HRCR NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2018 Web Site www.hrcr.co.uk Facebook www.facebook.com/theHRCR Web Site Members Area Log in code Hopkirk1964 Forthcoming Old Stager Distribution Dates - Thursday 1st February 2018 followed by Thursday 5th of April 2018 In this issue: 2018 MINTEX OLD STAGER HISTORIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP INCORPORATING THE MINI SPORT MINI CUP & MINI SPORT JUNIOR MINI CUP HRCR HAGERTY INSURANCE CLUBMANS ROAD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP HRCR HAGERTY INSURANCE TROPHY THE METRIC SERVICES EASYLARITY RALLY BRUCE ROBINSON RALLY THE 2018 HRCR ANNUAL DINNER AWARDS NIGHT & AGM AMAZON CARS CHALLENGE CUP ILKLEY JUBILEE HISTORIC RALLY HRCR SCENIC TOURS LOCAL AREA NEWS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION FAMOUS RALLY CAR GOES UNDER HAMMER CLASSIFIED ADVERTS USEFUL CONTACTS 2018 HRCR Mintex old STAGER Championship & Mini Sport Cup launched at the HRCR Open Day 3 Ferrari 308’s entered for the first round of the old STAGER Championship This year’s championship was launched at the recent HRCR Open Day at the British Motor Museum with well over 30 crews already registered for the championship. The HRCR Mini Sport Cup goes from strength to strength with an estimated 30 crews either already registered or intending to register this year. This must now be the largest single make historic rally competition in Europe. All the top runners from 2017 have registered including Ray Cunningham, Colin McDowell and Clive King. We also have our first Mini Sport Junior Cup competitor, Jack Hartley registered. Leading the non-Mini contingent will be Kevin Jones in his Ferrari 308 Michelotto, one of 3 Ferrari 308’s entered for the first round and Stuart Anderson in his Vauxhall Chevette HSR. The first round of the championship, the Jasper’s Bakery AGBO Historic Stages Rally already has over 50 entries of which 39 of these are planning to compete in HRCR Championships this year. If you are an historic rally enthusiast then th there is only one place to be on the 17 March and that’s Weston Park to see all the action. th Owen Motor Club still require marshals for the Jasper’s Bakery AGBO Historic Rally on the 17 March. Marshals will be able to stay in the park on Friday and Saturday night if they also wish to marshall on the modern event which takes place on the Sunday. Just go onto the Owen Motor Club website and AGBO Rally page to register as a marshal. For more information on the old STAGER Championship & Mini Sport Cup please e-mail [email protected] or visit our website www.hrcr.co.uk Welcome to the February 2018 Clubmans newsletter. The Open Day was as busy as ever for Gill and I and we had 43 registrations, bringing the total to 73 at time of writing, 31st January 2018, with 18 new folks this year so far. With Bob Hargreaves coming back to the championship with John Haygarth in his Opel Kadett Rally it should be an interesting season. So the 2018 HRCR Hagerty Insurance Clubmans Road Rally Championship looks to be in excellent health again this year. Regretfully, we have lost the Leukaemia Historic Rally in May, but I have my fingers crossed that Steve Durbin will be able to persuade his crew to take up the challenge again in 2019 after having a rest this year. I realise I’ve not told anyone where to the find postal version of the Clubmans Championship registration form on the HRCR website. It is nicely hidden under “Clubmans”, “results and leader board” then “Contenders.” In addition, there are currently 12 entrants for the Amazon Cars HRCR Challenge Cup which again is similar to this time last year. We have dropped the restriction on forest/gravel pattern tyres, although they must still be “e” marked, so hopefully this will encourage a few more entries this year. Event entries are also very strong with Round 1, The Tour of Cheshire, having a full entry of 85, then the North Yorkshire Classic with 43 and the Ilkley Jubilee on 52 with an additional 11 on the Run. Here are John Ruddock and Roger Burkill in typical attitude on last year’s Tour of Cheshire. Photo courtesy of Tony North This brings me nicely to the new for this year HRCR Hagerty Insurance Trophy which is aimed at folks who do not have an MSA Competition Licence, but who would like to have a go at a relatively easy Regularity event with Tests. HRCR members entering the events listed will have the opportunity to win a trophy on each event. We are trialling this format on a few events to identify if there is a strong following making it worthwhile to develop the idea. There is a separate “flyer” outlining the idea and the events within this Newsletter. Classic Car Buyer The next issue of