FUCHS BHRC title goes down to the wire
The longest and toughest event in the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship calendar will offer an epic battle for the coveted title, as the two-day Rally Anglo Caledonian [23/24 November] hosts a thrilling final round showdown.
After a closely-fought season-long battle in which a wide variety of series contenders threw their hat into the ring, the nail-biting finale’ will see the Porsche 911 of Seb Perez (Pictured) go head-to-head with the Triumph TR7 V8 of Mark Higgins in the nail-biting bid for glory.
Enjoying one of the most fascinating championship battles in the current era, this year’s BHRC comes down to the cross-border gravel event which offers over 130 miles of popular stages in both England and Scotland. Based in Carlisle, Kielder Forest hosts the Saturday leg with tests such as Kershope whilst southwest Scotland classics such as Ae and Twiglees round out the weekend on Sunday.
Two-point scoring opportunities are available with one set allocated after Saturday’s leg, then in terms of scores only, the clocks are reset and another set of points are awarded based on Sunday only times on completion of the event.
Heading the championship, Seb Perez is in the box seat and although he has less to do in terms of points to secure the title, a good score is vital to his success. He and co-driver Gary McElhinney have already clinched the Category Two [Cars registered between 1968 and 1975] title and have two wins under their belt, a third win on the opening day could well seal victory.
But Mark Higgins is not backing down and is determined to give the TR7 and the Manxman their first BHRC title. The FIA Category title is already secured, but the British Historic crown is the goal, although it will realistically need Higgins to win both points-scoring rounds if Perez enjoys a good result on both days.
Ready to throw a spanner in the works, is a host of BHRC contenders that litter the entry list, each having the potential to get involved in the title fight. Nick Elliot/Dave Price wheel out their Fiat 131 Abarth, whilst Matthew Robinson/Sam Collis return in their Escort MKII.
Trackrod winners Ben Friend/Cliffy Simmons round out the top five seeds but such is the attraction of the rally, potential front-runners litter the top twenty. They include the likes of Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver and Adrian Hetherington/Ronan O’Neill who are both battling for the Category 3 [cars registered between 1975 and 1981] title, Barry Mckenna/James Fulton and David Henderson/Will Atkins will also be contenders, all utilising Escorts.
In the Rally2 [non-Historic] category, Steve Magson/Steve Bielby aim to end their season on a high in their Astra RWD after already claiming the title in Yorkshire.
Setting off from Carlisle on Saturday, six tests on the English border lie ahead, with a total of 71 gruelling competitive miles before a late evening finish back in Carlisle. Eight further stages make up the final day, as 57 miles in Scotland could well be pivotal in the BHRC title race, once again finishing back in Carlisle later that evening.
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