Latest Championship News
Round 2 Preview - NHMC Cadwell Park Stages Rally
Sunday 17th November 2024
Our leading competitors arrive fresh from round one at Oulton Park two weekends ago.
Top Circuit Rally Championship crew at Oulton Park were reigning champions Michael Igoe/Will Atkins, Citroen C3 Rally2 and they are in car 1. Following them are the previous Circuit Rally Champions, John Griffiths/Emma Morrison in their newly acquired Skoda Fabia R5, car 2. Unfortunately, they retired at Oulton Park, with a car issue in their debut event for the car. They will be looking for a clean run today, as they adapt to the car, having moved-on from their Championship-winning Ford Fiesta R5.
Joshua/Tamsyn Davey split the leading four-wheel drive cars in their Darrian T90, car 3, from down in Class D, but this comes on the back of a magnificent fourth overall at Oulton Park, after starting at car 16. They’ll be looking to repeat this “giant killing” today.
They will be followed by a trio of further Class A cars. Kieran Hankin/James Swallow are in car 4, Citroen C3 Rally 2. Behind them will be John/Alex Stone in the wonderful liveried VW Polo R5 Gti, car 5. This should be a great battle to watch, given they had to be separated by a tie-break, having finished tied on times at Oulton Park!
Tony Robinson finished second overall at Cadwell Park back in March, and he’ll have Mark Jones alongside him this time, in their Skoda R5, car 6. Further four-wheel-drive cars are in Class B are from the earlier era of four-wheel-drive and are the home of the ever-popular Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo. Neil Beaumont/Dylan Thomas have head the Championship competitors in their Mitsubishi Evolution 8 at car 20.
The multiple event-winning combination of Chris West/Keith Hounslow and their Peugeot 306 Maxi will be strong two-wheel-drive challengers, in a car first registered back in 1998, but justifying seeding at car 7.
They are part of a disparate group of Class C two-wheel drive cars. Seeded behind them are Alasdair Stables/Neil Jones in their Vauxhall Chevette HSR, who have previously enjoyed many battles with James Garner/Jordan Joines in their bright orange Darrian GTR. The battle between cars 7-9 should be great to watch.
Further down the Class C field, Paul Woodford will forgo his usual position behind a Special Stage Rally Video microphone, for our livestream coverage, having persuaded Julia Perry to sit alongside him in a Mini R53, car 55. Look out for them through our YouTube and Facebook coverage, supported by Williams Auctions, to see how all the crews get-on today and how Paul adapts to being an interviewee this time!
While the Daveys head class D in car 3, in their Darrian there’s great car variety in this class. Jamie Mcbain/Jordine Crooks in a Peugeot 205 Maxi, car 11 are followed shortly afterwards by car 13, Sam Cox/Georgia Russell in their Renault Clio Cup 3, fresh from a full rebuild between Circuit Rally seasons. Jake Briggs/Harry Walshaw then head a cluster of Ford Escorts.
Classes E and F are the main home of production-based front-wheel-drive hatchbacks, split by engine size. Chris Woodhouse/Lucy Wilding follow the modern route in their Peugeot 208 R2, car 31. This is relatively unusual, as their class competitors include crews in the likes of Vauxhall Nova, Peugeot 205/206, and Citroen Saxo.
While class F is for the smallest engine cars, look out for Charlie Barlow/Bonnie Papper, seeded right up at car 15, their Nissan Micra Super 1400. Bonnie’s a Motorsport UK Academy member and champion ballroom dancer having started this at the age of 3.
Charlie was the Junior 1000 champion in 2015 and so may well be keeping an eye on the 2024 cohort, who will be running first on the road today. The Junior 1000 Rally Championship enables drivers aged between 14 and 17 to compete in Rallies across the UK, in cars up to one litre with very tight regulations. Their championship reaches Round 6 today.
Mckenzie Snowden/Jonathan Turnbull currently head the championship standings, justifying their status as first on the road in car 101, a Skoda Citigo. Behind them are local crew Charlie Mathewson/Ian Bass in a VW Up, lying third and fourth respectively in the driver/co-driver tables. The top 3 seeded crews are completed by Henri Cynwyl/James Williams, both from Wales, in a Citroen C1.
