Rally Isle of Man (Rallee Classicagh/Duke Stages) - 12-14 Sep 13

Posted: January 30, 2014 12:13 PM - 9318 Hits

Rounds 5 & 6 - 2013 Manx Rally Championship
Counting Round - 2013 Tarmac Rally Championship (Historics)

In Car

Posted: January 30, 2014 12:13 PM

Arron Newby & Rob Fagg (Subaru Impreza WRX) SS22


Ryan Barrett/Paul McCann (Ford Escort MkII) SS

Video Clips

Posted: January 30, 2014 12:10 PM

Teenager Newby takes all the headlines / Barrett cruises to Rallee Classicagh title

Posted: January 30, 2014 12:07 PM

Teenager Newby takes all the headlines

Arron Newby, still only 18 years old, continued his winning sequence with the biggest victory of his career on the three-day Manx International Rally section of Rally Isle of Man, powered by Microgaming.

The Carnforth TEG Sport Subaru pilot and Manx co-driver Rob Fagg took the lead on Friday afternoon and carried a 1m39s advantage into Saturday’s final eight stages. Newby showed real maturity to drive conservatively, fastest on just two tests on the day, to conclude with a 2m20.1s victory and become the youngest ever winner of the event.

Behind there was a frantic scrap for the remaining podium places, Andrew Leece and Graham Fargher were unable to drive fully after yesterday’s roll in their Evo VI, leaving their second place in danger of crews looming behind.

They held on admirably for the first half of the day before being overhauled by Steve Colley/Andrew Cowley (Evo VIII) on SS24 Sand Quarry and then last years winners Steve Quine/Richard Skinner (Evo IX) one stage later, Quine having finally found a suspension set-up to his liking.

The drive of the day however was already coming from Connor Corkill and Mark Perryman (Subaru), setting a string of fastest times to also close on the gaggle ahead of them. They ultimately passed Leece on the penultimate stage, SS26 Dollagh to finish fourth, running out of stages to grab a podium.

Ahead of them however the battle continued to rage between Colley and Quine, swapping second place almost by the stage, with Colley admitting to being at “eleven tenths!” Ultimately however Quine got the better, by just four tenths of a second after two and three-quarter hours of rallying! Corkill was himself just 14s further back.

Darren Atkinson and Phil Sandham (Escot MkII) were the leading two-wheel drive crew in sixth place whilst early leaders Nigel and Michaela Cannell (Evo IX) used superrally rules to rejoin and take seventh spot after yesterdays gearbox problems, winning today’s round of the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship in the process.

A blocked fuel filter delayed Sean Kelly/Emma Kennuagh (Evo VI) throughout the first half of the rally, but they improved to eighth by the finish, ahead of George Collister/Janet Craine, who had the better of an event-long BMW battle with close friends Kex Walker/Dannii Matthews by just 2.7 seconds, in a rally of close finishes.

No doubt about the star of the rally however. “The team has done brilliantly” said Newby. “Without the differential change last night we wouldn’t be here now. You look at the names on that trophy for this rally and it’s amazing. It’s been three long, hard days and everyone who’s got to the finish deserves a medal!”

Barrett cruises to Rallee Classicagh title

Ulsterman Ryan Barrett and locally based co-drover Paul McCann (MkII Ford Escort) swept to a comfortable victory on the historic Rallee Classicagh section of Rally Isle of Man powered by Microgaming.

The pair led the way into day three and immediately set out to drive for the finish, just fourth fastest on the opening run down Tholt-e-Will.

Fourth placed Will Onions/Dave Williams (MKII Escort) were in early trouble however, connecting with a wall on the rear of the car. They were out of the rally altogether just one stage later after crashing just before the end of SS21 Bretney.

With second placed David Stokes/Guy Weaver (MkI Escort) also backing off the pace, it was left to Will Rowlands/Em Hall (MkII) to set a string of fastest times en route to moving into fourth position behind the similar car of Guy Woodcock/Graham Dance.

That was how it finished, with Barrett taking a 3m5.9s victory. “It’s unbelievable to win this; the Manx is one of the most famous rallies in the world. We didn’t want to back off too much and lose concentration today, so just had to manage it.”

