA Rally Series Junior Driver Award at the event.

Successful rally return for Becky

Eastoft rally driver Becky Kirvan-Rodgers made a successful return to competition on last weekend’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire, finishing sixth in class on her first event for almost six years.

Other than a quick test session the week before Becky had not driven her APD Communications-supported Ford Fiesta ST since Wales Rally GB in 2011 and there was no chance to gently get used to driving on gravel again with the opening test being the long Langdale stage, the same place she rolled her car last time she competed on the event.

BHRC Trackrod award winners announced

The special award winners from the final round of the 2017 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Trackrod Historic Cup (Friday/Saturday 29/30 September) have been announced.

Stuart and Linda Cariss (1600cc Ford Escort Mk1), who finished 20th in the historic section of the rally, collected the award for the ‘Best Improvement on Seeding’, which is a set of axle brake pads from Mintex.

Pritchard and Clarke clinch BHRC hat-trick

Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke have won the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship for the third time in a row after a nail-biting climax on the final round, the Trackrod Historic Cup (September 29/30).

It was a winner-takes-all showdown in the Yorkshire forests between Pritchard/Clarke and Nick Elliott and Dave Price and Elliott was seven seconds up when he slid off for over a minute on the fourth stage. After seeing his rival off the road, Pritchard and Clarke were able to ease their pace and take maximum points to become the first crew to take a hat-trick of BHRC titles.

Win in Yorkshire seals national rallying title for Fossey

19-year-old Ed Fossey sealed the 1400 BTRDA rally championship with a class win on the tough and demanding Trackrod Stages Yorkshire last weekend (30 September). The Jerseyman in his Yokohama Toyota Yaris produced a champion’s drive to clinch the title in his first full year of rallying.

Rally Yorkshire

Another good day up in North Yorkshire saw an exciting finale to both the BTRDA and BHRC seasons. With the title decided in the BTRDA it was a fight between 2017 Gold Star Champions Stephen Petch & Michael Wilkinson (Fiesta WRC), Charlie Payne & Carl Williamson (Fiesta WRC) and Hugh Hunter & Rob Fagg (Fiesta WRC). In the BHRC it was a straight fight between Jason Pritchard & Phil Clarke (Escort MkII) against Nick Elliott & Dave Price (Escort MkII) for the title, with local ace Steve Bannister & Callum Atkinson (Escort MkII) sure to be in the mix too.

Championship rivals battling it out in Yorkshire forests

Ripon dairy owner Charlie Payne made an impressive start in his bid to win the Trackrod Forest Stages Rally for a third successive year but was still outpaced by Hugh Hunter’s similar Ford Fiesta WRC by the time the cars reached the mid-morning service.

The North Yorkshireman and was fastest through today’s (Saturday) opening stage in Langdale, stopping the clock at 12 minutes 8.7 seconds for the 13.41-mile all-gravel test.