With over a dozen small, low-powered hatchbacks, the focus is very much on driver skill and the crew working together to get the maximum out of the car. They will be first to discover whether the track has plenty of grip, or is damp and slippery, so look out for great action right from the start of the first stage.
Highlights from 2024/25 Round 1 - Salford Van Hire Neil Howard Stages
Round 1 Preview - Salford Van Hire Neil Howard Stages
Saturday 2nd November 2024
After what feels like a long break, it’s brilliant to be back under our new title of the Protyre Circuit Rally Championship. This weekend sees the start of the 2024-2025 Protyre Circuit Rally Championship with Round 1, The Salford Van Hire Neil Howard Stages taking place at Oulton Park on Saturday 2nd November.
Talking of sponsors, we share the disappointment of Richard Scarbrough of Witham Motorsport Oil that he and driver Mark Kelly can’t try and defend their title from this event last year.
But what a battle we have in prospect for the win! Our Championship winning crews from the last two seasons are back to resume battle.
This sees reigning champions Michael Igoe/Will Atkins return in car 1, their Citroen C3 Rally2, followed by the preceding champions John Griffiths/Emma Morrison. Griffiths/Morrison have moved from a Ford Fiesta R5 to a Skoda Fabia R5 in an effort to regain their titles.
How will it go?
Nobody knows yet, as the car is so newly acquired, they haven’t tested it yet….but we know Emma’s been studying the Owner’s Manual in preparation! Two further Championship crews follow them, with Kieran Hankin/James Swallow in the Citroen C3 Rally2 debuted last season, then John/Alex Stone in a VW Polo R5.
For the top seeded two-wheel drive car we drop straight to Class C and the first Ford Escort Mk2, driven by multiple Lee Holland Stages winner Wil Owen, with Chloe Louise Thomas alongside in car 5.
Philip House/Nick Beaumont are in class D, but start only just outside the top 10 in car 11, their up to 2 litre Ford Escort. Nick won his class in the Circuit Rally Championship 2022, so they will be worth watching. Joshua/Tamsyn Davey in their Darrian T90, car 16, will aim to challenge them hard.
Class C should see some of our favourite battles. Chasing Wil Owen will be James Garner/Jordan Joines in their Darrian GTR, car 12. Alasdair Stable/Neil Jones in their Chevette HSR are seeded at 19. They may be relying on the power of social media, as their car now has its own social media accounts as the Retropower Chevette HSR.
Ciro Carannante/Simon Coates add further car variety in the class in their Porsche Cayman, car 20.
Class B for the older style four-wheel drive cars has good championship registrations this year, but several absentees for round one. Hoping to capitalise will be Billy Grew/Ben Tomlinson in a Mitsubishi Evo 6, car 30.
Class E sees reigning class champions Joseph/Daniel Duffy’s Lotus Elise at car 42, seeded some way behind Daniel Poole/Laura Marshall in car 26. With other non-championship crews looking strong too, they’ll need to be at their best to score strong points.
Class F sees great car variety with a range of small front wheel drive cars. Jon Bray/Darren Styles are the leading Championship contenders in their MG ZR, car 69.
Finally, while not part of the championship (yet), we wish Adam Holt, car 87 an enjoyable event on his very first rally. We also commend Danny Cowell in car 57, his road rally specification Subaru Impreza (and therefore running without a turbocharger). We have introduced new championship classes F&G this year to encourage just this sort of transition to stage rallying. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable rally.
Circuit Rally Championship Calendar 2024/25 Announced
As Here’s our key first key announcement of many over the coming weeks, the 2024/25 championship calendar (subject to Motorsport UK approval).
Once we have our Championship Permit, we’ll issue Regs and open Championship Registrations. We look forward to welcoming back established competitors and we have plans to make the Championship more accessible to novices too.
Time for an end of season celebration, details of the Awards Evening and how to book are available in the Awards Night section
Highlights from Round 9 - Altratech SMC Stages
Round 9 Preview - Altratech SMC Stages
Sunday 14th April 2024
Our champions-elect Michael Igoe/Will Atkins head the entry list for this weekends Altratech SMC Stages in their Citroen C3 Rally 2. Not content with already having a full set of championship maximum scores, Igoe wants to compete in all rounds and give himself more seat time in a rally car. His rate of progress, since transferring from circuit racing has been astounding, so we need to remind ourselves he's only competed in 15 rallies so far. Having been second on this event last year, a win at Anglesey would mean a 50% win rate from 16!
