The race for the 2023 Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship enters a critical phase this weekend as the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally [9 September] marks the return to gravel and heads into the final three rounds of the season.

After a brief spell on the asphalt of the Tour of Epynt in July, Britain’s premier historic rally championship returns to the forests and the Ludlow-based Woodpecker Rally takes competitors into the woods on both sides of the England and Wales border.

And across the championship categories there are significant battles brewing, as contenders work their way towards the season finale at the Carlisle Stages in October. But first, classic stages such as Ceri, Haye Park and Hopton will test protagonists’ mettle in a day-long battle for a top score to boost championship chances.

Leading the fight heading for Shropshire is the FIAT 131 Abarth of Nick Elliot and Dave Price after a consistent season which has seen them never finish outside of the podium spots on each round so far. Whilst a win this season has eluded the pairing, their effective points accumulation sees them start the weekend at the top of the standings and subsequently, the top of the FIA Category K leaderboard too.

However, their lead is just nine points thanks to an equally impressive run of form from BHRC newcomer Tom Walster. The Ford Escort MKII driver hasn’t quite had the podiums of rival Elliot, but he hasn’t been far behind and a good run over the Woodpecker stages could well see him close the gap. He also heads up the Category 3 [cars registered between 1975-1981] standings.

With two wins to their name, Roger Chilman and Patrick Walsh were looking to be running away with the title in the opening half of the season, but a non-finish on the Plains Rally scuppered their lead. But the Escort MKII crew are just a single point behind Walster and with Chilman on `home soil` at the event, the championships standings could well receive a shake-up at the weekend.

But discount Richard Jordan and James Gratton-Smith at your peril. The duo have found an impressive turn of pace this season, fighting for podiums on a regular basis in their Escort MKII. Third place overall on Epynt marked Jordan’s best BHRC finish and lying six points behind the super-experienced Chilman is a marker of his progress.

The event sees the return of some familiar names too, with the likes of Adrian Hetherington and Ronan O’Neil making the trip across the Irish Sea having not been seen in the series since May after a non-finish at the Plains Rally.

Robert Gough makes a comeback on his home event with Paul Morris in the co-drivers seat of the Escort MKII and the battle for local bragging rights will be a feverish one as reigning champion and fellow local Henri Grehan tackles his first event of 2023 and has Emma Clarke alongside in the Escort MKII.

The Woodpecker will also see a first for the British Historic Rally Championship, as George Lepley joins the series in his Mitsubishi Galant VR4. The first entrant into Category 4B [cars registered between 01.01.86 and 31.12.90] Lepley’s four-wheel-drive turbocharged Galant marks a new era for the championship as the more modern Historic specification machinery begins to become more popular on the stages. Dale Bowen joins Lepley in the co-driver’s seat.

The Category Two [cars registered between 1968-1975] battle also resumes in the forests and is headed up by the recently married Ford Escort MK1 ace, Josh Carr. Whilst Ludlow may not be the honeymoon mecca Mrs Carr was hoping for, Josh and codriver Richard Wardle have just a few points advantage over Jeremy Easson/Mike Reynolds, so a solid score will be vital. Waiting in the wings are Andrew Stokes/Jonny Tad Evans, eager to pick up the pieces of any false move.

Terry Cree and Richard Shores make a welcome return to the championship in their Category One [cars registered before 31.12.67] Mini Cooper S.

Eight stages and 43 miles await crews with stages in both Wales and England and centering around the event’s Ludlow Racecourse base.

For more information on any of the Championships promoted by the RACMRC, please visit:

www.racrmc.org

Image: Elliot leads, but only just