As the Dunlop/WONAGO MSA Historic Rally Championship makes a very welcome return to Cumbria for round 3, the Pirelli Historic Rally, the classic Kielder stages will be the backdrop for yet another “Head to Head” encounter between the Ford Escorts of Nick Elliott and Julian Reynolds who have lit up the championship this year.

Reynolds took the opening round by the narrowest, One second, margin while Elliott turned the tables on round Two so the pace should be electrifying as they go all out for victory over the fast and flowing Kielder stages. There are other battles in progress among the rest of the superb, 60 car entry, with Simon Wallis ( Lotus Cortina), a Category One winner on the opening round hoping to bounce back from his abrupt retirement on round Two. That one went to the Porsche of Rikki Proffitt and he is out hunting for championship points, as is Graham Waite who took category honours last year in his big Volvo Amazon. 

With maximum points after the opening two rounds, reigning champion David Stokes (Ford Escort) heads the category Two field but he will be wary of the Kielder ditches, having ended up in one last year. Should he slip up, there are plenty of quick drivers ready to capitalise, such as Stefaan Stouf, 2010 winner Rupert Lomax, Andrew Siddall and Dick Slaughter, all incidentally, driving Ford Escorts. 

Category Three is dominated by the Elliott/ Reynolds battle but there are hordes of other drivers quite capable of making an impression should either of them falter. Will Onions was a delighted Pirelli Historic rally winner last year and he is back as is series regular Phil Squires while there is a very welcome appearance from 5 times British rally Champion driving one of the Tuthill prepared Porsches and Yorkshire’s Steve Bannister (Ford Escort) could well be a dark horse. 

The Pirelli Historic Rally has an early 8:00am start from the scenic surroundings of Tower Knowe Information Centre, located on the shores of Kielder Water and features six stages in Kielder Forest Complex with a halfway Service Halt at Carlisle Racecourse, which will also be the finish venue.