Paul Murro/Craig Simkiss start behind them in car 2, with Murro currently lying fourth overall in the drivers table. They are in the first of the Ford Fiesta R5 models.
Thomas Cooper/Mathias Fowden are in the same type of car at number 3. Cooper isn't registered for the Circuit Rally Championship and does nearly all his rallying in Wales, so will be something of an unknown quantity to our regular competitors. A gearbox issue ended his first outing in a Fiesta R5, so we'll follow his progress with interest.
Kieran Hankin/James Swallow are at car 7 in another Citroen C3 Rally 2, and somewhat like Cooper this car type is also new to Hankin, using it for just the third time, having moved-on from a Peugeot 208 T16. He’s looked to build experience ahead of a full championship challenge.
Championship class C sees the next of our registered contenders, with James Garner/Jordan Joines (pictured) seeded at car 6 and Alasdair Stables at car 13. Don't be fooled by that gap though, as in the overall drivers table, Stables heads Garner, by just a single point leading into the final round, 314 points to 313.
Their cars are a couple of the most striking, with Garner in the bright orange Darrian GTR and Stables in the iconic Chevette HSR. Michael Bowle/Izzie Lawrence add front wheel drive variety in their Renault Clio, car 22.
In championship class D, class leaders Alex Stubbs/Rhys Edwards have unassailable leads in their Ford Escort, car 16. There must be something special about the class, and the fun competitors have, as while the top three places are probably settled, all the leading crews are back. It's a big class on the event, so hopefully, further crews may be attracted to the championship.
In championship class E Paul Sheard/Colin Stephens are our leading contenders, second in the class driver/co-driver tables and will be looking to finish the championship strongly.
We're delighted that Stockport 061 Motor Club look to start a capacity field of 85 cars, with a strong contingent of Minis in their own championship to look forward to as well.
You can keep up-to-date with events through the day like this:
Live results: Rallies.info - https://www.rallies.info/res.php?e=575
Live streaming: Special Stage Rally on Facebook and YouTube, with no fees and no registration required.
Finally as our 2023/24 championship comes to a close, we remind all crews to book your tickets for our Awards Night. Bring your family, friends and supporters to the CASA Hotel, Chesterfield on Saturday 1st June. See the website awards night page HERE.
Highlights from Round 8 - Alan Healy Memorial Rally
Round 8 Preview - Alan Healy Memorial Rally
Sunday 31st March 2024
The field for the Alan Healy Memorial Rally contains an amazing variety of cars – we count over thirty different makes and models, so we hope some of your favourites are here. Take your pick from the Rally2/R5 cars at the head of the field, through to an Alfa Romeo, Ford Escort Cosworth, Lotus Elise, Porsche GT3 and Triumph TR7 V8 among the rarities. In fact, there are no duplicates in the top dozen cars.
In car 1 are our champions-elect Will Igoe/Will Atkins, Citroen C3 Rally 2, who are on an incredible sequence of winning the last five championship rounds, to achieve a full set of maximum championship scores, given it’s six rounds from nine to count.
Behind them are Paul Murro/Craig Simkiss in a Ford Fiesta R5, car 3, and Paul Robinson/Paul Spooner in a Skoda Fabia R5, who’ll be trying to achieve podium positions too.
The leading class B car, for the older four-wheel drive cars isn’t registered for the championship and is the Ford Escort Cosworth of Craig McIntosh/David Jackson in car 8. Our leading championship crew is Sam Gendy/Samantha Bartlett in their Mitsubishi Evo 9 in car 24, looking to build on good points scored at the Dukeries Rally.
Class C sees a pair of leading two-wheel drive competitors running consecutively. They enjoyed some friendly banter before the last round about who would finish ahead, so we think you’ll enjoy watching this dynamic duo:
6 - Alasdair Stables/Neil Jones, Vauxhall Chevette HSR
7 - James Garner/Jordan Joines, Darrian GTR
With Craig Pennington/Wayne Priest behind them in a Porsche GT3, car 9, and plenty more car variety in this class, the battle for top two-wheel drive crew should be one to watch all day.
