Webster and Rogers take BHRC title
Title goes to Webster and Rogers after a real thriller.
Simon Webster and Jez Rogers took the title as Matthew Robinson/sam Collis won the rally after a fabulous conclusion to the British Historic Rally Championship on the Trackrod Rally.
There were two distinct elements to the Trackrod Historic Cup; the championship showdown and the battle for glory on the biggest event of the year in Yorkshire. To add to the challenge, a lot of rain in the run-up to the rally left the famous forests horribly slippy to start. However, conditions improved through Saturday as both the championship and the rally went down to the wire in the final 11-mile stage in Dalby.
It all started in the dark of Friday night with a different 11-mile route in Dalby as the sound of BDS barking up and down the riggs delivered a sensational atmosphere. Mid-stage it didn’t sound so good for Matt Edwards and Hamish Campbell, however, as their Fiat 131 lapsed onto three cylinders. Remarkably, out in the car for the first time in a year, the two-time British Rally champion was still quickest by 1.9 seconds from Robinson. In the BHRC title stakes Stanley Orr and Grahame Henderson, on Orr’s first Yorkshire rally for 30 years, started well by taking time from Webster and Rogers.
Although Saturday dawned miserably wet, it soon started to dry. Powered by Friday night’s curry, Robinson was on the money from the off and caught everyone napping to go 5.8s quicker in Langdale. Down the road in Staindale it was Adrian Hetherington, on his first event in these forests, who was an impressive 3.5s up on Edwards.
As the crews reached service in Adderstone Field, Robinson had just 1.4s on Edwards, while Hetherington and Ronan O’neil were third, 20s back. Steve Bennett and Osian Owen were a strong fourth from local legend Steve Bannister on only his fourth rally of the year, with Callum Atkinson alongside. Webster, focused purely on the title race, was sixth ahead of his arch-rival Orr and if things stayed like that, Webster would be king.
Up front, Robinson added just 2.4s in the 14 miles of Cropton and Gale Rigg and acknowledged Edwards’ pace. “He’s got that Fiat going better than ever,” said former Fiat driver Robinson.
After another visit to service, all that remained was the deciding 11 miles in Dalby. With just 3.8s in hand, Robinson knew he had to push to keep Edwards at bay but it all came down to a quick spin for the Fiat mid-stage. “There was a cut to be had, but it pulled the front of the car round,” said Edwards. “I don’t think we were ever going to do it, but at least we spun having a go.”
Robinson, winner on home ground for the second year running, was typically laid back after a tremendous performance. “We’ve had a nice run round and having a Saturday off work is the best bit! Matt’s pushed us along,” he said. With Edwards losing up to 15s in the spin, the final winning margin was out to 21.1s.
With the rally win settled, eyes turned to the BHRC contest and Orr, now on better suited rubber, had been strong in Cropton and Gale Rigg to overhaul Webster and be 2.1s up heading into final service. However, that was not enough to unseat Webster from the driving seat in the title fight and now just one stage remained. Orr needed to finish several places ahead of Webster to have a chance of grabbing the title.
“This is such a nervous time, I’m listening to all the noises,” said Webster before the final stage. However, there was no last-minute disaster and Webster took time back from Orr in Dalby North to arrive at the finish in Filey over 4s up and the 2019 BHRC champion.
“What a relief to get through that final stage,” he said. As Webster cleared the Dalby stop line, Orr had waited to be one of the first to congratulate his rival after a fine sporting contest.
Between the lead and championship battles in the overall results, there were other top performances. After Cropton, Hetherington was a superb third, just half a minute down on the two leaders. Given his complete lack of local knowledge, that was some achievement but a puncture in Gale Rigg cost the Irishman around 35s as he drove to the finish of the stage on the flat and dropped to fifth.
Meanwhile, Bannister summoned all his local knowledge to attack the final Dalby stage and jump ahead of Bennett to take third by 3.5s, with Bennett ruing a spin and a generally scrappy stage.