FRESH from claiming his first outright rally victory, James Williams will be aiming to make it four maximum Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship wins in a row when he contests the Beatson's Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally (24/25 May) in his Orange Amplifiers Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
The Newcastle Emlyn driver was on sensational form on the recent Manx National Rally, winning the event and claiming maximum points on both double header rounds to add to the top score he’d already achieved on the opening Legend Fires North West Stages.
He and co-driver Ross Whittock are match fit and full of confidence as they head to Round 4 of the series – where they’ll face title rivals who know that the Jim Clark is a crucial event in their own title bids, and will be out to halt James’ run of success.
Top of that list is defending Protyre Asphalt champions Callum Black/Jack Morton in their Pallas Connections Ford Fiesta Rally2. They could do little wrong last year, but uncharacteristic mistakes and bad luck have dogged their progress on two out of the three rounds so far this year. Their pace, as shown with a sensational comeback drive to second in Round 2, is undisputed, and a good run of form from now on is paramount if the 586 Sport crew have any chance of retaining their title.
Neil Roskell and Mark Kelly are down in eighth and ninth places respectively after effectively dropping a score on day one of the Manx – which is something that they might both benefit from when they deduct the mandatory two scores from their points total at the end of the season.
Neil’s already claimed second and third-placed points finishes this year, which puts him in a strong position for the title. The Blackpool driver likes the Jim Clark and came away from a spirited assault on the Scottish lanes in the Protyre Asphalt Championship lead last year. He and co-driver Dai Roberts will be aiming for another podium points finish in their ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta Rally2 this time as well to help propel them up the leaderboard.
Likewise, Mark has a third and fifth-place finish safely in the bag already this year and scored fourth-placed points on his last visit to the Jim Clark in 2022. Another high scoring result like that will put him and co-driver Will Atkins back towards the top of the standings, as they contest the event in their Kelmore Škoda Fabia R5.
Steve Wood arrives in Duns lying second in the drivers’ standings. He didn’t contest the event last year but took home third-placed Protyre Asphalt points in 2022, on his way to becoming champion, in a Fiesta RS WRC. Co-driven by Kenny Hull (who currently leads the overall co-drivers’ standings) the Aberystwyth driver returns to the Scottish lanes in his Sligo Pallets Citroën C3 Rally2.
Simon Bowen has been something of a sensation this year and after finishing all three rounds inside the top six the Preston driver is third in the points standings. He has plenty of experience on the Jim Clark, but it didn’t go too well last year as he hit a stone wall and destroyed two wheels and tyres. Co-driven by Craig Simkiss, Simon will not want to repeat that gravel-induced mishap as he aims for another strong result in his Fiesta S2000T.
Hugh Hunter hasn’t been to the Jim Clark since he finished fourth there in 2019. The Ruthin driver returns lying a strong fourth in the overall standings and together with Rob Fagg on the pace notes will be a serious contender for top points in his Robert Hunter & Son Tarmac/Lewis & Hunter Contracting Fiesta Rally2.
James Ford/Neil Shanks scored maximum Protyre Asphalt points on last year’s Jim Clark after setting a string of fastest overall stage times in their Citroën C3 Rally2 – so expect the Preston driver to rocket up from his current position of equal 85th in the points table!
Stephen Simpson will be aiming to continue his great start to the season, as will Sam Touzel. Both Fiesta Rally2 drivers will have different co-drivers to the ones they had on the Manx – Stephen partnered this time by Chris Williams in his Tudor Glass-backed Ford and Sam teaming up with Aaron Nicolle in his Smart Scaffolding/Express Auto Parts machine.
John Stone has made one of his worst starts to a season, although his exit from the Manx was beyond his control. The good thing is that the Blackburn driver can score every point he accumulates from now on, as his Protyre Asphalt challenge starts in earnest here. It will be all guns blazing from now on for him and co-driver Laura Marshall in their Legend Fires Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
David Henderson/Chris Lees make their first appearance of the year in their Keco/PAR Petroleum Fiesta Rally2. They led the Protyre Asphalt Championship after the opening round last year and will be top points contenders again.
Also returning is championship frontrunner David Wright (co-driven this time by Jane Nicol) in his Grove Hill Garage Fiesta R5, after he crashed out of the Legend Fires North West Stages and missed the Manx.