Class D has a third of all the cars entered in the rally, so awards won here will be hard earned. Alex Stubbs/Rhys Edwards are the top seeded championship crew at car 22, their Ford Escort Mk2. Among their challengers will be Nigel Greensall/Graham Wild in their Toyota GT86. Greensall, like Paul Murro near the head of the field, completed last weekend’s North West Stages closed road event.
The organisers have helpfully clustered our leading class E cars together. Daniel Poole in his Vauxhall Corsa, car 16, is joined for this rally by Emma Morrison, our reigning Championship Co-driver.
Challenging them will be Joseph/Daniel Duffy in their Lotus Elise, car 17. They’ll be followed by renowned Mazda MX-5 racer Paul Sheard in just such a car, with Colin Stephens alongside him in car 18.
Finally, it’s always great to see the smallest engine cars out. Our leading championship crews there are Kay Thompson/Reece Brookes in car 59 and Maz Miller/Iain Davidson in car 62. Both crews are in Nissan Micra.
With nine special stages planned this will certainly be a full day of rallying and after so much action last time a rally was here, we’re really looking forward to it.
Live results at rallies.info
Livestreaming on YouTube/Facebook with Special Stage Rally Video
Photo: Champions-elect Michael Igoe/Will Atkins receiving their event awards at the recent Dukeries Rally.
Highlights from Round 7 - Northside Truck & Van Dukeries Rally
Round 7 Preview - Northside Truck & Van Dukeries Rally
Sunday 17th March 2024
As we head to Round 7, Michael Igoe/Will Atkins are on the cusp of becoming champions-elect, to succeed John Griffiths/Emma Morrison.
In the drivers table, Igoe leads Griffiths by just a single point, 340 to 339. If he could win again, he’d achieve his sixth maximum scores, with the best six scores from nine rounds to count. So Griffiths will have to go all out for the win. Their Co-drivers are also first and second in their contest. So the seeding is no surprise with Igoe/Atkins in car 1, their four-time winning Citroen C3 Rally 2, with Griffiths/Morrison in their championship-winning Fiesta R5 at car 2.
Third on the road in car 4 are Paul Murro/Craig Simkiss, third last time out in the Lee Holland event at Anglesey in their Ford Fiesta R5.
They are followed by Daniel Bird/Nigel Barber in another Fiesta R5. While Daniel is relatively new to rallying he had a couple of third places last year, so we look forward to seeing them back at a circuit, after a recent outing on the East Riding Stages closed road event.
Progressing up the classes are Wayne Larbalestier/Bonnie Kelly. This will be quite a change for Larbalestier, who’s been a familiar sight in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III over the past six years, but he now moves to a Class A Skoda Fabia R5.
Meanwhile in Class B, Larbalestier’s previous home, Sam Gendy/Samantha Bartlett arrive at Donington with Bartlett tied for the Class B drivers championship lead with Ian Jarvis. They are both in Mitsubishi Evo 9, so at present the only thing separating them is their start numbers of 21 and 30 respectively!
Back up the field are our leading two-wheel drive cars in Class C. Martin Hodgson/Tony Jones in their Mk 2 Escort are at car 8, chased by the Darrian GTR of James Garner/Jordan Joines at car 9. Given they were tied on times at the end of the last round at Anglesey and needed a tie-breaker to separate them in the final results, it’s definitely a case of battle rejoined. Alastair Stables/Neil Jones were absent from the last round and follow in car 10, their Vauxhall Chevette HSR and we think this should be a battle to follow all day.
Alex Stubbs holds a healthy lead in the class D drivers table, but has competed in two more rounds than his rivals, so will still need to be on his game. He’s joined by Rhys Edwards in Ford Escort Mk 2, number 27.
Class E will be intriguing. MX5 driver Paul Sheard heads that table, but will be absent from Donington. Returning and two rounds in arrears, are Joseph/Daniel Duffy who will be back in their Lotus Elise, seeded at 16.
Class F for the smallest engine cars has a particularly strong 9 car entry, with Kay Thompson and Maz Miller the leading championship drivers. Alongside Miller is Iain Davidson who heads the Class F Co-drivers.
With a healthy field, we’re looking forward to a full day of action..
