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THE STAGE IS SET !
A new season, new headline sponsors and, certainly as far as the BTRDA Gold Star Championship is concerned, a new winner. The REIS Get Connected BTRDA Rally Series kicks off in the best possible way with a capacity 180 car entry on the Team GMF Wyedean Forest Rally and, in the wake of Andy Burtons enforced retirement, there will be a different name on the trophy at the end of 2012, but will it be a new one?
The 2012 Wyedean entry list contains a host of previous Gold Star Champions who have the proven ability to succeed at this level. Steve Perez/Paul Spooner (Ford Focus WRC / 2010 GS), Hugh Hunter/ Andy Marchbank (Ford Focus WRC / 2008 GS), David Wright (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9 / 2009 GS), Shaun Gardener/Ben Innes (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO5.9 / 2006 GS) and Roger Chilman (Subaru Impreza WRC / 2005 GS), who has teamed up with the vastly experienced Bryan Thomas this season, have all expressed their intention to pursue a second title.
Then there is Yorkshiremen Charlie Payne/Craig Thorley (Ford Focus WRC) who, while having won a couple of rounds in 2011, have still to lift their maiden title, but a glance at the entry list for the Wyedean tells us that each of the Top 15 crews has registered for the Championship. Well, no-one said it was going to be easy!
We have not seen much of former MSA Gravel Champions Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield (Subaru Impreza WRC) for a couple of years but their credentials speak for themselves while Tom Cave, who finished 4th overall in the 2011 Championship using a variety of Group N machines, returns with a full-house Impreza. Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy, 3rd overall in the 2011 MSA Scottish Rally Championship in their Mitsubishi, are heading south of the border for a change of scenery and former Millers Oils 1400 Champions Matt Edwards/Sam Collis have moved up to a Lancer of their own for the season. And so the list goes on.
2011 BTRDA Silver Star Champions Allan McDowall/Gavin Heseltine begin the defence of their title on the Wyedean in their Opel Kadett and are joined by arch rivals from last year in the two-wheel drive series, Boyd Kershaw/Bryan Hull (Ford Escort). Further Escorts in the hands of Dave Brick/Rob Woodhouse and Matthew Robinson/ Nigel Hutchinson are also joining in the fun.
The early signs are that the Millers Oils 1400 Championship is going to be some scrap in 2012! The Vauxhall Nova of Julian Wilkes/Will Rutherford has won the opening round for the past three years and will be looking to extend its dominance in the area still further, but defending champions Darren Pinchin/Karen Watts (Proton Satria) will obviously have other ideas! Justin Lawson/Paul Hargreaves (Vauxhall Nova) and the returning Dave Bennett/Alistair McNeil (Vauxhall Corsa), who won the BTRDA Rally First category for the first couple of years, are also in the mix, along with 2010/11 RF champions Ash Slights/Tom Hughes (Toyota Yaris).
The Rally First category has attracted support from RALLYSCHOOL.CO.UK this year and the leading entries on the first round are the MG ZRs of Chris Hellings/Glyn Thomas and Joe Evett/Calvin Holdsworth. It will be interesting to see if any crew grabs the series by the scruff of the neck in the way that Slights/Hughes have done for the past two years.
Championship Newsletter No 1 has been published and e-mailed out to registered competitors. This is a welcome to competitors and includes information about the coming season.
Vital Equipment will be providing the on event fuel service on all events in the 2012 REIS-GET Connected BTRDA Rally Series providing both Carless Fuel and a consistent quality MSA compliant Super Unleaded fuel. We strongly encourage all competitors to use this refuel facility which is very safe and convenient.
Vital Equipment will also be supplying the new DMack competition tyres on all events in the 2012 BTRDA Rally Series. The opening times for Vital Equipment at the Wyedean, plus a price list for the DMack tyres available at the Wyedean can be viewed by clicking the link below.
