The Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship returns to the iconic mid-Wales forests this weekend [7 September], as a relocated Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally marks the first of three gravel events to round out the season.
Traditionally based in Ludlow, with stages on both sides of the English border, event organisers were forced to move to Powys due to the unavailability of the Marches forests. The route heads back into Welsh rally staples such as Hafren, Ceri and Sweet Lamb, many of which offered up exciting action at round three of the series,
Its Porsche 911 driver Seb Perez who currently leads the standings and his form on these stages is a good sign as the championship fight heads into a critical phase; a win in these very forests on the Severn Valley Stages has been his only win so far this year.
Co-driven by Gary McElhinny, Perez has thirty points in hand over his closest rival, Mark Higgins in the Triumph TR7 V8. Higgins has been helping to develop the TR7 during the season and setting the fastest time on every stage at the Tour of Epynt underlines its asphalt pace.
Now Higgins will need to convert that to gravel speed to round out the season. Carl Williamson will co-drive.
Richard Hill is the first of a gaggle of Ford Escort MKII’s in the standings and despite not yet enjoying a win, has the benefit of pure consistency on his and co-driver Patrick Cooper’s side. Adrian Hetherington and Ronan O Neil are just 10 points ahead of Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver and realistically, are the last crew to stand a chance at the crown.
But several crews return to the fold and could well take valuable points away from the championship protagonists. They include Nick Elliott and Dave Price in the FIAT 131 Abarth, and Robert Gough and Jez Rogers in their Escort MKII. Round one winners George Lepley and Dale Bowen also return in their Mitsubishi Galant VR4,
Newcomers to the series include multiple overall rally winner David Henderson who makes the dramatic switch from the latest specification Rally2 machinery to historic rallying and has Chris Lees alongside.
With just three rounds remaining, the drop scores will begin to come into effect and many Category title chances begin to narrow down. Perez is well out front in the Category Two [Cars registered between 1968 and 1975] fight and is likely to take the title this weekend.