You can follow the free livestream on YouTube - Special Stage, or from their Facebook page - Special Stage Rally Video
Live timing is available HERE
Highlights from Round 6 - Lee Holland Memorial Trophy Rally
Round 6 Preview - Lee Holland Memorial Trophy Rally
Anglesey Circuit
Sunday 3rd March 2024
The Lee Holland Memorial Trophy Rally could play a decisive role in the destiny of the 2023/24 championship. With competitors best 6 scores from a possible 9 rounds to count, dropped scores will become a factor after this round.
While Circuit Rally Championship contenders Rob Hughes/Sian Cunniff currently have just a single point, from the first championship round, their win in the 2023 rally means they have the honour of heading the entry in car 1 their Ford Fiesta R5.
Behind them in a Skoda Fabia R5 are Tony Robinson/Simon Coates, running at car 2, pictured above.
Then at 3 and 4 respectively, are the leading protagonists for overall Championship honours. John Griffiths/Emma Morrison are our reigning champions with John holding a slender 2 point lead, 282 points to 280, over Michael Igoe in the drivers championship. Ahead of dropped scores coming into play, John knows he needs to start beating Michael who already has four maximum scores to his credit.
In the Co-Drivers championship the respective positions are reversed - Will Atkins, sitting with Igoe has 286 points, while Emma Morrison, with Griffiths, has 282. In short, both crews have every incentive to be as competitive as possible in this rally!
Griffiths in car 3 drives a Ford Fiesta R5, with Igoe having switched to a Citroen C3 Rally2 earlier in the championship, running at car 4.
A further four crews in the same class will chase them hard, along with 7 in class B for the older style four-wheel drive cars.
However a pair of two-wheel drive cars make the top 10 starters - Wil Owen, running in the regional championship in the first Ford Escort, car 7. Then at car 8 championship contenders James Garner/Jordan Joines in their wonderful Darrian GTR. Martin Hodgson/Tony Jones will chase hard in their Ford Escort, car 15.
Alex Stubbs/Rhys Edwards head the points in class D and will seek to defend that led in car 31, their Ford Escort. Seeded ahead of them in their Mazda MX5 are Paul Gorge/Harriet Worth in car 22.
Paul Sheard/Colin Stephens will hope to overtake the absent Joseph/Daniel Duffy at the head of class E.
With the Junior Rally too, an exciting day of rally action is in prospect.
You can follow the free livestream on YouTube - Special Stage, or from their Facebook page - Special Stage Rally Video
Live timing is available at https://rallies.info/res.php?e=570
Highlights from Round 5 - Snetterton Stage Rally
Round 5 Preview - Snetterton Stage Rally
Saturday 10th February 2024
The MGJ Engineering Circuit Rally Championship reaches halfway during the Snetterton Stage Rally.
Last year’s winners and current champions John Griffiths/Emma Morrison start as top seeds in car 1, their Ford Fiesta R5, but know they’ll have a battle on their hands. While currently leading the championship they know they’re likely to need event wins to retain their titles, once dropped scores come into play. Can they add that extra bit of speed to their excellent consistency?
Michael Igoe/Will Atkins won last time out at Brands Hatch and are sure to provide a stern test in their Citroen C3 Rally 2 which starts as car 2. There’s also no doubt about the raw pace of Patrick O’Donovan/Jack Morton in Car 3, a Hyundai I20 R5. They threatened to challenge Igoe/Atkins for the win at Brands Hatch. While their car survived damage from clouting a chicane, the subsequent penalty put them out of contention for the win.
Third in that event was father Ollie O’Donovan with Ashleigh Morris alongside in a further Hyundai I20 R5, starting at number 4. Kieran Hankin/James Swallow will debut their Citroen C3 Rally2, pictured, in place of their previous Peugeot 208 T16 R5 at Snetterton. They’ll be looking to get strong results across the rest of the championship, ahead of a full programme in the new car in the 2024/25 season. They’ll start at car 8.
The sole 2-wheel drive car in the Top 10, at car 10, is the rally-winning Peugeot 306 Maxi of Chris West/Steve Cox, heading the Class C runners. Martin Hodgson/Tony Jones head the championship points in that class in their Ford Escort Mk2.
After missing Brands Hatch, Alasdair Stables/Neil Jones return in their Vauxhall Chevette HSR in the same class and they can be expected to be challenged by James Garner/Jordan Joines behind them in a Darrian T90 GTR, emphasising fantastic car variety in the class.
