----- SiteNav ----- |
Jaggy Bunnet Rally News - December 07, 2011 News Roundup There are quite a few changes planned for next year’s Scottish Rally Championship starting with a new Championship Chairman, one David Robson Esq who is taking over from the departing Neil Shanks. David has even more experience than Shanksy (being a lot older obviously!) but he faces an even tougher task than Neil as motor sport faces some tough times ahead. Robert Beck has also decided to demit office so the Championship is looking for a new Co-ordinator/Registrar, although Robert has declared (one wonders if voluntarily?) that he will be around to help the new person or personess to settle in to one of the most thankless tasks in Scottish motorspoirt. Although in all fairness to the rally competitors, officials, followers and yee-haas who were at the excellent end of season Dinner/Dance ‘do’ both he and the Missus got an ovationally standing send-off. As to the structure of Championship, there will be a couple of changes following last month’s AGM at which the decision was taken to allow 16V front wheel drive cars in the 1600 to 2000cc category to run alongside those in Classes 1 - 6, ahead of the main field on the Border Counties, Granite City and RSAC Scottish rallies – in other words, the same as on the McRae Stages Rally. Dave Robson commented: “A few years ago, we decided to let the smaller engined two wheel drive cars run in front of the main field on several rounds of the championship, as a means of attracting more competitors into those categories. This is usually the starting point for many of our Juniors and those new to the sport. With the face of rallying changing in the UK, and with the British Championship moving to 2 wheel drive next year, we felt that allowing 16V, 1600 to 2000 cc front wheel drive cars to also run at the front of the field on these events will help some of our juniors step up into more modern machinery.” “As a championship we keep a close eye on what is happening on the national scene and this move will enable more of our competitors to consider cars in this class, which may ultimately be a stepping stone to competing further afield, or at a higher level with the same cars." This change will also affect the definition of ‘Junior drivers’. For the 2012 Championship season, Junior drivers will be those who meet the following criteria: The class structure for the 2012 championship remains unchanged from the 2011 season. Regulations are not yet available, but keep an eye on the SRC website, or failing that, keep an eye on this website!
The programme of events will again include 7 gravel rounds and 1 tarmac round and the dates will be as follows: ** Regs Available And now a word for those feeling deprived of their monthly fix of ‘rally action’. Entry Forms are now available for the Grant Construction Knockhill Stages Rally on Sunday the 8th of January 2012. Last year the circuit and stages were ankle deep (some places knee deep!) in snaw, and the only thing that was moving quickly around the venue was an elderly gent with a red coat, a white beard and eight reindeer heading home in a northerly direction. Whatever, it was a dose of fun. Information and entry details from: And with this in mind, here is some timely advice. Please make sure you apply for your 2012 competition licence in plenty of time for the start of next season whether you start at Knockhill or Inverness. And make sure you have a current and valid Car Club membership card. If you turn up at Knockhill without one, Border Ecosse CC will happily enrol you for a modest 5 quid. Also, check helmets, suits, seats and harnesses for dates, before you turn up for your first Scrutineering session of the new season. ** Autosports International Show at the NEC, 14-15 January 2012 If you can’t make Knockhill, but still need a ‘fix’, how about the Autosports Show at the NEC? I know it’s awfy dear and awfy far away, but there’s lots to see and plenty of stands to visit. Opening Times: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm each day. Although there will be lots of racing car stuff including a tribute to Ayrton Senna part, rally fans will be catered for with the Rally Display. Taking centre ‘stage’ will be a celebration of the UK's rich rallying tradition which for 2012 will be entitled ‘British Rally Heroes’. Paddy Hopkirk, 2001 World Rally Champion Richard Burns and our own Colin McRae will all be represented by at least one car each in January’s rally display. Already confirmed to be on display is Hopkirk's famous Mini Cooper S number 37. Full information on the show at: http://www.autosportinternational.com/ ** Le Jog The 17th annual running of the HERO ‘Le Jog’ car rally runs this weekend over December 10th to 13th as cars contest the 1,400 mile route between Lands End and John O'Groats with the longest night navigation section ever to be included. Seventy cars from the UK and Europe will leave Lands End on Saturday December 10th at 07.45 to travel through Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wales, Shropshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Northumbria, Northumberland, East Lothian, West Lothian, North Lanarkshire, and across Scotland to John O’Groats over a four day period. Cars taking part include a Riley Sports Special from 1937 driven by Richard Jeffcoate and James May from Surrey. A 1958 Jaguar XK 150 being driven by Charles Graves and Ron Palmer from Surrey and a 1960 Peugeot being driven by Pieter and Thijs Hennipman from Holland. Other cars include BMWs, Triumphs and Porsches. The infamous Welsh night section will have over 30 time controls - 75% of which will be 4 minute sections and the longest section will only be 3.5 miles - but the route has been designed with loops to allow controls to be cut for those running late. In addition this year's Le Jog will have some 30 tests at 26 venues - more than double the number of some recent Le Jogs. Many of these tests will be at new venues while those at ones previously used have been completely redesigned. ** Monte Carlo Rally, Clydebank Start, 29th of January 2012 Next January’s Glasgow start for the Monte Carlo Rally moves away from the city centre to Clydebank which will be celebrating 125 years of Burgh status. A special period Monte Carlo Show will be located on the site of the former John Brown shipyard while competitors will leave the start ramp in front of the £33 million Clydebank College campus. Clydebank joins Barcelona, Oslo, Turin, Reims and Warsaw as the 2012 official starting locations for the rally, on the start of their 2000 km journey to Monte Carlo. The cars will leave Clydebank and drive through the night to Dover for the English Channel crossing and should finish the rally on February 4th. ** England Calling Rallye Sunseeker International will once again host the opening round of the 2012 MSA British Rally Championship next year on 24th and 25th of February 2012. Based in Bournemouth and Poole next February’s event will be just as demanding as last years, with Southern Car Club promising a few changes along the way. For next year the MSA British Rally Championship will be for 2wd cars only and inccorporates a number of one-make Championships including the Citroen Racing Trophy UK, R2 Fiesta Sport Trophy, Twingo R1 and Twingo R2 UK Trophy. Rallye Sunseeker 2012 will feature a 10% increase in Stage Mileage, with 11 Gravel Stages for FIA homologated R1, R2 and R3 cars as well as Group A and N. The event will begin with a Ceremonial Start on Poole Quay for all competitors on the Friday evening. Rallye Sunseeker is also the opening round for the new 2012 BRC Challenge for 2 Wheel drive cars up to 2000cc, while the Rallye Sunseeker National Rally will cater for Two and Four Wheel drive cars, all homologated R4, N4 and Super 2000 cars, Modified and the Military Challenge for the Armed Forces. Competitors from the 2012 HRCR Stage Rally Challenge will also be welcome with categories for pre-1968, pre-1975 and pre-1982 vehicles. It remains to be seen whether the new British Champions will be there as plans have yet to be finalised. When asked what the highlight of his British title winning year was, David commented: “Aye well for us it was winning Rallye Sunseeker to be honest. We sort of went down there unfancied as it were and came away with the win in really difficult conditions and it set us up very well for the rest of the year. Sunseeker was one of those short sharp events that really does test you and the car. The stages are different to what we would normally be used to, but it was so well run, y’know we really did enjoy it.” Co-Driver Kevin added: “Yeah I agree, Rallye Sunseeker would be the highlight to me too. We went to a tricky and difficult event, but David and I came away with the win and that really did set us up to maintain our challenge for the rest of the events.” **** |