Also back are Hugh Brunton/Drew Sturrock (Škoda Fabia Rally2), Mark Holmes/Mark Perryman (contesting their second event in their newly-acquired Fiesta R5), Chris Ford/Ian Davies (Citroën C3 Rally2), Jonathan Mounsey/Richard Wardle (who hope to have cured their JD Mounsey/3 Peaks Cycles/JDM Models Fiesta R5’s water leak which put them out of Round 1), Ant Eaton/Ian Jackson (Autotest Fiesta R5), Roger and Tommi Henderson (Fiesta Rally2) and Mike English (who is co-driven this time by Simon Hunter in his Proact Fiesta Rally2).
William Hill has been on fantastic form this year (again) in his rapid Hills Ford Fiesta Rally3 and will be partnered by Peredur Wyn Davies who returns to the co-driver’s seat.
The Worcester driver is seventh in the overall points standings and leads B14 after three maximum scores. Aiming to stop that class winning run will be Dumfries pair Joe Mckeand/Charlotte McDowall, Lee and Cole Hastings, Bobby Macdonald/Martin Maccabe (all Subaru Imprezas), Richard Slinger/Mark Twiname (Mitsubishi Evo 6), Nathan Bolton/Phil Kenny (Mitsubishi Evo 9) and Adrian Spencer/Ashley Trimble in their RED Industries/Adgespeed Subaru Impreza S11 WRC replica.
Darren Atkinson arrives at the Jim Clark leading class B13, the Escort Challenge and an insane fifth overall after three outstanding performances in his Haldane Fisher Escort Mk2. Co-driven by Matt Daniels, the Lancaster ace is re-writing what is possible in a rear-wheel car against strong 4WD opposition, and there appears to be no limit on how high up he can finish in the overall points table.
Waiting to pounce on any mistake or misfortune are class B13 rivals Aled Wyn Morgans/Ian Taylor (Aberystwyth Motorsport Escort Mk2), Gordon Morrison/Ian Parker (Lochwinnoch Motors Heavy Haulage Escort Mk2), Mathew Dance/Jason Davies (Escort Mk2) and Gerry Fitzelle/Phil Sandham (Escort Mk2).
Remaining on the Escort theme, Michael Harbour/Cameron Dunn take a 10-point class B11 into Round 4 in their VS Pro Pressure Washing Services/Miller Waste Water Escort Mk2.
There have been three difference class B11 winners already this year – including the returning Protyre Asphalt Junior driver Kalum Graffin, who took the early lead after his Round 1 win. The Toomebridge youngster will be co-driven this time by Mark McGeeham in his KG Motorsport/Kilmac Group/Lyons Road Transport/Woodland NI Peugeot 208 Rally4.
Also aiming to strengthen their class B11 title challenge are Chris Butcher/Jonathan Hawkins in their Severnside Defibs Nissan Sunny GTI F2 and Mal Boyd/Chris Sanderson in their Winsford MOT Centre Escort Mk2.
There could well be a new leader in B10, as Paul Evans/Callum Young (Electric Bike Supermarket Escort Mk2), Willie and Craig Nelson (Escort Mk2) and Rory and Paul McCann (Metalways Honda Civic) are the headline class acts.
Will Mains (co-driven by Tomos Whittle) has a good chance of stealing the B9 lead in his Vauxhall Nova, while defending class champions Nicky Cowperthwaite/Helen Hall return in their Cowperthwaites Garage/H&K Travel Opel Corsa.
Class victory would allow Nikki Addison to retake the lead in the Ladies’ Challenge – the Inverness driver co-driven by Iain Thorburn in her Electric Center Honda Civic Type-R – while Geoff Roberts (co-driven this time by Graham Wild) will be aiming to retake the class H3b and the BTRDA Historic Asphalt Cup lead in his Escort RS1800 Mk2.
This year’s Jim Clark Rally begins with a ceremonial start in Duns Square at 18:00 on Friday 24 May, immediately followed by the opening short Langton Mill stage and the longer Abbey St Bathans and Blackadder moorland stages. After service, all three stages are repeated in the dark, with the 39.78 mile long Leg 1 ending shortly after 22:00 (and nearer to midnight for many crews).
The 47 mile long Leg 2 starts at 10:00 the following day (Saturday 25 May) and heads straight into a 23.50 mile morning loop of four stages (Langton Mill, Edrom, Ayton and Fogo) which are all repeated in the afternoon after service. The finish ceremony is back in Duns Square at approx. 14:30, after all 14 stages / 86.78 stage miles have been completed.
Spectator information is available on jimclarkrally.co.uk.
For more information on the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship, please go to asphaltrallying.com.