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Gremlin Historic Rally

Sponsored by Old Forge Garage

Brecon Motor Club

10th-11th May 2025


Gremlin Historic Rally 2025
Winners: Steve Head/Iain Tullie (Ford Escort)
Photograph: © Mark Griffin

Organiser: Brecon Motor Club

Date: 10th-11th May 2025

Clerk of the Course: Jason Murphy & Martin Leonard

Tests: 185 Miles (10 Tests, 7 Regularities)

Base: Three Cocks

Starters: 57


The Gremlin, Round Three of the HRCR Club Championship, was, once again a two day event, with two regularities opening proceedings on Saturday evening, this was followed by a full day of action on Sunday.

Fifty-seven cars lined up at Talgarth for the start, and, after a short run out, began the contest just outside the town. The route looped around via Ffostyl, with the first timing point hidden in the grounds of the old Talgarth Hospital. Both Ken Binstead/Sarah Binstead (MG B) and Gavin Rogers/Suze Rogers (Reliant Scimitar SE5a) had problems finding the correct way to the ITC and, in the former's case, dropped over a minute there. They were saved however by the fact that the event was using a Joker System, although these were only applicable at controls sited on public roads, not those on private land. The Joker reduced the highest lateness penalty to zero.

After passing the Gliding Club, the third timing point caused further problems for some as it was located on the tracks of Whitelow Farm; Ed Abbott/Mike Cochrane (Jaguar XJ-S) missed the control and picked up a five minute penalty as a result.

The regularity caused no issues for Steve Head/Iain Tullie (Ford Escort RS), who dropped just two seconds over the four timing points, 14 seconds better than any other crew. Dan Willan/Niall Frost (Volvo PV544), Matt Fowle/Ryan Pickering (Ford Escort) and Darell Staniforth/Henry Carr (Toyota Corolla) were all on 16 seconds.

Regularity Two was a longer affair, starting at Trefecca and passing through Llanfilo, Llandew and Pennorth; there were six timing points. Roger Fildes/John Youd (Ford Escort) were recorded as having the best score over the section, but this was due to their 35 seconds penalty at ITC2/4 being reduced to zero by the Joker. Therefore it was Paul Bloxidge/Oli Waldock (VW Golf GTi) and Paul Heaney/Sandra Heaney (Lancia Fulvia) who topped the table for the best performance.

Head/Tullie dropped 12 seconds over the reg and this was sufficient to give them an overnight lead of ten seconds at MC2, which was at the Llangorse Activity Centre. There was a tie for second between Willan/Frost and Peter Higton/Phil Savage (Mazda MX5).

The Sunday morning restart was from Three Cocks; competition opened with a 36 mile regularity, which started near Bronllys and ran all the way onto Epynt, finishing at Dixies Corner.

There was a change of leaders as Head/Tullie picked up a 26 second early penalty at ITC 3/8, near Llandeilo'r Fan; this dropped them to sixth place. Bloxidge/Waldock, who had been in eighth place overnight, put in the best performance by seven seconds on the reg and moved into first place, three seconds ahead of Willan/Frost. In contrast, Higton/Savage had a troubled run and added over a minute to their total, dropping them from second to eleventh, while Fowle/Pickering fell to tenth after a succession of early penalties at the final three timing points.

Three tests on familiar roads followed; the first was a run down the Steps from Dixies, while the second was in Halfway Forest, before Test 3, which was a repeat of Test 1.

Mick Valentine/Zac Valentine (Ford Escort) beat the bogey by three seconds on Test 1, while Willan/Frost and Head/Tullie matched the bogey. With Bloxidge/Waldock being ten seconds over bogey, this meant that Willan/Frost moved into a seven second lead.

Head/Tulllie were five seconds faster than Willan/Frost on the Halfway test and cut the difference between the two crews at the top of the field to three seconds. The gap remained the same after Test 3 as both teams, along with Valentine/Valentine, beat the bogey.

Gremlin Historic Rally 2025

After a coffee halt at the Fedw Equestrian Centre, Regularity Four started on the main drag and passed the Rifle Range to finish at the top of the Mabion Way. Owen Turner/Graham Raeburn (Mitsubishi Lancer) were best here, while Willan/Frost extended their lead by four seconds. However, Head/Tullie were back in front after they blasted through the mile and a quarter long Test 4; they were seven seconds faster than any other car and, critically, 16 seconds ahead of Willan/Frost. The Escort pairing were now into a lead that they weren't to lose.

Over the following test and regularity, Willan/Frost closed the gap, so that at the Builth Wells lunch halt they were only one second behind Head/Tullie. Turner/Raeburn were in third, 16 seconds off the lead and 12 seconds ahead of fourth placed John Haygarth/Martyn Taylor (Opel Kadett Rallye). Fifth placed Staniforth/Carr were the only other crew within a minute of the lead. Valentine/Valentine failed to make the halt as their Escort suffered a failed head gasket.

There were two further retirements at the lunch halt; the Austin A40 of Ian Prout/Kevin Bryant went out with broken rear shock absorbers, while a failed clutch stopped the MG A of Rupert Burne/Carole Burne.

A long revisit to the Epynt Ranges made up the majority of the remainder of the event. The fifth reg started near Builth Road and wiggled its way towards Garth and Tirabad. Then three tests were tackled before a 19 mile regularity, all within the military training area. Two further tests finished the event's Epynt sections, while a final regularity took crews down across the River Wye to the final timing point at Boughrood.

Test 6 and 7 proved critical for the lead battle as Willan/Frost picked up a ten second cone penalty on Test 6 and then missed the first code board on Test 7, which added a minute to their total. Head/Tullie were fastest on three of the final four tests and, although Willan/Frost were best on the two regularities, the Escort crew came home with a victory margin of 1m14s. Willan/Frost ended just six seconds ahead of third placed Haygarth/Taylor. Turner/Raeburn dented their attack after being 1m34s late at ITC 6/4 and fell to sixth at the Finish. Fowle/Pickering put in a strong showing over the afternoon sections and this allowed them to climb to fourth place in the final standings. This meant that the top four seeds filled the top four finishing positions.

Rikki Proffitt/Graham Wild (Porsche 911 Carrera RS) had been putting in a strong challenge for the Test Pilot honours, but their rally came to a dramatic end when they caught a tree stump on Test 8 and broke a wheel.


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