Monday 29 July 2013

Images from BCCC Radnor 2



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Rally2Raise team target class podium on Speyside Stages rally

 
The Rally2Raise team of Rachel Clark from Aberdeen and Caroline Lodge from Brampton are targeting a class podium when they contest the Speyside Stages rally next weekend.

The pair contested their first event together on the Scottish rally in June and they finished an excellent second in class in their E.Watson & Son, Pirelli, AW Motorsport and McPherson Document Solutions-supported Nissan Micra 1300.

The team are contesting selected Scottish Rally Championship events this year as part of their project to raise funds and awareness for charities. The supported causes this year are the Nystagmus Network and the Bottle Stop campaign. So far they have raised £800 in 2013 to add to the £2,500 they raised last year.

“The project has gone well again this year,” said Rachel. “I’m pleased with how much we have raised so far and we’ve got plans for more fundraisers later in the year.”

“I’m looking forward to the Speyside, we ran as course car on three stages last year which was very enjoyable so we’ve stepped up to the full event this year. It’s a relatively local event for me and it’s run by my own 63 Car Club so it’s good that we can support the rally.”

“We managed to get second in class on the Scottish which I was very happy with so if we can get a similar result next weekend that’d be great, the first priority is to finish though.”

Ahead of the rally Rachel attended a fundraising barbecue with the rally car at the local Woodend nursery. The car proved to be very popular and several of the nursery kids wrote their names on the car wings so they’ll be on display at the rally.

The Speyside Stages is based in Elgin with the crews scheduled to contest 9 stages in the surrounding forests. For more information on Rally2Raise please visit www.rally2raise.co.uk or www.facebook.com/rally2raise.

Monday 22 July 2013

Wright takes on world rally stars at Goodwood Festival of Speed



Bentham's David Wright enjoyed a very successful Goodwood Festival of Speed event last weekend when he set the third fastest time of the weekend behind two drivers who compete across the world.

It was Wright's second time at the prestigious festival which takes place in the grounds of Lord March's Goodwood House in Sussex. Having beaten several world rally cars last year Wright was invited back to the event by the International Rally Drivers Club.

Using his usual his Kumho Tyres, Proflex, Drenth, York Brewery, Millers Oils, Owen Developments and Grove Hill Garage-supported Mitsubishi Evo 9 Wright set some fantastic times on the first day of the festival and he was leading Citroën World Rally Team driver Mikko Hirvonen right up until Hirvonen's last run of the day.

With the course cutting up and the Evo running on old tyres Wright did not push too hard for a fast time on Saturday and Sunday but he was still quick enough to be third fastest, an excellent result against the factory cars.

"It was a brilliant weekend," said Wright. "The Goodwood rally stage is very challenging and the surface is much more slippery than the forests I usually compete in.  We put in some good times, especially on Friday, and it was great to be on the pace of Mikko."

"I did several runs with VIP guests of the BlackRock drivers' club which was very enjoyable. The weather was amazing although it made conditions in the car very tough."

"Thanks to the IRDC and Goodwood for the invite, it's the best event of the year and hopefully we will get an invite next year too."

Wright is hoping to return to BTRDA rally championship action in September on the Woodpecker Stages event in Ludlow.

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Puncture robs Sykes of Scottish Challenge rally podium

 
Stourbridge’s Richard Sykes was denied a podium finish on last weekend’s Scottish Challenge rally when a puncture whilst in second place dropped him down the leaderboard.
After a disappointing Jim Clark Challenge rally Sykes was keen for a good result in his Bathams Brewery, G I Sykes Ltd, Silverstone Tyres and Boroughbridge Marina-supported Citroën C2 R2 Max.
The rally started with a loop of three stages, two in the forests near Ae and one at the Heathhall spectator stage near Dumfries. Sykes was on the pace immediately and lay in second place overall after the third stage.
The crews returned to Ae for stages four and five. Stage four went well and Sykes maintained his second place. Disaster struck on stage five though when, four miles in to the 14 mile-long stage Sykes fell victim to the sharp rocks and stones on the road and punctured a front tyre. With 10 miles still to go he had to stop and change the wheel which cost three minutes, dropping him to 9th place.
“We had a very good start to the event, we couldn’t keep up with the torquey Clio of Russ Thompson but I was pleased with second place,” said Sykes. “Sadly the puncture meant we plummeted down the leaderboard but we had no option but to change it in such a long stage. Usually it'd take less than two minutes but a problem with the nut gun meant that it took three.”
With three stages to go Sykes pushed hard to try and regain some positions and by the event finish he was up to 6th place and second in class.
“It’s another disappointing result but 6th is better than 9th and we’re still third in the BRC Challenge championship so all is not lost. The next event is a double-header on the tarmac roads of Ulster which should suit our car. We have to go all out for two wins to keep alive our hopes of retaining the title.”
The Ulster Challenge events take place on 23rd and 24th August.