Stokes took Category 2 honours, whiles Derek Boyd/Howard Allison won Category 1 for the oldest cars on the event in their Porsche 911.

Bettridge is the Trophy man

Pat Bettridge/Paul Gelling (Subaru) were fastest on six of the days eight stages to take a dominant win in the Manx Trophy Rally.

The pair took a 41s advantage into the day over Matthew and Ian Davison’s MKII Escort and had extended that to over three minutes at the days halfway point.

The Davison’s succumbed to mechanical problems on SS25 at Ronague, leaving Bettridge to run out the victor by a huge margin of 7m46.6s.

Wayne Ellis/Sarah Harbour (Peugeot 205) took the runners-up spot with Stephen Bettridge/Michael Kieg (Vauxhall Corsa) third.

The organisers of Rally Isle of Man wish to thank all of the event officials and competitors for their support. That’s the 50th Anniversary completed, time to look ahead to the next 50 years!

Crews faces ultimate asphalt challenge to celebrate 50 years of Rally Isle of Man

Posted: September 11, 2013 11:26 AM

The 50th Anniversary Rally Isle of Man, powered by Microgaming, starts on Thursday evening with three challenging days ahead for crews on the longest rally in the British Isles this year.

The combined organising team from both Rally Isle of Man and Druidale Motor Club has laid on a whopping 196 stage miles across the island over the traditional roads used since the events inception, though in many cases with new configurations. Double-lap tests and side by side starts, allied to town centre stages, should provide plenty of action to thrill the crowds.

The event is a round of the Irish Historic Tarmac Rally Championship and a crucial double-points scorer for the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship. As a result it has attracted 105 crews from the island, around the British Isles and as far as Belgium and Japan, plus a dozen iconic cars as part of the Rallying with Group B team demonstration.

As in 2012, there are three sections to the rally. Rallee Classicagh caters for the historic crews, whilst the Manx International Rally title covers the modern machinery. The Manx Trophy Rally tackles Friday evening and Saturday’s stages.

Rallee Classicagh is led into action by Leeds’ Darren Moon in his Ford Escort MkII, but last years victor faces a strong opposition including Omagh’s Ryan Barrett, the 2010 Manx Historic winner who scored a crushing victory in the category on last months Ulster Historic Rally in his MkII Escort, and former winner David Stokes in a MkI version.

The Manx International Rally section also looks hugely competitive. Carnforth teenager Arron Newby is top seed with local co-driver Rob Fagg in their TEG Sport Subaru. The opposition includes all the leading home crews including last year’s winners Steve Quine and Richard Skinner (Mitsubishi Evo IX), who took victory on a dramatic final stage twelve months ago. Multiple Manx champion Nigel Cannell, Sean Kelly, Andrew Leece and Steve Colley are all in various Mitsubishi’s and all intend to give this one their all.

Evoking memories of the first 25 years of the events history, crews will assemble on the walkway on Loch Promenade from 6pm on Thursday for a ceremonial start, offering fans the chance to see the cars and teams up close as part of an evening on ‘the prom’.

The Villa Marina test, introduced last year and hugely popular with spectators as crews tackle the stage in pairs, is the centerpiece of a six stage opening evening. Marine Drive, Ellerslie and Snuff the Wind are all on the menu before crews return for the seafront stage, and Tholt-e-Will and Druidale to Little London follow into the darkness.

Friday is a 13-stage day, headlined by the extended Castletown stages in the evening, finishing at the Southern 100 start/finish line and the Shore Hotel, Gansey respectively. Before that the 12 hour day starts with side by side start line for two separate stages at St Marks, with one also featuring roads used more than once on a loop. The same stages complete the day, again heading into darkness. New double-lap tests at The Cronk and Bretney also feature, along with an extended Staarvey stage.

Crews have what must be the ultimate wake-up call on Saturday morning, a helter-skelter second trip down Tholt-e-Will! It’s the first of eight stages to conclude, the final four of which are all over 11 miles long, ensuring that completing this anniversary edition will be a real achievement in its own right.

The rally concludes with the now traditional Classic stage, joining the TT course at Cronk-ny-Mona and heading to the TT finish line, shortly after 3.30pm. There is free access to the Grandstand for all, so head along and see the champagne sprayed!