Class B, for the older style 4-wheel drive cars should see a good battle between Steve Hill/Matt Daniels in their Mitsubuishi Evo6 and the earlier Evo III RS of Wayne and Darren Larbalestier.
Leading championship driver in Class D is Nigel Greensall in a Toyota GT86, but with several higher-seeded crews in the same class not registered for the championship, he faces strong competition.
Class E sees battle resumed between Joseph/Daniel Duffy in their Lotus Elise and Paul Sheard/Colin Stephens in their Mazda Mx5. Also, look out for the MGJ Engineering liveried Ford Escort Mk2 of championship sponsor Mick Johnson with Peter Pears alongside.
In class F, championship contenders Kay Thompson and Marina Miller are out in their Nissan Micras.
Finally, while not part of the championship, there’s a strong field of Junior 1000 drivers, aged between 14 and 17 competing in their up to 1-litre cars. This class is closely controlled, so expect strong competition between the 13 crews entered.
Highlights from Round 4 - MGJ Engineering Brands Hatch Stages
Round 4 Preview - MGJ Engineering Brands Hatch Stages
Saturday 20th January 2024
After our “winter break” it’s fantastic to be back as we reach Round 4 of our 9-round Championship.
We’ve seen different clues to form, but picking a winner is really tough. Top seeds are John Griffiths/Emma Morrison who won at Brands Hatch last year, on their way to becoming Circuit Rally Champions 2022/2023.
While they currently head the points tables, they have extremely strong challengers immediately behind them. Seeded at car 2 are Patrick O’Donovan/Jack Morton in their Hyundai I20 R5. Patrick has a 100% winning record in stage rallying, although that is based on a just single event, Round 2, at Cadwell Park. As the current and two-time British Rallycross champion, he took to rallying with great aplomb, victorious on debut and he’ll be looking to maintain that winning start.
A year ago, Michael Igoe was seeded at car 39 as he made his transition from circuit racing in British GT to circuit rallying. Now he and Will Atkins are in car 3! He made the change rapidly, winning at Donington Park less than two months later.
Last time out, back at Donington Park and affected by snow and ice, he switched from a Ford Fiesta R5 into a newly acquired Citroen C3 Rally 2. Thoughts of another victory must have seemed a long, long, way away during a lurid fifth gear spin along most of the length of the pit straight! You may have seen it on YouTube. However, a great recovery drive led to victory.
The Top 10 is packed with modern turbocharged 4-wheel drive cars, with Ollie O’Donovan/Ashleigh Morris next up in car 4. Ollie is Patrick’s dad and also a former British Rallycross Champion. While co-driving today, Ashleigh is also a successful rally driver in her own right. They are in the Hyundai I20 R5 taken to victory by Hayden Padden on Rally Barbados 2023.
The top-seeded 2-wheel drive car comes from Class C and is driven by Martin Hodgson, with Tony Jones alongside in a Ford Escort Mk2, car number 11. They won their class in the Circuit Rally Championship 2022/23, and will be in close competition with car 14, James Garner/ Jordan Joines in a Darrian T90 GTR.
Paul Sheard, Ian Jarvis, Daniel Poole and Alex Stubbs currently make-up the second part of the top eight drivers overall, showing how leading drives in their classes also benefit overall championship positions.
Looking for something different when at Brands Hatch or watching the livestream coverage? Let’s start with the oldest car in the rally, the 55-year-old Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico of Vince Bristow/Tim Sayer.
Among the rarer types of rally car, also look out for several original Austin Minis, a Ferrari 308, Ford Puma in front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive versions, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, a Triumph TR7 V8,Ex works Vauxhall Firenza Magnum and a VW Golf Mk2.
There’s variety and close completion lined-up across the field, so a fantastic day is in prospect.
Highlights from Round 3 - Northside Truck & Van Donington Rally
Round 3 Preview - Northside Truck and Van Rental Donington Stages
Sunday 3rd December 2023
The entry for Round 3 is headed by Michael Igoe/Will Atkins, who won Dukeries Motor Club’s last rally at Donington Park in March. That rally marked Michael's first rally win after his move from GT racing. The crew has made a late change from a Ford Fiesta Rally2 to a Citroen C3 Rally 2, so how will they adjust to this change?
