BIG FOUR FACING ISLAND BATTLE
British title fight heads for the Isle of Man
The battle for the 2016 Mintex MSA Historic Rally Championship is down to a four-way contest heading for this weekend’s doubleheader on Rally Isle of Man.
Simon Tysoe, Paul Barrett, Stanley Orr and Jason Pritchard are the four drivers fighting for the title, and with 137 points on offer, the contest remains wide open as drivers count their best six scores from nine, with only the Trackrod Historic Cup to follow at the end of September. All four drivers know they need to finish strong on the island to remain in the title fight.
Tysoe, with a total of 322 points and scores in all six events, heads the table with his Ford Escort Mk1, but is short on experience of the island.
“I’ve only ever been there once and we put the car on its roof on the second stage, so it’s going to be interesting,” said Tysoe.
Northern Irish contenders Paul Barrett (Escort Mk2) and Stanley Orr (Escort Mk1) start the weekend on 304 and 213 points respectively. Pritchard, the defending champion, has a total of 211 points but has only scored major points in three events to date.
There are many permutations, but it is clear that Pritchard needs two big scores. One set of points will be awarded for the first nine stages, with a second set for the results over the remaining 11 stages.
“It’s now like a home from home and the roads are the best in the world for asphalt rallying,” said Pritchard, who has an impressive record on the island.