As ever, the action can’t happen unless the stages are sufficiently marshaled. If you can help, even for only a few hours please head along to the Rally HQ at the TT Grandstand (Monday 9am to 5pm/Tuesday & Wednesday 5pm to 7pm).

The Grandstand is also the sole service area throughout the event, and will host scrutineering throughout the day on Thursday.

The challenge has been laid down and the crews have picked up the gauntlet; we’ll raise a toast to the long history of this event come Saturday night, by which time a new chapter will have been written.

Rallee Classicagh preview: Moon aims to keep shining!

Posted: September 11, 2013 11:03 AM

The Rallee Classicagh section of this weekends Rally Isle of Man, powered by Microgaming, is set to be an intriguing battle with all of last years main contenders returning amongst a high quality and varied entry list.

It should all but guarantee the spectacular rear-wheel drive action that has made the historic cars the crowd favourites in recent years.

Rallee Classicagh, a round of the Irish Historic Tarmac Rally Championship. will run first on the road, so 2012 victor Darren Moon, will lead the entire event into action and carry the number 1 on the doors for this special anniversary edition.

The Leeds driver was headed in the early stages by former winner David Stokes last year, but showed stunning speed on the second morning in particular to set up his victory in his MkII Ford Escort. The car has undergone an extensive overhaul in readiness to return and bid to keep the Moon shining! Market Rasen co-driver Graham Wild resumes his regular seat after Dale Furniss stood in at the last minute twelve months ago.

Omagh’s Ryan Barrett, the 2010 Manx Historic winner, is however the man on form, scorching to a dominant Ulster Historic Rally last month. He will start as favourite in another Escort with local Paul McCann on the notes.

Stokes and Guy Weaver finished third last year behind Barrett, and have their usual MkI RS1600 version. David, from Dursley, first competed here in the 1960’s, and would maybe welcome some mixed weather to take away the power advantage of the later edition cars, that include last years fourth placed driver Will Onions (Shrewsbury) as well as Rob Smith (Towcester) and Guy Woodcock (Llanferres).

Both Smith and Woodcock featured high on the leaderboard last year before retiring with mechanical woes.

It’s not just about Ford’s iconic Escort however, there’s plenty of variety as befitting of the anniversary edition, with the Porsche 911 and Mini Cooper S, each celebrating their own anniversaries, represented aplenty alongside Triumph TR7, Sunbeam Lotus, MGB, Volvo Amazon, Hillman Avenger and Opel Ascona examples.

The Porsche battle includes London-based John Spiers, Rikki Proffitt and Douglas-based Ulsterman Derek Boyd, whilst the Mini’s includes former event winners Adrian Kermode and Mervyn Johnston as well as a very welcome return to Shinobu Kitani and Yoshinao Tsuchiya.

Rallee Classicagh tackles the entire route of the event, covering 462 miles of which 196 are on closed road special stages.

Manx International Rally preview: Newby aims for Manx hat-trick

Posted: September 11, 2013 10:44 AM

Ari Vatanen, Henri Toivonen, Colin McRae and Richard Burns – it’s quite a list to add your name to!

That’s what the winner of this weekends Manx International Rally section of Rally Isle of Man, powered by Microgaming will do, joining those World Champions on the events roll of honour, and doing so in its 50th Anniversary year. It is all very special.

For Carnforth teenager Arron Newby, it’s also an attempt to take a third victory on Manx soil in 2013, having won on both closed roads and gravel already. They have been part of a string of eight outright event wins for the TEG Sport Subaru driver that have set the UK rally scene alight, four of them coming in the last two months!

It’s no wonder local co-driver Rob Fagg is rushing back from finishing second on last weekends Canadian Rally Championship round, as the pair continue their bid for the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship title. This event counts as two rounds, with the first set of points awarded on Friday afternoon, and the second counting from then to the finish.

Ranged against them is a battery of Mitsubishi’s in the hands of almost all of the islands own leading drivers.

Reigning Manx rally champion Nigel Cannell chased Paul Bird’s Focus WRC last year in his Evo IX, leading the event more than once before succumbing to a broken intercooler on the penultimate stage. He’ll look to go that one step better this time around.

