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Battle Stations Bournemouth... |
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Friday, 16 February 2007 |
The eagerly awaited opening round of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship gets underway next weekend when competitors descend on the seaside resort of Bournemouth in order to contest the 22nd running of Rallye Sunseeker.
With sponsorship from global performance tyre manufacturer Hankook this season, all the major protagonists are back for a crack at the ANCRO-organised National series including last year’s winners Craig Middleton and Robin Hernaman as well as a multitude of former champions.
Hankook Motorsports manager Mike Patterson said the series was already
shaping up to be the country’s leading gravel championship. “We are
looking forward to a great start to the season in Bournemouth and are
delighted that so many leading drivers have registered for the Hankook
GRC.’’
Middleton has secured a late entry to contest the South Coast event
driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution
Challenge that is making a welcome addition back into the Hankook GRC
ranks for this season and he’ll be joined by many of the top drivers in
the UK.
Former champion and four times Rallye Sunseeker winner Marcus Dodd
along with co driver Andrew Bargery will be one of the favourites for
outright victory in his Hyundai Accent WRC but with the likes of ex
champ Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield (Subaru WRC) and with 2004
winner Steve Perez, who is reunited with former co driver Claire Mole
in their Ford Focus WRC joining them in the ranks, the action is sure
to be fast and furious.
Making a welcome return to the series is 2005 champion Paul Bird who
has a new car in the shape of an S9 Subaru WRC and a new co driver with
Andy Richardson for this season as he aims to win back his title and
he’s again expected to set the pace on Friday evening’s blast through
the town’s Winter Gardens, as indeed he has done for the past three
years.
With many competitors yet to still register for the various
championships, it’s anyone’s guess who could throw a spanner in the
works in the early championship stakes but with Mitsubishi Challenge
drivers of the calibre of ex British Champion Jonny Milner, experienced
Welshman Julian Reynolds along with the rapid Ulster duo of Phillip
Morrow and Garry Jennings up against each other, expect some fireworks
from the Group N boys!
Comprising qualifying rounds also of the ANCRO organised Mitsubishi
Ralliart Evolution Cup, the Subaru Group N Trophy and the HPM
Motorsport 2WD Challenge, as well as the various class awards, the
action gets underway with two stages on Friday evening commencing at
18.30 whilst the vast majority of action takes place in the Dorset
forests on Saturday from 08.00.
Further information is available from the official website on www.rallyesunseeker.co.uk
Meanwhile Junior competitors in both the Hankook MSA Gravel Rally
Challenge and the Hankook Forest Challenge have another incentive for
2007 in the shape of Higgins Forest Rally School / PIAA Junior Awards
which have just been finalised.
The winning Junior crew in both championships will benefit from one to
one driver and co-driver training from former British Champion David
Higgins and his co-driver. This can be taken in the winner's own rally
car or in one of the school's fully prepared rally cars. In addition
both winning drivers will receive £500 worth of product support from
PIAA lighting courtesy of PIAA MD, Chris Hutchings.
Also, Prima Motorsport will be offering a pair of Titon Harnesses to
the highest placed crew in the National A Championship crew
(driver/co-driver who register together as a crew) whose combined age
exceeds over 95 years at the time of registration.
Registration details are available by contacting Championship Registrar Val Thompson on
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Further Information is available at the Championship Website: www.gravelrally.co.uk
2007 Calendar
23/24 February Rally Sunseeker (Bournemouth)
24 March Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally (Jedburgh)
11/12 May RBS International Manx Rally (Douglas)
2 June Severn Valley Stages Rally (Builth Wells)
21 July Swansea Bay National Rally (Swansea)
2 September Killarney Forest Stages Rally (Killarney)
20 October Bulldog Rally (Oswestry)
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