BRITISH HISTORIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

It was Blue Oval domination on the Trackrod as the gravel rally hosted the final round of the series.

The final round of the 2018 asphalt and forest-based series.

Matthew Robinson and Sam Collis scored a popular home victory on the Trackrod Historic Cup during the sixth and final round of the Fuchs Lubricants MSA British Historic Rally Championship.

Meanwhile, Brian Hodgson was confirmed as champion co-driver in this year’s MSA BHRC. With champion driver Paul Barrett using several co-drivers through the season, Hodgson became the top co-driver after a superb campaign alongside Stuart Egglestone in their Mk2 Escort. Chris Skill was crowned as Category 2 champion also in his Mk2 Escort.

Bob Bean and Miles Cartwright claimed the Category 1 title and the inaugural BHRC2 crown after coming out on top of the division for Category 1 and 1600cc cars in their Lotus Cortina.

Robinson put down a marker by being fastest through a dark and dusty Dalby stage on Friday evening over the non-BHRC registered Fiat 131 of Matt Edwards. Steve Bennett and Osian Owen were right in contention, while Ieuan Rowlands, on his first sight of a Yorkshire forest, was quick in the BRM-powered Avenger with Emyr Hall alongside. However, Yorkshire had bitten 2018 BHRC champion Paul Barrett and Gordon Noble, who were on their roof within a handful of junctions after an overshoot ended in a gentle roll. Damage was light and Robinson soon found them a replacement screen for a restart the next morning.

Saturday dawned bright and dry for early stages in Cropton and Gale Rigg and Barrett flew through the pair of stages to take a second a mile out of everyone. Things were not so good for the leaders, however, as both rear springs had snapped and there wasn’t much service time to replace them. Robinson was well into his lateness allowance getting one side fixed but, fortunately, there was only a 10-mile stage in Dalby before a second service when the other side was replaced.

Sadly, the Dalby stage ended the tremendous battle for the BHRC co-driver’s title as Bennett/Owen went out with a broken halfshaft and Simon Webster/Jez Rogers had a suspension breakage. Bennett had been just 10 seconds up at that point. The final stage was nearly 14 miles in Langdale and Robinson set the pace to secure a well-deserved victory and win the Rally and Competition Equipment Category 3.

Second in the BHRC ranks was more than enough to make Chris Skill the Skipton Ford BHRC Category 2 champion in his Mk1 Escort after a great performance with Graham Wild on the notes. They had a fine battle with Warren Philliskirk/Garry Green and ended the rally unable to turn the engine off due a snapped starter lead. Eventually, Philliskirk finished just 17 seconds behind the flying Skill, while a D3 class-winning fourth among the BHRC contenders for Egglestone/Hodgson secured the BHRC co-driver’s crown for Hodgson.