Steve Quine and Richard Skinner, who swept to victory after Cannell’s drama haven’t appeared on the stages this year, with the car sold after last years event. A last-minute entry in a similar Evo IX therefore creates great interest, and adds to the prospect of a real battle at the top of the leaderboard.

Both Sean Kelly and Andrew Leece have Evo VI’s at their disposal, having each finished in the top six in 2012, while Steve Colley has a new to him Evo VIII, having held second place to Bird early on last year before crashing out. Stu Bainborough (Evo III) sits handily in second place in the standings, while Connor Corkill is also one to watch, switching from historic Escort to Subaru Impreza, and with a solid run on Epynt last month to familiarise himself.

Championship leaders Kex Walker and Dannii Matthews (BMW 325) are always the benchmark for two-wheel drive crews, but BRC regular James Ford (Blackpool) has a new Citroen DS3 and Lancaster’s Darren Atkinson impressed many with a stunning drive in his potent MKII Escort on his Manx debut on May’s Manx National.

Add in George Collister and Dave Hughes each making first appearance’s in BMW’s, crowd-pleaser Martyn Jones (Vauxhall Nova) and York driver Andy Bird’s Vauxhall Chevette and you have the makings of a cracking contest, with plenty of others to add too.

The Manx International Rally tackles the entire route of the event, covering 462 miles of which 196 are on closed road special stages.

Moon and Newby headline 100-plus entry - Seeded Entry List

Posted: August 29, 2013 9:24 AM

Next months 50th anniversary Rally Isle of Man powered by Microgaming is set to light up the famous stages across the island with an entry list high in both quality and volume announced by organisers today.

The three-day event is a round of the Irish Historic Tarmac Rally Championship and a crucial double-points scorer for the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship. As a result it has attracted 105 crews from the island, around the British Isles and even from Japan and Belgium.

The Historic section, Rallee Classicagh, will be headed by 2012 victor Darren Moon from Leeds, whose MkII Ford Escort continues to undergo a re-build in readiness for the mammoth challenge presented not only by the three day-long, 192-stage mile route, but also by a strong opposition.

In fact the entire top six from last years event are back, including Omagh’s Ryan Barrett, the 2010 Manx Historic winner who scored a crushing victory in the category on last weekends Ulster Historic Rally in his MkII Escort, and former winner David Stokes in a MkI version.

The cars are certainly also the stars, befitting of the anniversary edition, with the Porsche 911 and Mini Cooper S, each celebrating their own anniversaries, represented aplenty alongside Triumph TR7, Sunbeam Lotus, MGB, Volvo Amazon, Hillman Avenger and Opel Ascona examples.

The Manx International Rally section also looks hugely competitive.
Carnforth teenager Arron Newby will lead the event into action with local co-driver Rob Fagg in their TEG Sport Subaru. Arron has set the UK rally scene alight with a string of eight outright event wins, four of them coming in the last six weeks!

The pair finished fifth last year and are right in contention in the Manx Championship, but again here the entire top six from 2012 are on the entry, including a last minute submission by Steve Quine and Richard Skinner, who took victory on a dramatic final stage twelve months ago. Multiple Manx champion Nigel Cannell, Sean Kelly, Andrew Leece and Steve Colley are all in Mitsubishi’s and each have the mixture of speed and local knowledge.

John Gill, Chairman of Rally Isle of Man is delighted by the entry. “The competitors are our focus, we are trying to deliver the event they want at the most cost-effective level we can, with the support of our sponsors to whom we are very grateful. We took soundings throughout last years rally and since and have tried to implement all of the tweaks that were suggested to us, and for the entry to be over 40% up on last year is the best endorsement we could have.”

With the start and a side-by-side stage on Douglas promenade the highlight of the opening day, Castletown taking centre stage on day two and a final run down the TT course to finish the event right alongside the TT Grandstand, all the ingredients are there for a very special three days of celebration and hard-nosed action!

Full seeded entry lists and route maps for the 12-14th September event are available on the event website

Rally Isle of Man countdown continues as the route is published

Posted: August 5, 2013 1:54 PM

The secret is out!

The route for September’s 50th Anniversary Rally Isle of Man powered by Microgaming has been published this weekend with entries closing at the reduced rate in a matter of days.

