THIS weekend's Hills Ford Stages rally has attracted a top class entry for the final round of the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship, reports PAUL WILLETTS.
The two-day event starts on Saturday (September 14) with its traditional Ledbury town centre ceremonial launch from 2.45pm, followed by two tests around the Castlemorton common and a return to the Much Marcle Showground service area for the overnight halt.
Sunday sees eight more tests over some 60 miles of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire’s best roads.
With the Protyre drivers' title going down to the wire, champion Callum Black is in pole position, but rival Neil Roskell in a similar Fiesta Rally 2 is ready to pounce.
Black's partner Jack Morton sealed the co-drivers crown on the Rali Bae, and the duo will also face stiff competition from 2023 winner Mark Kelly in his Skoda Fabia R5, Rob Swann in his beautiful Ford Fiesta WRC, and Steve Wood and his Citroën C3 R5.
Simon Bowen also brings his powerful Fiesta S2000T, with Damian Cole in another Citroën C3 mounted, while the find of the Protyre series has been Jersey's Sam Touzel in another Fiesta Rally 2.
Event sponsor Will Hill moves up to the more powerful Ford Fiesta Rally 2, with dad Tim taking the reins of Will's Fiesta Rally 3, ably guided by Abergavenny's Paul Spooner.
The quality goes on, with a fascinating 2WD battle between championship chasing Darren Atkinson and Huw James in a 2.5 litre Escort and a returning Brad Cole co-driven by another local boy Jamie Vaughan, while Ben Friend and Monmouth co-driver Cliffy Simmons in the Allglass Anglia Escort RS1800 head the historic class runners.
A huge turn out of local competitors includes Herefordshire's Roger Moran and Dan Petrie in the Moran Motorhomes Skoda Fabia R5, plus Foresters Nik Elsmore and Pauline Nash – fresh from an eventful Rally Barbados – in the CDS Taxis & Calico Interiors Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Family honour is at stake between the Phelps brothers, Geoff with Colin Jenkins in the Hartpury Farms-backed car, and Tim with Matt Rogers in the Bripart Escort RS hot seat.
Steve Chaplin will have Rich Suter calling the notes in the Dave Jenkins Motorsport-run Escort, and father and daughter teams see Paul and Jemma Taylor back in the Mini Cooper S, with Kilcot Garage owner Jeremy Harris and daughter Alex in the Escort Mexico.
Local crews include Gary Bollands and Nigel Baldwin in the GB Motorservices Subaru Stationwagon, Ian and Tim Skipp in the historic spec Escort RS1800, Justin Brooks with Dan Evans in the Vauxhall Nova, Hereford's WRCTV supremo Simon Dalton with Ryan Jones in the Quick Motorsport-run Subaru Impreza, while stage sponsor Andrew Price also brings the Andylandy-backed modern Mini Cooper with Adam Jones.
Steffan Morris will have experienced Mark Ammonds in a quick Escort RS1800, and another Escort crew is that of Alan Marriage and Kevin Lane in the Brambourne-backed RS1800.
Returning to rallying after 34 years is former road ace Richard Thomas, who partners co-driver Paul Cook in a road rally spec Escort RS2000.
Richard stopped rallying to build his business and support son George, who tasted success in the BTRDA 1400 and Fiesta ST series.
"It's been a long time. I’ll have to try and remember what to do, but we'll go out and have some fun," he said.
Organisers ask spectators to please stick to the two designated spectator areas to avoid disruption.
Saturday's Castlemorton spectator area offers superb viewing from 3.30pm (car park postcode WR13 6JA W3W callibrate.robe.riverside.).
Sunday's spectator area is the Marcle Hill stage from 11.34am and again from 4pm (HR1 4QP, W3W lend.wave.flooding.).
They should always follow the marshals' instructions, who are voluteers and there to keep everyone safe.
See hillsfordstages.co.uk for more information.