The 2025 Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship (BHRC) season drew to a close at Trackrod Rally Yorkshire [26–27 September], as George Lepley delivered a faultless drive to claim victory, whilst the fiercely contested category titles were finally settled after a thrilling weekend in the Dalby forests.
If the season has been unkind to George Lepley, the Trackrod provided redemption. After a campaign dogged by non-finishes, he and co-driver Dafydd Evans were untouchable across the Yorkshire tests, unleashing the full force of his Mitsubishi Galant VR4 to take the fastest BHRC time on all six stages.
While Lepley claimed the overall headlines, the real tension centred on the Category 3 [cars registered 1975–1981] fight, the most hotly contested title battle of the year, with the mighty Ford Escort MKII dominating the top end of the leaderboard.
Paul Thompson and co-driver Josh Davison arrived with a slender half-point lead, built on season-long consistency, but chasing him was fellow local Dan Mennell, who had turned heads all season, bolstered by a win on the opening round. David Henderson still had an outside chance if fortune swung his way.
Friday night’s Dalby saw Mennell stop the clocks an astonishing 15 seconds quicker than Thompson to grab the early advantage. Ben Friend/Cliffy Simmons, back in action after a patchy season, showed flashes of their old form just 1.4s behind, with Matthew Stroud also in the mix to ensure a trio of Yorkshiremen filled the top four. Henderson’s hopes, however, faltered with spotlight failure, leaving him on the back foot.
Saturday’s stages provided no let-up, and Henderson hit back, setting the pace on the opener to remind everyone of his speed, but Mennell’s raw pace on home soil shone through. With co-driver John Roberts keeping him calm, Mennell measured his push to perfection, securing the pair both the Category win and, crucially, the coveted Category 3 title.
Elsewhere, Category 2 [cars registered 1968–1974] provided its own drama. Ben Smith’s early charge in the Porsche 911 ended in heartbreak with gearbox failure, leaving Tim Pearcey and Andrew Boswell in their Escort MKI to break into the overall top ten and seal the Category 2 drivers’ crown for Pearcey. Iain Thorburn, co-driver to Drew Struthers, secured the co-drivers’ title after a consistent season.
Category 1 [cars registered up to 1968] saw a popular result as Mini Cooper pairing Terry Cree and Richard Shores claimed both the top score and the championship title in the oldest car on the BHRC roster.
With Barry Jordan and Arwel Jenkins already making history earlier this month as the first four-wheel drive crew to take the BHRC overall title, Paul Clayton and Vera Johnson secured the Category 4 title in their Peugeot 205 GTi.