Three individual rallies make up the event, co-promoted by Rally Isle of Man and Druidale Motor Club Limited.

Both of the main events, the historic Rallee Classicagh, and the Manx International Rally will tackle the entire three days and 192 stage miles. Starting Friday tea-time and running across that evening’s stages and all of Saturday’s will be the Manx Trophy Rally, which itself features 96 stage miles.

The Douglas promenade stage that proved such a huge hit with spectators last year (even in appalling conditions) will again be the centrepiece of an expanded opening nights action on Thursday 12th September that covers six stages.

The rally will start on the seafront, with the competitors cars on display before being flagged off, and the fabulous ‘Rallying with Group B’ cars entertaining the crowds, as they will across the three days. Once the crews have tackled the iconic Marine Drive, Ellerslie and Snuff the Wind tests, they’ll be back on the promenade for the specially-designed stage before completing the night with the daunting run down Tholt-e-Will and return up Druidale!

Friday features 13 stages across a testing 11-hour leg that criss-crosses the island, beginning with side-by-side stage starts at St Marks, before heading north for new stage layouts at the Dollagh and Bretney. By mid-afternoon the action switches to a new double-lap stage at Staarvey and another at Ronague, before a well-deserved late afternoon halt back at the Grandstand.

Where else could we go on the night of Friday the 13th?...it has to be the spooky, medieval Castletown, ancient capital of Mann, with more spectator-friendly antics on the double-run stages through the town centre and beyond!...and that’s just part of a five-test night-time loop.

Saturday all builds to the now traditional dash down Glencrutchery Road, along the TT course to finish the event right at the TT Grandstand on ‘The Classic ‘, the 27th and final stage, and one that many competitors regard as their favourite in all of rallying.

…before crews reach that however they must first complete seven other stages, heading north in the morning and west at lunchtime. Anyone who is lucky enough to spray champagne will certainly have earnt it!

All in all it is a challenge worthy of celebrating 50 years of this famed event, and the message to everyone, competitors, officials, spectators and media alike, is to come and join the party!

65 entries are already in but with reduced rate entries closing this coming Friday, 9th August, competitors are reminded to take advantage of the opportunity… …online entry and regulations for the 12-14th September event are available on the rally’s website www.rallyisleofman.co.im

The maps for each day of the event can be downloaded from the homepage of the event website.

Flying start to entries for Rally Isle of Man’s 50th anniversary

Posted: July 17, 2013 3:26 PM

Organisers Rally Isle of Man and Druidale Motor Club Ltd have been delighted with the initial take up of entries for September’s 50th anniversary running of the event.

In just a week 22 crews have submitted entries, including teams from Japan and Belgium.

“We’re absolutely over the moon,” says John Gill, Chairman. “Only three of the crews who have entered so far are from here on the island, so it is a wonderful start, and naturally we’d encourage all rally competitors to come and join in what should be a really special event.”

Indeed the rally boasts 192 stage miles, just four less than the full Wales Rally GB WRC route and considerably more than any other British isles event this year. And with events running under both National A and National B status organisers are tagging it as the ‘clubmans International!’

“We know that multiple past winners, revered names such as Colin McRae and our Patron Mark Higgins, have said that the challenge of this rally is akin to anything the World Championship offers, and we want every crew to have the chance to come and be a part of it, so if you’ve ever wanted to experience the feeling at a much more cost-effective level, here’s your chance!”

To enhance that, the organisers confirmed recently that the ‘Manx International Rally’ title will be revived and competitors will therefore battle to have their name alongside those of World Champions Ari Vatanen, Henri Toivonen, Colin McRae and Richard Burns on the roll of honour.

The event is open to all competitors from Europe and Ireland as it is registered as a ‘National Event with Authorised Foreign Participation (NEAFP)’, allowing Rally Isle of Man to accept entries from non-UK and Irish license holders.

The Historic section, Rallee Classicagh, will be run as a National A event and the Manx International Rally and Manx Trophy Rally (a one and a half day event with reduced entry fee) will be run at National B staus.

