The Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship heads to Kielder Forest this weekend [12 April] for the highly anticipated Carlisle Stages.
In a change to the published calendar due to storm damage in Wales causing the cancellation of the Severn Valley Stages, the series returns to the very forests that hosted last year’s title decider, utilising classic stages such as Kershope and Chirdonhead.
With the championship’s new scoring system which focuses on Category points rather than overall finishing positions in full effect, every crew has a shot at the title, making this and every event in the roster a crucial battleground.
Following a thrilling season opener at the Riponian Stages Rally, Britain’s premier historic rally championship is likely to deliver a spectacular weekend of action on the stages.
Daniel Mennell arrives in Carlisle with momentum on his side after securing his maiden BHRC victory on home soil. The Yorkshireman and co-driver John Roberts delivered a commanding performance in their Ford Escort MKII, managing the slippery Yorkshire Forest stages with precision to take the win by 18 seconds over David Crossen and Ben Teggart.
Mennell now leads the Category 3 [cars registered between 1975 and 1981] standings and will be eager to extend his advantage on the fast and flowing Kielder tests.
Crossen, having returned to competition after a lengthy absence, showcased an impressive pace at the Riponian and will look to build on his strong start. Meanwhile, Adrian Hetherington and Ronan O’Neil proved their resilience with a remarkable comeback drive to claim third after an early puncture. The Irishman will undoubtedly aim for a cleaner run in Carlisle to challenge for victory.
But there will be still competition from the likes of Ben Friend and David Henderson who both showed impressive raw pace in the series opener. They will be joined by a hotbed of returning front-runners, including Paul Barrett, Tom Walster and Robert Gough who have all been away from the BHRC for over a season.
Category 2 [cars registered between 1968 and 1975] saw Adam Milner and Roy Jarvis shake off past non-finish woes with a dominant class win, finishing seventh overall at the Riponian.
Their Ford Escort MK1 looked strong in the demanding conditions, and they will be keen to repeat their success in Kielder but will have the likes of Tim Pearcy, Jeremy Easson, Drew Struthers and Tim Jones to contend with.
