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The Pirelli International Rally has cemented it's position as one of the countries top motorsport events by being included in the2013 MSA British Rally Championship, the countries top series, for a record breaking 22nd consecutive year, ensuring that an International field of top class drivers will again be seen competing over the classic stages in North Cumbria and the legendary Kielder Forest.
The Pirelli International Rally confirmed as the second round of the 2013 MSA British Rally Championship
Report and images by Robin Ellison
Round 3 of the MSA British Rally Championship was won in a excellent comeback from 2009, 2010 champion, Keith Cronin. The Irishman had disappeared off the British scene to try and pursue his future elsewhere, but that didn't happen as quick as anticipated and he made a shock entry on the Rallye Sunseeker, that ended disappointingly with drive shaft failure. He impressed on Round 2 though, but in a DS3 instead, a fantastic 2nd place just 3 seconds off Tom Cave.
First Overall Kieth Cronin/ Marshall ClarkeThe Carlisle based Pirelli International Rally produced one of the closest finishes to a British Championship round for years with only 7 seconds separating the leading two crews after two days of high sped competition in the daunting Kielder Forest complex. The Citroen DS3’s of Kieth Cronin/ Marshall Clarke and Jarkko and Petri Nikara slugged it out over 12 demanding “Special Stages” with the verdict going to the Irishman by a wafer thin margin. The competition was equally close further down the leaderboard, only 19 seconds covering 4th to 8th positions.
Sunderland crew Simon More and Emma Morrison scored an untroubled win on the Pirelli Challenge Rally, his Renault Clio powered by an engine bought on e-bay and leading from start to finish on a rally which had a high rate of attrition with almost 50% of the entry failing to reach the finish as the hot pace over the fast Kielder stages took it’s toll.
The opening Bewshaugh stage saw Moore/ Morrison quick out of the blocks, their Renault Clio 5 seconds quicker than Richard Sykes/ Simon Taylor in a Citroen C2R2 and the other Clio of Russ Thompson / Andy Murphy. Making an early journey home was the Honda Civic of Damian Smith/ Paula Swinscoe, with undiagnosed mechanical problems and Mark McCullough/ Eliott Edmondson whose Proton Satria suffered gearbox problems.
Category 3 winner Nick Elliot/Dave PriceNick Elliott/ Dave Price continued their relentless chase for the Kololi Beach Club MSA British Historic Rally Championship, posting yet another maximum points score with a dominant win on the Pirelli Historic Rally with a string of quickest times over the super fast Kielder stages. While Elliott racked up yet another maximum in Category Three, it was a similar tale in Category Two where Julian Reynolds/ Patrick Walsh were the runaway winners yet again while Rikki Profitt/ Phil Harrison took their Porsche 911 to Category One victory.
Photo By Gordon Crawford 2012The Pirelli International Rally got of to a flying start in Carlisle this evening and, After the pomp and ceremony of the high profile start ceremony in Carlisle City Centre, the serious business got underway 35 miles up the road with two challenging stages in the Kershope Forest complex.
Fastest out of the blocks were Finnish stars Jarkko and Petri Nikara(Citroen DS3) but there lead was slender, just2 seconds up on Welsh crew Elfyn Evans/ Phil Pugh (Ford Fiesta R2) with Irishmen Keith Cronin/ Marshal Clarke (Citroen DS3) less than a second further back.
Bob Little 2011World Rally cars dominate the entry list for Saturday's Pirelli Tour of Cumbria Rally,
With the Four wheel drive exponents led off by Stephen Petch/ Michael Wilkinson in their well known Hyundai Accent WRC, which went well on the Border Counties until retiring with electrical problems, they will be followed by the Ford Focus WRC of Dan O'Brien/ Andy Marchbank which took an excellent 3rd place on the Sunseeker National event.
Photo By Godron CrawfordIt's all to play for as the young up and coming drivers head for Kielder Forest and this Saturdays Pirelli Challenge Rally, the 3rd round of the NGK Spark Plugs BRC Challenge Series which offers a unique opportunity for fledgling drivers seeking to graduate to the main British rally Championship.
Photo By Ian Hardy 2010There will be a big "Welcome Back" for the impressive Land Rover crews who make a popular return to Kielder Forest after a year's absence, the Pirelli Land Rover Rally featuring as a support event and bringing the big, bulky, but always driven flat out, machinery back to the fast, undulating forest racks.
Image from 2011 RallyThe little village of Newcastleton, tucked away on the border of England and Scotland comes alive every year when the Pirelli International Rally arrives in town and the village square is filled to capacity with brightly coloured rally cars, all ready for a high speed dash through the nearby Kershope Forest complex.
The 21st. Pirelli International Rally will feature a high profile Carlisle City Centre start but the real action will take place 40 mile s up the road with the fast, undulating stages in the giant Kielder Forest complex waiting to challenge the crews contesting the 3rd round of the British Rally Championship.
After a break of over 4 years from international rallying, Cornish rally driver Matt Cotton has returned to the British Rally Championship in 2012 and is partnered by long time friend Glyn Thomas, from Somerset. The South West duo have entered both the BRC and the Fiesta Sport Trophy and join the AVS Motorsport team after the purchase of an ex Elfyn Evans Ford Fiesta ST. The duo will be appearing on the Pirelli International Rally intent on not only scoring championship points but also raising a significant amount of cash for a very worthy cause.
Continuing it's involvement with the local community, the Pirelli International Rally will again be hosting a party of young people from the Eden Valley Hospice and giving them a day out at the rally's headquarters at Carlisle Racecourse where they can mingle with the competitors and get a close up view of the cars. Additionally, this year they will have the opportunity to tour the various stands in the "Rally Village" where there will be various cars on display and exhibitions.
The organisers of the Pirelli International Rally are delighted to welcome back Robert Wiseman Dairies, the UK's largest supplier of fresh milk, as a supporter of the event and the companies eye catching black and white logo will be very much in evidence in Carlisle City Centre where they will be handing out supplies of their range of products to competitors, rally officials and members of the public.
The organisers of the Pirelli International Rally, who are more used to a vastly different type of horsepower, are joining forces with Carlisle Racecourse, the headquarters and base for all the rallies activities, to sponsor the first race of the March 18th meeting at the historic horse racing venue which has hosted the "Sport of Kings" since the 16th century.
The organisers of the Carlisle based Pirelli International Rally are delight to join forces with their friends and colleagues from Wolverhampton & South Staffs Car Club to offer competitors using four wheel drive, and indeed, any other non homologated car, a unique and exciting incentive to come and enjoy two classic rallies with a great pedigree and heritage.
The Carlisle based Pirelli International Rally will again be the 3rd round of the MSA British Rally Championship and this year motor sports enthusiasts in the historic Border city will have a great opportunity to get a close up view of all the star drivers, and their fantastic cars, with the news that the event organisers, Cumberland Sporting Car Club, have teamed up with Carlisle City Council to bring the event slap bag into the city centre.