BHRC Trackrod award winners announced

The special award winners from the sixth and final round of the 2018 FUCHS LUBRICANTS MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Trackrod Historic Cup (28/29 September), have been announced.

Chris Skill collected the award for the ‘Best Improvement on Seeding’, which is a set of axle brake pads from Mintex. In one of his best performances to date, Skill and co-driver Graham Wild finished second BHRC crew to secure championship victory in Category 2.

Home rule for Robinson and Collis in BHRC final

Matthew Robinson and Sam Collis scored a popular home victory on the Trackrod Historic Cup (28/29 September) during the sixth and final round of the FUCHS LUBRICANTS MSA British Historic Rally Championship.

Double delight for local drivers in dramatic Trackrod Rally Yorkshire

Mat Smith and Matthew Robinson were left celebrating dramatic victories on ‘home soil’ in the two main events that go to make up the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire today (Saturday, September 29th).

The two North Yorkshire drivers took the major honours when the sun-drenched rally reached a conclusion along Filey seafront but in completely different circumstances.

Trackrod Forest Stages

Another fine day up in North Yorkshire saw an exciting finish to the final round of the BTRDA Championship. With the title decided in the favour of Matt Edwards, it was all to play for (especially as Edwards was in a Fiat 131 in the historic section of the rally). Charlie Payne & Carl Williamson (Fiesta) went fastest through the first two stages to open up a lead but Mat Smith & Giles Dykes (Fiesta R5) stormed back with fastest stage times on the remaining 3 stages. With Langdale to go the margin was just over 2 seconds in the favour of Payne but Smith took a superb victory by 1.2s on his 4WD debut. Steve Petch & Michael Wilkinson (Fiesta WRC) completing the podium almost a minute further back.

All to play for as Rally Yorkshire gets into top gear on Saturday

Less than ten seconds separated the first three cars on the overnight leaderboard after the 10.43 opening stage of the Historic Cup section of the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire last night (Friday) with Ripon’s Matthew Robinson claiming first blood in Dalby Forest.

Robinson and co-driver Sam Collis, in a Ford Escort Mk2, held a slender two-second advantage over Llandudno’s current British Rally Championship leaders and already crowned BTRDA Champions Matt Edwards/Darren Garrod, reverting to ‘historics’ in the Filey-based event and driving a replica of a 40-year old Fiat 131.

2019 BHRC dates unveiled

The dates for the 2019 FUCHS LUBRICANTS MSA British Historic Rally Championship have been unveiled, with a seven-event calendar covering both gravel and asphalt events.

Bean there, done it and still hunting rally trophies at 80 years young

A car destroying roll on the event 12 months ago has done little to lessen the insatiable appetite for speed of octogenarian Bob Bean as he bids to clinch another national title at this weekend’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire (Friday, September 28th and Saturday, Sept 29th).

Legend is an over-used and often under-earned word but Bob, from Cleckheaton near Bradford, has almost done it all in an amazing career that has spanned six decades.

The 80-year old retired farmer first sat in a rally car in 1960 and rose to the heights whereby the Escort Mexico he campaigned in 1972 was fully supported by manufacturers Ford.

Yorkshire finale for BHRC

The 2018 FUCHS LUBRICANTS MSA British Historic Rally Championship reaches its season finale in the Yorkshire forests during the Trackrod Historic Cup on 28/29 September.

As well as being the sixth and final BHRC round, the Trackrod Historic Cup is also the final round of the BHRC Forest Challenge, supported by Rally and Competition Equipment, and the new BHRC2, supported by Sherwood Engines. The Filey-based Trackrod Rally is organised by the Trackrod Motor Club.

Rally King Edwards reverts to car of yesteryear in North Yorkshire

Already crowned Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series Champion and current British Championship leader Matt Edwards aims to further prove his versatility on next weekend’s (Sept 28th/29th) Trackrod Rally Yorkshire when he contests the Historic Cup.

Edwards, from Llandudno, has driven a high specification Ford Fiesta WRC during his multiple successes in both major modern rally series’ this year but he will be at the wheel of a 40-year old Fiat 131 replica, taking on some of the most experienced drivers of other cars from yesteryears, when he undertakes the North York Moors forest-based event, which starts and finishes in Filey.

Not that the in-form Welshman is any stranger to either the annual Yorkshire extravaganza or rallying ageing cars, having won the Trackrod Historic Cup in 2103 – his first outright ‘historic’ victory – driving an Escort RS1800, then finishing second the following year.

King of North York’s forests Bannister ready to turn the clock back

The most successful driver in the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire’s history Steve Bannister bids to rekindle memories of over three decade ago when he contests this year’s two-day event on September 28th/29th.

Malton potato farmer Bannister will be partnered again by former navigator Dave Oldfield, from Seamer, in a 1975 Ford Escort Mk2 strikingly similar to the one in which they drove to victory in 1984, 85 and 88.