The Lake District is bracing itself for the influx of competitors making a beeline for MSport’s premises at Dovenby for the start of the Malcolm Wilson Rally (12th March), the  opening round of the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series and Motorsport UK English Rally Championship in association with Seacon UK. The organisers have attracted a bumper entry which, following the trials and tribulations of the past couple of years, sets a very encouraging precedent for the forthcoming season. From the MRF Tyres BTRDA Gold Star® Championship point of view, by their very presence in Cumbria, there are a considerable number of crews whose sights are set on succeeding Garry Pearson/Niall Burns to the title.

Charlie Payne and Carl Williamson (Fiesta) won the Malcolm Wilson Rally back in 2016 on their way to claiming the Gold Star crown that same year, while fellow former champions Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson (Fiesta) took maximum BTRDA points the last time the event ran in 2020. Ian Bainbridge / Will Atkins (Skoda Fabia R5) have previously led a BTRDA round but are yet to translate their speed into outright victory, while Damian Cole (Fiesta R5+) is a proven winner on asphalt but has still to reach the top step of a Gravel Series podium.
Moving on to a section entitled ‘Sons of their Fathers’, we’ve already mentioned Stephen Petch but we also find Elliot Payne / Patrick Walsh (Fiesta Rally2), Perry Gardener / Jack Bowen (Fiesta R5) and Tom Llewellin / Ross Whittock (Mitsubishi Mirage) each with designs on perpetuating their families’ past success, both within BTRDA and beyond…

Matthew Hirst / Declan Dear are another crew pinning their hopes of success on a Fiesta this season, as are 2016 BTRDA 1400 Champions Jordan & Paul Hone, from Northern Ireland, who return for a crack at Gold Star!  A brace of Hyundai i20 R5s for John Wink and former Group N front-runner Roland Llewellin further add to the variety. George Lepley, who made sure nobody else got a look-in when it came to Class B13 last year, has moved on to pastures new – although his younger brother James will be contesting the Silver Star Championship in an Escort… Nevertheless, all the signs are that B13 will be as competitive as ever, with a fine array of Mitsubishi Lancers in the hands of former BTRDA Production Cup winners Russ Thompson (who finished 3rd overall on the 2020 Malcolm Wilson Rally!) and Pat Naylor / Ian Lawrence, plus those of Richard Hill and, back after a couple of seasons away, Petr Krizan / Lukas Sintal. The
Escort Cosworth of 2018 Motorsport UK English Rally Champions Ian Joel / Graeme Wood can never be discounted and there will be a handful of Subaru Imprezas intent on keeping them all on their toes!

For those inclined to take a punt, when it comes to predicting the front-runners in the MRF Tyres BTRDA Silver Star® Championship, there’s quite possibly some money to be made! Owen McMackin’s Escort came good in 2021 but the Irishman’s defence of his title won’t start just yet. So, after such a successful 2019, Andy Davison / Tom Murphy (Talbot Sunbeam VXR) suffered a complete reversal of fortune last year but, undaunted, they’re back to challenge the ever-present Escorts represented by, for example, Rob Wright / Mark Fisher, Terry Pankhurst / Jamie Sparks and Nick Dobson / Phil Sandham.
                                                                                                           Andy Davison/Tom Murphy (Talbot Sunbeam VXR)   >>>

It’s been a while since a front-wheel drive car won the Silver Star title but that doesn’t preclude such a vehicle from doing so again!  The Fiesta STs of Max Utting and reigning BTRDA Rally First® Champion Tom Naylor could prove to be prime candidates when it comes to upsetting the apple cart!..
Based on previous experience, any predictions in respect of the successful runners and riders in the BTRDA Silver Star Championship must include contenders for the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup and BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup & BTRDA R2 Junior Cup as well. Baz Jordan / Arwel Jenkins’ Hillman Avenger is joined by the aforementioned James Lepley, co-driven by Liam Whiteley, in an Escort Mk2, 1997 BTRDA Silver Star Champion Warren Philliskirk’s MkI RS1600 and an interesting addition this year in the shape of a Datsun 1600SSS for Alex Waterman / Glyn Thomas.

Fiestas are the mainstay of the BTRDA R2 Cup with Tony Simpson / Ian Bevan, Billy Grew / Simon Rogers and Jonathan Jones / Jez Rogers relying on the Blue Oval, while Scott & David Sloan have opted for a Peugeot 208 and it’s a Citroen C2R2 Max for Lucy Wigley / Emma Cooper.

