BRC classes sure to provide excitement on Jim Clark
Despite the Fiesta SportTrophy one-make series electing to miss this weekend’s Jim Clark International Rally, no less than five Fords are set to contest the event; making the battle for the Rally 3 class another thrilling prospect.It is an all Fiesta front row in the British Rally Championship class R3 tables ahead of round three; Irishman Craig Breen and Welsh co-driver Gareth Roberts ahead of Kyle Orr after a first and second place, Orr only joined by Rob Fagg on round two, the Pirelli Rally, where they too took a second.
Third placed Tom Walster had a bit of a crisis of marque on the first two events, debuting his R3 Renault Clio in Wales, but swapping to his Fiesta for the second rally as the Clio was being saved for an overseas event. The asphalt of the Jim Clark Rally sees a return to the Renault, where Tom will hope to repeat his first round victory.
Two drivers who have shown great pace, but failed to convert it into great points in the R3 class, are Cumbrian Kris Hall and Finnish driver Matti Rantanen. Hall suffered a puncture in Wales and was swallowed by a Kielder ditch on his home event, while Rantanen has crashed out of both rallies whilst leading the class.Stefan Davies and Stevie Brown both missed the Pirelli International Rally, Davies citing budget, while Brown chose the National event as part of his FST campaign. They bring up the rear of the Rally 3 championship runners, although oddly Orr will start behind them on the Jim Clark.The Diesel Cup also run in R3, old rivalries between Fin McCaul/Huw Mathias’ BMW and brothers Steve and Tony Graham’s Astra rekindled. The Grahams took victory on the Jim Clark Rally last year and they lead the Diesel Cup in 2009, but McCaul has the momentum, having taken victory on the Pirelli last month.
In Rally 2, the battle is exclusively between the Citroëns in the C2R2 Cup, where any one of the four protagonists could not only take the class, but stand a good chance of vying for two wheel drive honours against the R3 runners. Positions on the road follow points, with Marty McCormack/Phil Clarke planning to use superior tarmac experience to his advantage over Jason Pritchard/Andrew Edwards. Both drivers have C2R2 one-make Championships to their names, McCormack in Ireland and Pritchard in the UK.
Mark Gamble/Steve Link took a class win here in 2008, wheeling out their new Max Kit against Andrew Hockridge and Rich Mills, who missed the Pirelli, short of suspension components.
Rally 1 is mainly occupied by Suzuki Swifts, the only exception being early pace setters and potential threat on asphalt, Irishmen Joseph McGonigle and Patrick Brides in a Honda. They trail Australian driver Molly Taylor by nine points, the Aussie partnered by Jemma Bellingham in not the only all female car in the British Rally Championship, but the winners of both opening rounds.
Local driver Gordon Nichol will be hoping that the pacenote system he and co-driver Emma Morrison have devised works better on tar than gravel, but a bit of local knowledge should see him at the sharp end. Luke Pinder/Peter Scott have done well to repair the car after a huge roll on the Pirelli, which put paid to a fine run at the head of the R1 class. Their zero score there leaves them tied in fourth in the class, one second place apiece with Manxman David Harrison and co-driver Glyn Thomas.
Whilst languishing near the end of the field, Richard Sykes & Simon Taylor do so as a result of mechanical maladies rather than lack of pace. They expect to be fighting at the front again after ding-dong battles on the first two events have been cruelly cut short by component failures. Bringing up the rear of Rally 1 are newcomers to the BRC Nicholas Everard/Chris Davies, who have made good progress in their first season and will relish the prospect of a classic event like the Jim Clark.
You can watch the BRC classes in action from the Pirelli International Rally tonight on Sky Sports, as well as a preview to the Jim Clark International Rally which kicks off on Friday at 7pm at FountainPark in Edinburgh.
Jim Clark International Rally - List of BRC Entries (Unofficial)
No
Team
Driver
Co Driver
Vehicle
Class
6
Pirelli TEG Sport
Mark Higgins
Bryan Thomas
Subaru Impreza
R4
7
Keith Cronin
Greg Shinnors
Mitsubishi Lancer
R4
8
JRM Lico
David Bogie
Kevin Rae
Mitsubishi Lancer
R4
9
Pirelli TEG Sport
Adam Gould
Sebastian Marshall
Subaru Impreza
R4
11
Revolution Wheels
Geoff Jones
Sam Collins
Subaru Impreza
R4
12
Jonathan Greer
Antony O'Conaill
Mitsubishi Lancer
R4
15
Alastair Fisher
Barry McNulty
Mitsubishi Lancer
R4
16
Dave Weston Jnr
Aled Davies
Subaru Impreza
R4
17
Revolution Wheels
Euan Thorburn
Claire Mole
Subaru Impreza
R4
19
Matti Rantanen
Mikko Markkula
Renault Clio
R3
21
Craig Breen
Gareth Roberts
Ford Fiesta ST
R3
22
Kris Hall
Robbie Durant
Ford Fiesta ST
R3
23
Tom Walster
Tim Sturla
Renault Clio
R3
24
Chris Firth
Martyn Taylor
Subaru Impreza
R4
27
Martin McCormack
Phil Clarke
Citroen C2 Max
R2
28
Jason Pritchard
Andrew Edwards
Citroen C2 Max
R2
29
Mark Gamble
Stephen Link
Citroen C2 Max
R2
30
Andrew Hockridge
Richard Mills
Citroen C2 Max
R2
31
Stefan Davis
Tim Line
Ford Fiesta ST
R3
34
Stevie Brown
Andrew Roughead
Ford Fiesta ST
R3
35
Kyle Orr
tba
Ford Fiesta ST
R3
36
Fin McCaul
Huw Mathias
BMW 120D Sport
R3
37
Steve Graham
Tony Graham
Vauxhall Astra Rally D
R3
38
Joseph McGonigle
Patrick Brides
Honda Civic Type R
R1
39
Molly Taylor
Jemma Bellingham
Suzuki Swift Sport
R1
40
Luke Pinder
Peter Scott
Suzuki Swift Sport
R1
41
Richard Sykes
Janice Moore
Suzuki Swift Sport
R1
42
Gordon Nichol
Emma Morrison
Suzuki Swift Sport
R1
43
Nick Everard
Chris Davies
Suzuki Swift Sport
R1
44
David Harrison
Glyn Thomas
Suzuki Swift Sport
R1
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