Following them, in car 2, are reigning Circuit Rally Champions John Griffiths/Emma Morrison, who currently head the championship standings after the first two rounds in their Ford Fiesta R5.
Both crews will be challenged by Paul Murro/Callum Cross, fresh from their win just last weekend in the Pentraeth Glyn Memorial Stages at Anglesey Circuit, in their Ford Fiesta R5, car 3.
A further R5 car is the Hyundai i20 R5 of former British Rally Champion Ollie O’Donovan, who has Jack Morton alongside him for this event in car 4. Jack’s another recent winner, as he's back from the Roger Albert Clark rally. He made it to the finish too, co-driving the Open class winner, Neil Weaver, Opel Corsa Kit Car, finishing 6th overall.
Ian Jarvis, car 33 has maximum Class B scores from the first two rounds in his Class B Mitsubishi EVO 9, although he may find non-championship driver Mark Jasper hard to catch in car 7, the legendary MG Metro 6R4.
Class C sees Martin Hodgson, Ford Escort and Alasdair Stables, Vauxhall Chevette HSR, resume competition, separated by just two points in the current championship standings. They are in cars 5 and 10 respectively.
Class D has an incredible 30-car entry. Joshua/Tamsyn Davey, in car 9 are the highest seeded crew in class. They move from using a Peugeot 107 in round 1, to their more familiar Darrian T90. Phillip House is seeded close behind in Car 11 , a Ford Escort and should provide a strong challenge.
Class E is headed by the Lotus Elise of brothers Joseph/Daniel Duffy in car 19, while most of the class, with Paul Sheard’s MX5 a notable exception, is made-up of front-wheel drive hatchbacks.
Finally class F, for the smallest engined cars, has its strongest line-up so far, with entries in double figures. Kay Thompson leads the way so far with two maximum class scores in her Nissan Micra, car 74. While there are three Nissan Micra in class, the remaining eight cars are all different, so there’s fantastic variety.
Donington Park should be a great place to be, but if you can’t make it to the circuit, we’ll have live-streaming coverage on YouTube. You'll find the links at the weekend on the Championship Facebook page, Special Stage on YouTube, or through Motorsport UK TV.
Highlights from Round 2 - NHMC Cadwell Stages Rally
Round 2 preview - NHMC Cadwell Stages Rally
Sunday 19th November 2023
Trying to pick an overall winner for the second round of the MGJ Engineering Circuit Rally Championship is a tough challenge.
John Griffiths took his first rally win in this event last year and claimed the championship with Emma Morrison, so they will be strong contenders. They are in a Ford Fiesta R5, running at car 1, and currently placed second in the unofficial championship drivers' table.
Michael Igoe, Ford Fiesta Rally 2, car 3, tops that table after round 1, emphasising his rapid transition from race driver to rally driver. He secured his first rally win at Donington Park in March.
Although Mark Kelly hasn’t yet registered for the championship, he was first overall at Oulton Park, and will push both of these drivers hard again, in a Skoda Fabia R5, car 2.
Class D driver Jason Wilson dominated Class D at Oulton Park, for a fantastic seventh place overall and will be expected to go well again in his Darrian T90 GTR. That strong performance leaves him third in the current driver standings.
We also look out for Patrick O’Donovan, fresh from securing a second straight Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship with a double victory at Lydden Hill. His father, Ollie O’Donovan, 2007 British Rallycross Champion will be out too. They both run in Hyundai i20 R5s, cars 9 and 6 respectively.
It’s very early days in the championship and we’ll see what patterns develop as the season unfolds, but these early championship points can be very valuable in setting up successful overall and class campaigns.
With the end-of-event bonfire, we can look forward to fireworks during the rally and definitely at the end of the day.
Highlights from Round 1 - Neil Howard Stages
Livestream links for Round 1 Saturday 4th November
2023/24 Championship Bulletins now have their own page on the website.
Bulletin Number 1 is available here
Round 1 preview - Salford Van Hire Neil Howard Stages
Saturday 4th November 2023
After a long break, the second running of the MGJ Engineering Circuit Rally Championship is just days away. We can’t wait!
Over half the Top 30 entries for the Salford Van Hire Neil Howard Stages have already entered the championship and there’s still time to do so at https://www.circuitrally.co.uk/regulations/
Top seeds are returning champions John Griffiths/Emma Morrison in a Ford Fiesta R5. John won his first rally during last season’s championship. That first victory was the start of a championship-defining hat trick for John and Emma.
