FUCHS LUBRICANTS BTRDA GOLD STAR® CHAMPIONSHIP

FUCHS LUBRICANTS BTRDA GOLD STAR® CHAMPIONSHIP

FABIA IS HIRST’S SKODA FAVOURITE!...

Since transferring their allegiance from Ford to Skoda at the beginning of September, Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear have been in imperious form, setting a series of fastest times on the Woodpecker Rally, winning the Trackrod Forest Stages and now, to finish off their Protyre BTRDA Rally Series campaign, taking victory on the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally. Last year’s winners, Russ Thompson/Steve Link were 3rd overall in their Lancer EVO9 and, in so doing, increased their Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star Championship points tally by one which was all that was needed to deny the flying Hirst/Dear runners-up spot!

Having clinched the Gold Star crown on the Trackrod – and with their Fiesta Rally2 suitably adorned with a bespoke screenstrip outlining the driver’s record-breaking third consecutive title! – Elliot Payne/Patrick Walsh entered the Cambrian with no pressure as far as the Championship was concerned. However, also experiencing a lack of pressure in the car’s right front tyre on two separate occasions during the event served to hold them back such that, although setting fastest times on all the other stages bar one, they finished 2nd in North Wales, just over a minute behind the winners.

This year Class B13 has been a two-horse race between the Lancers of Thompson/Link and Pat Naylor/Ian Lawrence who are declared the winners following the former’s elevation to the Gold Star podium! Alfie Hammond joined in on the Cambrian and brought his Impreza home just outside the Top Ten.

Liam Clark/Emily Easton-Page (Fiesta Rally2) ended their season with 4th place, less than a second behind Thompson/Link, with Daniel Sigurðarson/Asta Sigurðadóttir (VW Polo) arriving back in Llandudno in 5th.

Colin Minton endured a disappointing end to his BTRDA season when his Fiesta R5 cried enough after SS2.

So, to summarise an intriguing season in which history has been made at the 71st time of asking, Payne/Walsh took four wins and three 2nd places (as far as points were concerned) to Hirst/Dear’s four wins and one 2nd – and that made all the difference! Total domination of the top step of the podium by two crews, but still a fight (almost!) to the finish. Thank you to these gentlemen in particular but also to everyone else who has joined in the ‘Serious Fun’ this year.

Having played second fiddle to Lewis Hooper/Rhys Edwards for much of the season in the BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup and, consequently, the Protyre BTRDA Silver Star Championship, it all came good for Sam Mason/James Seymour on the Cambrian when their Fiesta R2 became the first front-wheel drive car to take maximum points since George Lepley performed a similar feat in his Fiesta R2 on the 2018 Woodpecker Stages!

For their part, Hooper/Edwards (Fiesta), who had already laid claim to the Rallye R2 Cup, must have been hoping that the problems experienced by Andy Davison/Tom Murphy (Sunbeam VXR) on the Cambrian would see the Silver Star trophy heading in their direction. Not so fast! Taking advantage of the Super Rally rules on the event, Davison/Murphy were able to rejoin and, in spite of amassing a total time in excess of an hour more than the Fiesta crew, their determination rewarded them with sufficient points to clinch the title! Murphy has been here before but it’s the first time that Davison has been able to call himself BTRDA Silver Star Champion – congratulations to both!

So, with Fiesta R2s claiming first and second Silver Star points, it was left to Will Graham/Robin Kellard (Escort MkII) to restore some familiarity to the proceedings with 3rd place. James Gratton-Smith/Tom Jordan (MG ZR) took a class win and 4th while, just behind them, early-season Silver Star leaders Steve Ward/Phil Sandham (Escort MkII) finished their eighth event from eight starts.

With one win and three second-places to his credit, Ben Jemison (Chevette HSR) started the Cambrian with high hopes of a podium finish in his first full tilt at the Silver Star Championship. However, when the car stopped on the first run through Clocaenog, all bets were off…

With the season now at an end, the Reis Motorsport Insurance BTRDA Historic Cup table features some familiar names, but in a different order. Prior to the start of the final round, Phil Sandham was assured of the Co-drivers’ title but Steve Ward could still be caught in the Drivers’ category. A 2nd place points score – behind Will Graham – ensured that he moved ahead of erstwhile leader Ben Jemison to succeed Will’s dad, Ernie Graham, as Champion.

Lee Ashberry/Ian Jones’ attempts to join in the fun were thwarted right from the off when their Escort’s battery failed, preventing them from crossing the ‘start’ line.

FUCHS LUBRICANTS BTRDA BRONZE STAR CHAMPIONSHIP

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY!...

Following the Trackrod, we knew that Kaz Jenkins had retained her Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Championship Co-drivers’ title but, although leading the Drivers’ category, husband Nigel (Nova) was just one point in front of Ashley Francis-Adams (Micra) and could still be deposed! It was also the case that Ashley’s co-driver Mark Ammonds would benefit from a healthy points score…

Off into battle and the Micra was the quicker of the two cars on the first couple of stages but then the Nova took control on the next four. A dead heat on the final stage in Brenig left Mr Jenkins to take his second Bronze Star title by a mere eight seconds, leaving Ashley to claim runner-up spot and to be joined by Mark Ammonds who’d moved up a place in the process!

Luke Watts (MG ZR) left the best till last with his highest score of the season in 3rd but, on the other side of the coin, Giles Armitage/Josh Rhodes (Peugeot 205) and Chris Bush/ Robert Jones (Corsa) both failed to make it to the finish. Fortunately, Armitage/Rhodes had already laid claim to the BTRDA Rally First Cup prior to the start and, although disappointing, their failure to complete the Cambrian wasn’t as tragic as might have been the case!...

Photos by Kevin Money & Malcolm Almond