Online entry and regulations for the 12-14th September event are available on the rally’s website www.rallyisleofman.co.im

To help take the stress out of booking arrangements, the rally has once again teamed up with specialist trip planners Isle of Man Events Limited (www.iomevents.com). Sally and Natalie will be only too happy to look after the planning for your entire trip, for competitors, officials and spectators alike, covering travel and accommodation, with great prices only available through Rally Isle of Man. Contact +44 (0) 1624 664460 or email: sally@iomevents.com; Natalie@iomevents.com.

Entries open for Rally Isle of Man’s 50th anniversary!

Posted: July 7, 2013 10:02 AM

Rally Isle of Man Ltd and Druidale Motor Club Ltd have today published the regulations for the three events that make up this year’s Rally Isle of Man’s 50th anniversary event.

Available for all competitors on the rally’s website www.rallyisleofman.co.im the regulations cover the three-day historic Isle of Man Rallee Classicagh, the return of the Manx International Rally, and the one and a half day Manx Trophy Rally.

Rallee Classicagh is the penultimate round of the Irish Tarmac Championship (Historic) and the Manx International Rally will form part of the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship. The three day event will take place over the traditional and classic stages made famous by this rally over the last 50 years. This year sees the return of some old favourites, only fitting for the 50th anniversary, the new improved Douglas Promenade stage and some new stages to keep the event fresh and challenging. The fabulous Group B cars will be here to wow the crowds at Douglas Promenade on the Thursday evening to showcase everyone’s favourite cars.

Pre-registration for the event has been fantastic with many marshals, timekeepers, spectators and competitors coming out of the woodwork to be part of a very special event. Rumours are hitting the airwaves that there may even be a couple of well known competitors dusting of their overalls to compete. The event is also open to competitors from Europe and Ireland as it is registered as a ‘National Event with Authorised Foreign Participation (NEAFP)’, allowing Rally Isle of Man to accept entries from non-UK and Irish license holders. Rallee Classicagh will be run as a National A event and the Manx International Rally and Manx Trophy Rally will be run as National B events.

Rally Isle of Man takes place on 12-14 September 2013.

To help take the stress out of booking arrangements, the rally has once again teamed up with specialist trip planners Isle of Man Events Limited (www.iomevents.com). Sally and Natalie will be only too happy to look after the planning for your entire trip, covering travel and accommodation, with great prices, only available through Rally Isle of Man. Contact +44 (0) 1624 664460 or email: sally@iomevents.com; Natalie@iomevents.com

Regulations and more details:

Microgaming to power Rally Isle of Man’s 50th Anniversary!

Posted: March 17, 2013 5:05 PM

The countdown begins for the 50th anniversary of Rally Isle of Man (or to those in the know: The Manx International Rally) with confirmation from Microgaming that they will again be the events headline sponsor. We are delighted that they will be supporting the event again this year.

John Gill Chairman of Rally Isle of Man says;
‘I am delighted that Microgaming have agreed to support us again this year. To have such a respected Island based international business backing us gives us as organisers the support we need to make the 50th anniversary of closed road rallying an event not to be missed.’

Roger Raatgever, CEO of Microgaming, comments;
“After the success of last year’s event, we are thrilled to be sponsoring the Rally Isle of Man once again. The number of spectators that crowded the Promenade last year to catch the non-stop-action was astounding, and I’m sure that the 50th anniversary event will prove just as successful, if not more.”

You are now able to pre-registration your interest in the event via our website. First off the start-line for pre-registration were our Japanese friends Shinobu Kitani and Yoshinao Tsuchiya who are hoping to bring a large party of family, friends and crew. This is fantastic news as we will be incorporating a separate class for the Minis to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mini Cooper, with further details to follow.

Pre-registration is open to everyone not just competitors and is a great way of getting updates on the lead up to the event

Being part of the Irish Tarmac Championship’s penultimate round and the enthusiasm to participate by Irish crews has been instrumental in the organising of a ferry from Ireland. We have worked closely with Isle of Man Steam Packet and Isle of Man Event Services, and confirm that the ferry will time in nicely with the event to and from Belfast port

We are delighted to once again announce a significantly reduced entry and travel fee package. Package details: £760 - 3 day event (192 stage miles) or £560 – 1.5 day event (begins Friday evening) to include two adults, one van plus trailer (up to 10 metres) on ferries from Belfast, Heysham and Liverpool.

Event Website

Posted: March 17, 2013 5:05 PM

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