British GT race winner Michael Igoe adapting to rallying quickly this year and took his first rally win in March at Donington Park, so should be a tough challenger. Will Atkins will be alongside him again this weekend in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Third seed Mark Kelly should be full of confidence after winning the recent 3 Shires Stages closed road rally. He’s joined in a Skoda Fabia R5 by Richard Scarbrough from championship partner Witham Motorsport Oils. Maybe Richard will persuade Mark to register for the championship?
There are a further 10 cars in class A, the top class, for FIA Rally2, R5 and S2000 cars.
Class B for the remaining four-wheel drive cars looks ripe for late championship registrations (hint, hint), with Stephen Johansen currently the leading championship entry.
Class C sees class champion Martin Hodgson renew his rivalry with runner-up James Garner. They’ll battle in very different rear-wheel drive cars, in Ford Escort and Darrian GTR respectively.
Jason Wilson may be in class D, but is seeded at number 7, so predicted to be mixing it with the top cars in his Darrian T90 GTR. Having competed in half the championship rounds last time, we hope he’ll be able to enter more rounds this time. At Oulton Park, there are 30 other class challengers.
Reigning class champion Daniel Poole has a couple of cars seeded ahead to chase down in his Vauxhall Corsa in the up to 1600cc 2-wheel drive class, with plenty more chasing him.
Finally, in the smallest engine class, Kay Thompson represents the championship in a Nissan Micra. This class is the counterpoint to the four-wheel drive turbo cars and a reminder that circuit rallying is accessible to a wide range of budgets.
We hope plenty of people will make it to Oulton Park for the rally and fireworks. If you can’t get there, please follow the livestreaming, supported by Williams Auctions and KissDental. This will be on YouTube and featured by Special Stage, with the link also available from Motorsport UK TV.
As ever thanks to all the event and championship volunteers for your hard work to make weekends like Oulton Park happen. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable rally.
Witham Motorsport joins the MGJ Circuit Rally Championship as specialist lubricant partner
It’s great to have Witham Motorsport joining the Championship this year as our specialist lubricant partner.
Richard Scarbrough, Sales Director said “We are on hand to discuss all things oil for the drivers and teams, from high performance motorsport lubricants to reliable top quality classic oils, coolants, brake fluids, and transmission fluids.
“Rallying creates heavy stress on the cars and engines and we know what a difference good quality products can make across the finish line.
We wish all the drivers and teams a safe and fantastic competition over the season ahead.”
We’re also delighted to see Richard on the entry list for round 1.
The Witham Group. www.withamgroup.co.uk
Live streaming with Special Stage Rally TV announced for 2023/24 MGJ Circuit Rally Championship
We’re delighted to announce our plans to provide live streaming from Special Stage Rally Video of every stage of every round of the Championship.
This is made possible by two new sponsors and our organising clubs. We welcome:
Williams Auctions - plant and agricultural auctioneers in Cheshire, with full audio visual capabilities enabling worldwide online bidding.
Kissdental Private Dental Practice - increasing confidence with smile makeovers and cosmetic dentistry across Manchester, Cheshire & Liverpool.
Enter the championship at https://www.circuitrally.co.uk/regulations/
2023/24 Championship Regulations Released
With our Motorsport UK permit received, we’re delighted to publish the Regs and open registrations for our best six scores from nine round championship, across six classes.
https://www.circuitrally.co.uk/regulations/
Entries for Round 1, the Salford Van Hire Neil Howard Stages open at 20:00 on Thursday 14th September.
More exciting news follows soon...
2023/24 Championship Announcement
We’re delighted to welcome back our championship title sponsor MGJ Engineering and share our calendar for 2023/24. The championship is planned to take place over nine rounds, with the best six scores to count.
We plan to run a six-class championship structure again, catering for everyone from rallying newcomers, to those running high performance four-wheel drive machines.
With returning sponsors/supporters and new ones joining too, we’ll have further news over the coming weeks, including updates on our plans to provide live streaming of our rallies. You can already see our upgraded website www.circuitrally.co.uk
We are working with Motorsport UK to gain approval of Championship Regulations. They have supported our work so far and we’ll publish the Regs and open registration for the championships as soon as we can.
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