The regulations have been published and entries are now coming in for the Kielder Forest Rally, the new event which replaces the much-admired Pirelli International Rally and a round of the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship in addition to several other series including the Motoscope HRCR Northern Stage and the local SG Petch / ANECCC series.
The lure of the Kielder stages has attracted a couple of drivers who were competing over the ultra-fast Northumbrian tracks more than 30 years ago with Terry Pankhurst entered in a Ford Escort MK1 partnered by his nephew Jamie Sparks. Pankhurst and the late Roger Freeman won Class 1 in the National Championship way back in 1981 when that series included such fondly remembered events such as the Lindisfarne, Granite City and Rothmans Manx Rallies. 1981 was a good year for the Pankhurst/ Freeman duo as they also finished 15th on the RAC.
The evergreen Bob Bean, of course, just keeps going on and on and has been a fixture on the BHRC scene for quite some time, he has entered the Kielder Forest Rally in his Lotus Cortina and will be partnered by “Captain” Thompson.
The event is also attracting a lot of interest from local drivers with early entries including the very smart Escort MK1 of Derek Belbin/ Jimmie Burns while Hexham & D.M.C’s Michael Glendinning will be out in a Subaru Impreza, co-driven by Alison Horne and Whickham Motor Club member Trevor Gamble has entered in a Fiesta R5.