<<<   Dave & Toby Brick (1400cc Nova)

Dave & Toby Brick return to the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Rally Championship in their flying 1400cc Nova in an attempt to wrest the title that has, thus far, eluded them. Opposition this year comes in various different forms, viz. a Proton Satria for Gary Scott / James Hedges, Dale Glover / Sean Ward’s Alfasud Ti, Edward James / Charlie Mason (Nissan Micra Kit Car) and another Nova for Pete Gorst.

Adrian & Matt Walk, who stole the headlines on last year’s Woodpecker Stages by taking their Class 1400C Ford Ka to maximum Bronze Star points, are back and have Richard Garnett / Stefan Arndt (Nissan Micra) and the Talbot Samba of Mat & Dan Evans for company this time. The MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally First® Cup is also testament to variety being the spice of life! Lewis Hooper (Nissan Micra), Jacob Neal’s Vauxhall Corsa and a Peugeot 107 for James Lightfoot will all take the start in Dovenby.

The Malcolm Wilson Rally is also the opening encounter in the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship in association with Seacon UK and, following the unfortunate curtailment of both the 2020 & 2021 Series, an evenly spread six-round calendar concludes on the Grizedale Stages in early December. All BTRDA Rally Series registered competitors are automatically eligible for the class-based series as the race to succeed 2019 winner Steve Black (1400cc Suzuki Swift) begins.

On-line Registration:  BTRDA annual membership is £30 which gives automatic eligibility to all BTRDA Rally Series and English Rally Championship events. The BTRDA Rally Series registration fee also includes registration for the Motorsport UK 2022 English Rally Championship and is £50 for Drivers and £20 for Co-drivers,  BTRDA membership and Rally Championship registration is again FREE to new BTRDA members under the age of 25 on 1st Jan 2022 for their first year of registration.

Log in to the membership website www.btrdamembership.com  If you have forgotten any of your login details, just follow the on-screen instructions. If you have not been a member before you will need to register a new account.  In all cases the first part of the process is to join BTRDA (British Trial & Rally Driver Association) and then register for the forest rally championship.

For details of the Malcolm Wilson Rally : www.malcolmwilson.co.uk      All photos © Kevin Money

The 69th year of SERIOUS FUN…!
The BTRDA [British Trial & Rally Drivers Association] are pleased to announce the 2022 MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series and confirm that the 2022 Championship registrations are now open.
The 2022 MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series incorporates the prestigious BTRDA Gold Star® Championship, the BTRDA Silver Star® Championship exclusively for 2-wheel drive cars, plus the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Championship for cars up to 1400cc.  There is also the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally First Cup which provides an opportunity for competitors to participate in UK forest rallying at the lowest possible cost. The JORDAN Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup will include cash incentives on each of the championship rounds. The popular Rallye R2 Cup will continue as will the exciting BTRDA Junior R2 1600 Cup. The ST Trophy will also be an integral part of the BTRDA Rally Series in 2022.

The BTRDA Rally Series is the most popular stage rally championship in the UK and will continue to provide competitors and followers with some Serious Fun! The calendar includes eight one-day forest stage rallies, starting with the Malcolm Wilson Rally in March and finishing with the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally in North Wales at the end of October. We are grateful for the wholehearted commitment of all the event organising teams, because without their efforts, especially during the last couple of years, we would not be able to promote such a successful rally championship

The 2022 MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series (Best 6 scores to count)

• March 12th             Malcolm Wilson Rally         Cockermouth
  April 9th                  Rallynuts Stages                  Royal Welsh Showground
  May 14th                 Border Counties Rally         Jedburgh
  June 18th                Kielder Forest Rally              Hexham
  July 9th                    Nicky Grist Stages                Builth Wells
  September 3rd      Woodpecker Stages             Ludlow
  September 24th    Trackrod Forest Stages       Filey
  October 29th         Cambrian Rally                      Llandudno

The MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series is open to all stage rally cars and includes a broad spread of categories and competition classes, so there is something for everyone. The 2022 BTRDA Rally Series Regulations are available in the Competitors section of this website, along with a link to the on-line BTRDA membership and BTRDA Rally Series & Motorsport UK English Rally Championship registration. There is also a copy of the Registration Form that can be downloaded for those who prefer to register by post.

