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Cotswold Historic Rally

Tavern Motor Club

6th July 2025


Cotswold Historic Rally 2025
Inter Club Winners: James Griffiths/James Howells (Austin Mini 1275)
Photograph: © M&H Photography

Cotswold Historic Rally 2025
Club Rally Winners: Dick Baines/Harry Baines (Mini Cooper S)
Photograph: © M&H Photography

Organiser: Tavern Motor Club

Date: 6th July 2025

Clerk of the Course: Gavin Rogers

Tests: 150 Miles (9 Tests, 6 Regularities)

Base: Cirencester

Starters: 70


The Cotswold Historic was Round Five of the 2025 HRCR Club Championship and, once again, was based at Cirencester Rugby Club; the venue providing the Start and Finish for the Tavern Motor Club event.

There were 51 starters in the Inter Club event, while there was a very healthy 20 car line up for the Club Rally; competitors in the latter category were provided with easier navigation for the regularities.

The first regularity started just north of Cirencester and looped around to finish at Ampney Crucis; there were three timing points in its eight mile length. Andy Pullan/Ryan Pickering (Peugeot 205 GT) and Nigel Woof/Sally Woof (Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint) hit all three timing points exactly on time, as, in the Club Rally, did Robert Robinson/Alistair Leckie (Mazda MX5).

Pullan/Pickering were also best on Regularity Two, which initially ran north from its start at Mersey Hampton, then after skirting Ablington and Chedworth, headed back south to finish at Perrot's Brook. The Peugeot pairing dropped two seconds, while the next best were Ian Crammond/Matthew Vokes (Mercedes 280SL) and Nick Bloxham/Emily Anderson (Ford Escort Mexico), who were on four seconds. A speed change just before a slot, which had a timing point just beyond it, caught out a few including Roger Fildes/John Youd (Ford Escort), who took a maximum two minute penalty at the TP.

This meant that at the Morning Coffee halt, which was taken at the Highwayman Inn, Pullan/Pickering held a four second lead over Crammond/Vokes and Bloxham/Anderson. In the Club Rally, Mike Dixon/Liz Dixon (MG B GT) led Robinson/Leckie by five seconds, the latter having been held up on Reg 2 by a Maserati.

The first test of the event was at Winstone, on a field used for autotests. Two Minis shared best time here, Chris Day/Claire Day (Mini Cooper S) and Dick Baines/Harry Baines (Mini Cooper S), stopped the clock at 33 seconds, although almost the entire field was within ten seconds of this.

There then followed a third regularity, before two tests at South Cerney. Lewis Ayris/Matt Outhwaite (Ford Escort) were best on the reg, and this moved them up to second place, which, at this point, they were sharing with James Griffiths/James Howells (Mini 1275 GT). Pullan/Pickering still held a six second lead, but this was to change over the South Cerney tests.

Griffiths/Howells were one of seven crews to beat the bogey on Test 2 and matched the bogey on Test 3, this put them into a lead they weren't to lose, as, despite beating the bogey on Test 2, Ayris/Outhwaite were penalised ten seconds for hitting a cone. Pullan/Pickering lost the lead and fell to tenth place after South Cerney 2; the Peugeot not having the grunt to match the more powerful cars challenging them. However, in a close competition, they were still only 12 seconds off first place.

Test 3 saw the first retirement of the day as the MG B of Adam Davies/Ian Graham coasted to the finish line with a broken gearbox.

Regularity Four was entitled 'The Short One'; it was four and a half miles long and had two timing points. It started to the west of South Cerney and finished to the north of Ewen.

Pullan/Pickering regained five places as they were one of three crews to top the Least Dropped list, with one second added to their total. John King/Sarah Binstead (Mazda MX5) were on three seconds for the section and this promoted them to a joint second place with Darell Staniforth/Henry Carr (Toyota Corolla). These two crews were now seven seconds behind Griffiths/Howells.

The Club Rally lost its first competitor on the reg when electrical problems halted the MG B GT of Phil Walker/Jackie Walker.

Cotswold Historic Rally 2025

Two tests at Cotswold Airport, Kemble completed the morning session. Ayris/Outhwaite were fastest on Test 4 and third quickest on Test 5. After these performances, they took over the joint second place position; matching their penalty total were Callum Guy/Amy Henchoz (Sunbeam Tiger).

Griffiths/Howells arrived at the lunch halt, which was taken at Didmarton Village Hall, with a ten second lead, while Baines/Baines held the same advantage over their challengers in the Club Rally; the father and son team having taken the lead on the South Cerney tests.

Kemble had seen two more retirements; Paul Heaney/Sandra Heaney had suffered a clutch failure on their Lancia Fulvia, while the Austin A40 of Jeff Wincott/Anne Tweddell had a hose burst, causing an overheating problem. There was a further withdrawal at the lunch halt when Rod Hanson/Clare Grove discovered a serious oil leak on their MG Maestro.

The afternoon began with a regularity that snaked its way around Hawkesbury Upton, Badminton, Luckington, Alderton and Grittleton, before finishing at Hullavington. There were seven timing points and, critically, the latter two thirds of the section was plot 'n bash, with the route instructions being handed out at the third timing point.

Only four crews picked up fewer than 20 seconds in penalties on the reg. Crammond/Vokes were best on seven seconds; they moved up to third place overall, while Pullan/Pickering jumped back up to second place having dropped ten seconds. Griffiths/Howells were third best and extended their lead to 13 seconds.

Ayris/Outhwaite limited their losses and dropped two places to fourth, but Guy/Henchoz picked up a maximum two minute penalty at the fifth timing point and dropped out of the top ten.

A further two cars retired on the reg. Gear selector problems on their Porsche 924 caused the withdrawal of Phil Wood/Kelvin Phipps, who had been as high as seventh at one point during the morning. Transmission problems caused the retirement of Chris Welch/Norman Garland's VW Golf.

Crews returned to Kemble for two further tests; these saw Ayris/Outhwaite climb back to second place, displacing Pullan/Pickering on Test 6; the latter were then pushed back to fourth as Dale/Ryall passed them on Test 7. Griffiths/Howells had been fourth and fifth fastest on the two tests and maintained the lead, now with a buffer of 19 seconds over their pursuers.

A final fourteen mile regularity and two tests at South Cerney saw only one minor alteration in the top ten, so, after a consistent run throughout the day, Griffiths/Howells came home to secure their first HRCR victory in twelve years. Their final winning margin was 15 seconds over Ayris/Outhwaite, while there was only four seconds between the runners up and third placed Dale/Ryall - Dale having put in the best performance over the event's nine tests.

Early leaders, Pullan/Pickering, finished in fourth, with the navigator having picked up the least number of penalties over the six regularities.

Baines/Baines won the Club Rally, ending the event 39 seconds ahead of Robinson/Leckie. Stephen Wild/Andrew Lane (Triumph TR4) finished in third, the driver having won the Test Pilot chase for the category. The best performance over the regularities in the Club Rally was put in by Mike Dixon/Liz Dixon (MG B GT).


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