THE first Manx Auto Sport forest stages rally for three years is being held this Saturday on some of the island’s most gruelling off-road tests.
The Dave Corris Autos-sponsored event is likely to be keenly fought with 25 crews battling it out through tough forest conditions over 10 stages, totalling 31 stage miles.
Points will be at stake as the Eurocars Manx Championship and Manx Auto Sport club series remain undecided and keenly contested with many crews only a few points apart. This rally will certainly decide the winners and losers of 2012.
Many of the island’s top drivers are competing in what will be a hotly contested event with first crew away George Collister and Janet Craine in the Mitsubishi Evo 3, followed by event sponsor Dave Corris in the Escort Cosworth, Nigel Cannell (Corsa), Kex Walker and Danni Matthews (BMW), Timmy Collins, Peppe Planeta in his new Evo 9, Connor Corkill, Martyn Jones to name but a few.
It’s nice to see Ben Hardy out again in the MkII Escort (watch out for the Scandinavian flick), along with Matty Davison and Tash Ellison in their newly acquired MkII. Similarly, Matty Carter and the aforementioned Connor Corkill will love the forests in their MkI Escorts.
From off-island come Richard Barnard and Kevin Jeffray, both keen to compete on Manx soil at every opportunity.
The forest event has also brought out some of the older competitors, with Terry Phillips and Ian Notman in the Golf GTI having a blast. Let’s hope visibility is good as, after recently navigating for Terry myself, he confessed that neither he nor ‘North’ could see where they were going. The big brown and green things are trees Terry!
The seeded entry list is as follows: 1, George Collister/Janet Craine (Mitsubishi Evo 3); 2, Connor Corkill/Jenny Anderson (Escort); 3, Nigel Cannell/Graham Fargher (Corsa); 4, Dave and Rachael Corris (Escort Cosworth); 5, Timmy Collins/Paul McCann (Evo 6); 6, Martyn Jones/David Radcliffe (Nova); 7, Kex Walker/Danni Matthews (BMW 325); 8, Kevin Jeffray/Joe Parsons (Subaru Legacy); 9, Peppe Planeta/Caz McEvoy (Evo 9); 10, Richard Barnard/Seb Turner; 11, Ben Hardy/TBA (Escort); 12, Andrew Holmes/Stephen Fox (Astra); 14, Ian Tunney/Nigel Morris (BMW E30); 15, Dean Quayle/Barrie Ford (Peugeot 106); 16, Davy Jones/Andrew Cowley (Nova); 17, Matty Carter/Mark Collister (Escort); 18, Tim Healy/Rob Jackson (Astra); 19, Matty Davison/Tash Ellison (Escort MkII); 20, Jason Daly/Garry Thompson (Corsa); 21, Greig Davison/Wayne Smith (Corsa); 22, Terry Phillips/Ian Notman VW Golf GTI); 23, Peter Eaton/David Turner (Fiesta); 24, Walter Bridson/Stephen Christian (Corsa); 25, Chris Reynolds/Glenn Leece (Subaru); 26, David Cluckie/Luke Tunney (BMW 325).
Vantage points: Special Stage 1, Conrhenny first car 9.43am; SS2 Conrhenny; Service 1 at TT Grandstand; SS3 South Barrule Plantation 11.24am; SS4 Stoney Mountain 11.42am; SS5 South Barrule Plantation 11.51am; Service 2, Grandstand and lunch. SS6 Archallagan 12.59pm; SS7 Stoney Mountain 1.15pm; SS8 Archallagan 1.34; Service 3; SS9 Conrhenny 2.28; SS10 Conrhenny 3.05pm.
l The prize presentation for the event will take place at the Creg-ny–Baa Hotel from 8.30pm, all welcome.