The BTRDA annual membership fee is £30 which gives automatic eligibility to all BTRDA Rally Series and English Rally Championship events. The BTRDA Rally Series registration fee also includes registration for the Motorsport UK 2022 English Rally Championship supported by Seacon UK. The BTRDA Rally Series registration fee is then £50 for Drivers and £20 for Co-drivers, 

BTRDA membership and Rally Championship registration is again FREE to new BTRDA members under the age of 25 on 1st Jan 2022 for their first year of registration. 

Log in to the membership website www.btrdamembership.com  If you have forgotten any of your login details, just follow the on-screen instructions. If you have not been a member before you will need to register a new account.  In all cases the first part of the process is to join BTRDA (the motor club) and then register for the championships.  

(Championship decals will be posted out in early March to drivers who have registered for the 2022 Championships).

Fuchs Lubricants (UK) are the sponsors of the BTRDA Bronze Star [1400] Championship which for 2022 also includes the BTRDA Rally First Cup. Following the relaxation of the regulations governing the running order on events, the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Championship is poised for a strong season as all eligible vehicles, along with all the BTRDA Rally First cars and the older, less powerful Historic Cars will be running within the first group of rally cars through the forest stages on all BTRDA Rally Series events.

The opening round of the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series and the Motorsport UK 2022 English Rally Championship is the Malcolm Wilson Rally on Saturday 12th March, set in the beautiful Lake District.  Regulations and entries for the Malcom Wilson Rally are now available at www.malcolmwilson.co.uk 

Having now received official approval from the Motorsport UK Rally Championship Control Panel, the BTRDA is very pleased to announce the calendar for the 2022 MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series. After an extremely difficult couple of seasons, it’s hoped that a sense of normality will return to our sport and that this eight-event calendar will find favour with competitors, old and new.

The dates for your diary are as follows : –

March 12th             Malcolm Wilson Rally         Cockermouth
April 9th                  Rallynuts Stages                  Royal Welsh Showground
May 14th                 Border Counties Rally         Jedburgh
June 18th                Kielder Forest Rally              Hexham
July 9th                    Nicky Grist Stages                Builth Wells
September 3rd      Woodpecker Stages             TBC
September 24th    Trackrod Forest Stages        Filey
October 29th         Cambrian Rally                      Llandudno

‘Building on the success of the 2021 Rally Series I have great pleasure, on behalf of the Rallies Committee, in presenting the 2022 MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series’, says BTRDA Rallies Committee Chair, Neil Cross. ‘Recognising the national spread of competitors, we have slightly adjusted our qualifying rounds and I’m pleased to welcome the inclusion of the Border Counties Rally, bringing a new challenge to the Championship in 2022. Despite the late start to our 2021 season we’ve had a year of serious fun and we hope you will join us in 2022 to continue our joint enjoyment of the sport.’

Catering for all vehicles complying with current Motorsport UK Technical Regulations and with a class structure to match, the BTRDA Rally Series has something for everyone.
More details along with the Championship Regulations will be available in January on www.btrdarally.com

In addition to our title sponsor, MRF Tyres, the BTRDA would also like to place on record its thanks to all the associated sponsors including JORDAN Road Surfacing, FUCHS Titan, MINTEX Racing, CARLESS fuels, KIELDER products, REIS Insurance and Revolution Wheels who have contributed to the success of the 2021 Rally Series and look forward to working with them again in 2022.

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Photos © Kevin Money and Malc Almond

Preview of Round 6 (FINAL): Rallynuts Stages – 13th November.
Having already been confirmed as both Scottish and BRC National Rally Champions this season, Garry Pearson and co-driver Niall Burns start the final round of the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, the Rallynuts Stages, as leaders of the MRF Tyres BTRDA Gold Star® Championship. However, although a glance at the points table confirms their status, it also reveals that they’re not home and dry yet !…

The featured image is Garry Pearson and Niall Burns (Skoda Fabia) – MRF Tyres BTRDA Gold Star Championship leaders on the recent Cambrian Rally.

In the Drivers’ category, Callum Black (with Jack Morton alongside in his Fiesta R5) could, conceivably, overhaul Pearson’s Skoda Fabia for Gold Star honours while, for his part, Burns needs to keep a wary eye on George Lepley’s co-driver, Tom Woodburn, throughout the Builth Wells-based event.  So, with battle lines drawn, we also have early-season Gold Star leader Elliot Payne, with Patrick Walsh, in another Fiesta R5, plus Ian Bainbridge / Will Atkins (Fabia R5) who could either help or hinder (depending on which side of the fence you happen to be sitting!) those intent on ultimate success.