Classic Car Buyer to have a page on the various HRCR Historic Championships is due out on the 7th February. The the main objective is to attract new members to the HRCR and historic motor sport, but it may be a good excuse to buy the paper to see what’s available in the classic car market. Now, here is a short piece from Martin Phaff on the Henry Surtees Foundation as last year there was an auction for an entry on the 2018 Tour of Cheshire. Henry Surtees Foundation – Auction Prize. The sixth annual ‘Henry Surtees Foundation Team Karting Challenge’ was staged once again at the prestigious Mercedes-Benz World Circuit, Brooklands on Tuesday 11 July 2017 the event received overwhelming support, with many wanting to pay tribute to charity’s founder John Surtees who had passed away in March. The full grid of 35 teams consisted of 140 professional and amateur drivers all battling it out in a 2 hour endurance race which was officially started by five times Le Mans Champion Derek Bell MBE and as Jane Surtees, John’s widow dropped the chequered flag it was Team Titan that took the race win from Team Choctails and Ginetta. Following the race at the champagne reception, Malcolm Barber of Bonhams hosted a lively auction which included a vast array of prizes from Sebastian Vettel’s gloves to a year’s supply of Kurt Geiger shoes as well as visits to the Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari F1 factories. Also on offer was a drive in a Lancia Fulvia on the 2018 Tour of Cheshire which attracted a bid of £1000 from Jon Wright. In all, the event raised an incredible £81,573.48 for the Henry Surtees Foundation. For Jon, who has competed for a number of years on the UK Hillclimb circuit, it will be his first ever Rally however with Andy Pullan kindly offering to navigate on the event, the car will at least be going in the right direction. The Henry Surtees Foundation was founded by motor sport legend John Surtees CBE, following the tragic death of his son Henry, killed aged just 18 years old whilst competing in Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch in 2009. The primary objectives of the Foundation are to assist people with brain or physical injuries caused by accident, through the provision of equipment and facilities. The Foundation also seeks to provide education and training associated with motorsport-related programmes in technology, engineering, and road safety instruction for two and four wheels. Henry Surtees The HRCR North West Centre Training Day is fully booked and I’ve been working with Mike Harrison to create the various presentations for the day. We will also have reigning Clubmans Championship navigator, Ryan Pickering, to explain some of the various types of navigation and impart his specialist knowledge on managing Regularity Timing. It is sure to be an action packed day that everyone will enjoy. Three Castles Trial. (TCT) During 2017 I’ve been exploring how to encourage more HRCR members to enter Regularity Rallies and discussions with Ian Crammond led to this year’s Three Castles encouraging them to do so with a Novice Award supported by Vintage Tyres of a free entry on two HRCR events in the following season, up to the value of £250. Three Castles will also encourage all HRCR crews to enter the Three Castles Trial with a £100 reduction in the entry fee. So I’m hoping this initiative and the newly introduced HRCR Hagerty Insurance Trophy will encourage more members to have a go. Little did I realise my discussions with Ian would lead to more involvement in the TCT until earlier this year Gill and I were asked by Ian Crammond if we would like to be the Competitor Liaison Officers on this year’s event. Previously this role was the responsibility of Nigel Raeburn and Peter Boyce so very well-known and experienced shoes to fill. We were rather overwhelmed and honoured by his invitation and agreed without any hesitation and I’ll let you know how we get on later in the year. Meanwhile here is a progress report on the event from Ian Crammond. “Plans for the fifteenth anniversary Three Castles Trial are progressing well and close to seventy entries have now been accepted, including two from former event winners Graham Walker and Sean Toohey and last year's Three Castles trophy winning crew, Dermot Carnegie and Paul Bosdet. Alongside a host of UK-based enthusiasts crews from America, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and are already entered and the special offer to HRCR members launched in December has also proven a great success, with multiple crews taking it up including several new HRCR members. The event organising team is now complete, with Ian & Gill Doble joining this year as CLOs.