… Closed Roads Open For Business for REIS Runners! …
The last weekend in May will see REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship contenders
heading to the Scottish Borders for what is still the only closed-road rally on the UK
mainland, the Jim Clark Rally. Contesting the National section and starting in the
centre of Duns, crews have almost 110 miles of special stages, spread over Friday
evening and Saturday, to look forward to prior to the finish in Kelso.
Having won the Jim Clark National Rally for the past couple of years, pride of place is
given to Duns resident Euan Thorburn and co-driver Paul Beaton in their Ford Focus
WRC. Starting right behind them is the Subaru Impreza WRC of MSA Asphalt
Championship leaders after the first two rounds, Steve Simpson/Patrick Walsh. They
were runners-up in 2013 and another good result would further their claim to the title
which Simpson last won in 2007.
Meanwhile, defending Asphalt Champion Damian Cole (Ford Focus WRC) failed to
finish the Jim Clark last year and, having suffered a similar fate on the Manx National
Rally at the beginning of this month, he and co-driver Elliott Edmondson could do
with a result to put their season back on track.
John Indri will have mixed feelings when it comes to the Jim Clark Rally – an
unfortunate incident at the refuelling zone two years ago put his Darrian T90 GTR out
at a stroke but, undaunted, he returned last year in the two-wheel drive machine to
take 4th place. Although he has since taken delivery of an Impreza WRC, Indri has
opted to bring the Darrian out on this occasion and, in addition to overall results, he
and Craig Cameron will also be looking for supremacy in the Millington Rear-Wheel
Drive Challenge.
Peter Taylor/Andrew Roughead were another crew to register a DNF on the Isle of Man
but, with their Fiesta S2400 now restored to full health once again, they start just in
front of the Skoda Fabia WRC of John Stone/Carl Williamson. Stone, from Blackburn,
knows the roads in the area well and, in spite of retirements on his last two visits, was
5th in 2011 and 3rd the previous year. Good runs on Epynt and the Isle of Man see John
& Carl in runners-up spot in the points table, marginally behind Simpson/Walsh.
There are two Ford Escorts in the Top Ten – running line astern, at least to start with,
are Simon Mauger and Darren Atkinson/Phil Sandham. No doubt, sparks will fly as
these two battle against each other and Mauger certainly has form on the event. 3rd in
both 2011 and last year, he was actually leading in 2010 but, in the closing stages, it
began to rain and his two-wheel drive car fell into the clutches of Damian Cole’s
Focus. Even so, the victory margin was only 13s by the end of the event!
For his part, Atkinson’s first attempt at the Jim Clark last year saw him finish 11th,
while this season has started well to the point that, as the Lancaster driver arrives in
the Borders, he is 3rd in the table behind Simpson and Stone.
2007 Jim Clark National Rally winner Andy Fenwick is rejoining the Championship on
this year’s event in a recently-acquired VW Polo S2000 and, following their 15th place
on the Isle of Man, Alex Laffey/Jack Morton will be taking the opportunity to get some
more miles under their belts in their Ford Fiesta R5+.
Kevin Tappin is bringing his Escort MkII all the way up from Holsworthy, in Devon,
while the Citroen DS3 R3 of Andrew Hockridge/Aled Edwards will be leading the
charge for AB Motorsport Front-Wheel Drive Challenge points. Opposition will come
from Kev Monaghan/Chris Purvis (Vauxhall Corsa S1600), Lee Farrer/Neil Bye in their
Ford Puma S1600 and the VW Golf of Andy Hawkins/Devlyn Johnson.
Full list of REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship contenders entered on the Jim Clark National Rally:
102 Steve Simpson/Patrick Walsh (Subaru Impreza WRC)
103 Damian Cole/Elliott Edmondson (Ford Focus WRC)
104 John Indri/Craig Cameron (Darrian T90 GTR)
106 Peter Taylor/Andrew Roughead (Ford Fiesta S2400)
107 John Stone/Carl Williamson (Skoda Fabia WRC)
108 Simon Mauger/Mike Dickson (Ford Escort MkII)
109 Darren Atkinson/Phil Sandham (Ford Escort MkII)
110 Andy Fenwick/Jamie Foster (VW Polo S2000)
115 Alex Laffey/Jack Morton (Ford Fiesta R5+)
117 Kevin Tappin/Jonathan Hawkins (Ford Escort MkII)
118 Andrew Hockridge/Aled Edwards (Citroen DS3 R3)
120 Simon Chapman/Michael Calvert (MG Metro 6R4)
122 Keith Robathan/James Haugh (Ford Escort MkII)
124 Mark Jasper/Don Whyatt (Ford Escort MkII)
132 Gary Le Coadou/Tony Bassett (Toyota Corolla WRC)
133 Alan Oldfield/Ken Bills (Proton Millington S2500)
136 Chris Ford/Neil Colman (Subaru Impreza WRC)
137 Kev Monaghan/Chris Purvis (Vauxhall Corsa S1600)
138 Jim Sharp/Craig Wallace (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO)
144 Billy Cowe/Robert Paterson (Subaru Impreza)
146 Tommy Graham/Mike Bailey (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO)
158 Paul Doroszczuk/Julian Doroszczuk (Ford Escort MkII)
161 David Tinn/Alice Tinn (Proton Millington S2500)
176 Mike Taylor/Peter Grant (Talbot Sunbeam Lotus)
183 Cathy Sewart/Martin Haggett (Talbot Sunbeam Lotus)
186 Lee Farrer/Neil Bye (Ford Puma S1600)
193 David White/Mathew White (Subaru Impreza)
195 Andy Hawkins/Devlyn Johnson (VW Golf)