<<<<<<<  Callum Black / Jack Morton (Fiesta R5) in action on the Cambrian Rally.

For their part, Lepley / Woodburn (Lancer EVOX) have made Class B13 all their own this season with five maximum scores from five starts but, in the driver’s case, although he was also leading the Gold Star points following the Trackrod Rally and a Top Three finish is still a distinct possibility, he now finds himself unable to regain top spot – just!  Elsewhere in B13, there’s a real power struggle taking place – Richard Hill’s Lancer starts the Rallynuts in 2nd place but the chasing pack includes Ian Joel / Graeme Wood (Escort Cosworth), Ian Baumgart / Dave Robson (Impreza) and a brace of Lancers for Maxx Bradshaw / Liam Whiteley and Mathew Hirst / Declan Dear. You’d be well advised to keep your distance while that one is sorted out!…

Similarly, in the MRF Tyres BTRDA Silver Star® Championship, although Owen McMackin (Escort Mk2) has already staked his claim to the drivers title, there’ll be a good deal of jockeying for position going on behind him. Ashley Davies (Escort), accompanied by 2021 Silver Star Co-driver Champion Sam Fordham, currently occupies runner-up spot but, among those in a position to unseat him, we find Ioan Lloyd who has had some excellent results this season in his Peugeot 208 R2. Silver Star winner on the opening round of the season, Jason Pritchard (Escort Mk2) returns and, while not in a position to fight for overall Championship honours, the newly-crowned Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Champion could well finish in among those who are!
      Ashley Davies and Sam Fordham (Silver Star Co-driver Champion) – Ford Escort Mk2 on the Cambrian Rally >>>>>

Paul Street / Ian Jones (Escort) and Baz Jordan / Arwel Jenkins (Avenger) have been shadowing each other throughout the whole season of JORDAN Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup events but, on the recent Cambrian Rally, a maximum score for the former was just enough to claim the AC de Monaco Trophy in 2021 ahead of the latter crew. With several Historic Crews now preparing for the Roger Albert Clark Rally it will be Martin Freestone who has the opportunity to firm up his third place in the Historic Cup.

In spite of retiring from the Cambrian Rally with only ‘three wheels on their wagon’, Ioan Lloyd / Sion Williams have maintained their advantage in both the BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup & BTRDA R2 Junior Cup in their Peugeot 208. So, as we approach the final event of the season, Williams is already assured of the Co-drivers’ title but, in order to join him on the list of 2021 Winners, Lloyd must see off both Jonathan Jones and Sam Bilham (Fiestas) for the R2 Cup and Bilham alone for the Junior Cup. That word ‘pressure’ springs to mind again, but doubly so in this instance…

Without wishing to cause any offence to those involved, it’s been a strange year in the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA 1400 Championship in that, with just the final round to go, a 1400C car leads the table instead of the more powerful 1400S variety. There’s one very good reason for this state of affairs – consistency! Edward Wain / Noel Murphy’s MG ZR has finished all four events it’s started, a luxury not afforded to any of the ‘usual suspects’ in the series… So, each with scores in hand, Steve Black / Paul Morris (Suzuki Swift), Richard Jordan / James Gratton-Smith (MG ZR) & Aaron Rix / Abi Haycock (Escort) are all in a position to emerge from the forests of mid Wales as BTRDA Bronze Star Champions. Based on their experiences from earlier in their campaigns, however, the expression ‘to finish first, you must first finish’ seems particularly pertinent here…

<<<<<<<  Edward Wain/Noel Murphy (MG ZR) – Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA 1400 Championship leaders.

With Jessica Mitchell confirmed as 2021 MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally First Champion Co-driver, it’s come down to a straight fight between Simon Double (MG ZR) and Tom Naylor (Fiesta ST) for the opportunity to join her from the Drivers’ side. Simon, with four scores to his credit, holds the upper hand from Tom who has only visited three finish ramps to date. Consequently, from Tom’s perspective, completing the route is imperative if he is to stand any chance of overhauling his rival at the last gasp…

                                                                                                18 year old Tom Naylor (Fiesta ST) on the Trackrod Rally >>>>>>>

SPECTATORS: Two locations are available from which to enjoy the action, with both Sweet Lamb Hafren and Myherin offering excellent viewing opportunities. Full details on pricing and locations can be found at www.rallynutsrally.co.uk
All photos © Kevin Money / Malc Almond
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