“Trackrod Rally will be perfect backdrop”
Seldom, if ever, will there have been as much excitement on the seafront of the gently upmarket Yorkshire seaside town of Filey as promised on the afternoon of Saturday, September 28. That’s the setting for the final reckoning for this year’s Motorsport UK British Historic Rally Championship. Seldom, if ever, have five crews gone into the final round chasing the title. Stark contrast to a year ago when the late cancellation of Rally Isle of Man prompted rather a damp squib conclusion as
Paul Barrett was confirmed a worthy champion without a shot being fired.
This year is very different and the consistently excellent Trackrod Rally will be the perfect backdrop. Whoever wins, a new name will join former multiple champions like Steven Smith, David Stokes and Jason Pritchard on the roll of honour.
Following the penultimate round on last month’s Ulster Rally, Simon Webster and Jez Rogers take their Ford Escort Mk2 to one of their favourite events chasing a first BHRC title. Without any fuss or drama, Webster has quietly and constantly upped his pace to the point where a breakthrough win on the Red
Kite made him reconsider his plans and two asphalt events were added to his schedule to turn the year into a title bid. Rogers has been outstanding on the notes and they have gelled into a winning combo.
The major threat to Webster and Rogers are Northern Irishmen Stanley Orr and Graham Henderson (Ford Escort Mk1), who matched consistent gravel pace with mighty speed in Ulster to take just a two-point deficit to Yorkshire.
However, the dropped scores scenario makes it advantage Webster as he has a nine to drop while
Orr will shed a 16 if he scores better on the Trackrod. Both crews will bag seven start points in the championship’s frequent flyer programme.
The three other crews are the longer shots. Adrian Hetherington, Rudi Lancaster and Joe Price all have a mathematical chance of taking the crown but Lancaster will drop out once Webster drives off the start ramp. A place in the top 14 BHRC crews for Webster would then knock Hetherington and Price out the running.
If Webster can beat Orr in Yorkshire, then it is job done for the East Anglian. If Orr wins, Webster needs to be second but the Yorkshire Grand Prix is likely to feature return appearances by Matthew Robinson and Nick Elliott and they could well bag the big points to make it even harder for Orr.
Of course, with a stage in the dark of Dalby on Friday evening and 45 flat-out miles on Saturday, anything could happen. On paper, it is advantage Webster but championship manager Colin Heppenstall will need his calculator fully lit when the contenders arrive back on the Filey seafront.