The Kielder Forest Rally will mark the halfway point in this year’s Protyre BTRDA Rally Series but, even with a further four events to run subsequently, the race for the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star® Rally Championship is already reaching a critical point.
Winner in both 2022 & 2023, Elliot Payne (Fiesta Rally2), is on a mission to make it three-in-a-row and, as he and co-driver Patrick Walsh arrive in Hexham for the pre-event formalities, the situation is currently looking favourable. Two maximums and one second-place put them, unsurprisingly, at the top of their respective points tables but, with such a wealth of competition, no-one can yet afford to relax.
Turning the clocks back with an outright win on the Cambrian Rally in their Class B13 Lancer EVO9 at the end of last season, Russ Thompson / Steve Link continue to pose a threat to the series leaders, having finished in the Top Four – in BTRDA terms – on each of the three events so far.
Meanwhile 2023 Kielder winners, Matthew Hirst / Declan Dear (Fiesta R5), already have one victory under their belt, having beaten all-comers on the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages back in April and, in spite of a problematic Malcolm Wilson Rally, are currently 3rd in the table, just six points off the lead.
Daniel Sigurðarson (Fiesta Rally2), with recently-registered co-driver Asta Sigurðadóttir, is another with three good results in the bag, while the similar car of Liam Clark / Emily Easton-Page is improving on an event-by-event basis – 3rd overall on the Border Counties will give cause for much optimism as the season progresses.
As far as Class B13 is concerned, Thompson/Link rule the roost but hanging on to their shirt tails on each occasion have been Pat Naylor / Ian Lawrence in their own EVO9.
Not only do the former BTRDA Production Cup winners feature in the Top Six Gold Star runners but the situation in their class is such that, should the leaders experience a problem of any sort, top spot could change hands in the blink of an eye.
Not to put too fine a point on it, the Protyre BTRDA Silver Star® Championship is still wide open! Steve Ward’s Escort MkII currently holds sway but, behind it, Andy Davison / Tom Murphy (Sunbeam VXR) have two maximums – their progress only interrupted by a DNF on the Rallynuts! – with Michael Jenkins (Fiesta) upholding front-wheel drive honours in 3rd.
The Escorts of Nick Dobson (Mk2) and Will Graham (MkI) are next while Ben Jemison, whose Chevette was runner-up to Davison on the Malcolm Wilson, missed the Rallynuts and retired on the Border Counties, is back for another go in Kielder.
At the same time, Ward, Graham & Jemison also occupy the top three places in the Reis Motorsport Insurance BTRDA Historic Cup. Baz Jordan / Arwel Jenkins, who appeared on the Border Counties in their Avenger to finish 2nd behind Will & Karen Graham, could significantly enhance their standing with a similar performance this time.
