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John Robson & Hexham Rallies

Sponsored by Graham Reader Motor Engineering

Hexham & District Motor Club

8th/9th February 2025


John Robson Rally 2025
Winners: Chris Way/James Chaplin (Honda Civic)
Photograph: © Chris Ellison Photography

Organiser: Hexham & District Motor Club

Date: 8th/9th February 2025

Clerk of the Course: Jonathan Webb

Route: 160 Miles (Maps 86 & 87)

Base: Hexham Acution Mart

Starters: 54


Hexham & District Motor Club's premier road event once again consisted of three rallies, run alongside each other. These were the John Robson, the Hexham Historic and Hexham Trophy. The latter was aimed at Club competitors; the Beginners Class being provided with a map book; the remaining participants in all three events had the same mixture of more demanding navigation.

The 160 mile course started with a 30 mile run out which took the route along the A69 to the Brampton area, where, after a splash 'n dash fuel stop, competitive motoring began.

The rally was a series of regularity sections separated, after each reg control, by a standard section; time could be recovered on these standard sections.

The first regularity started near Longlands and went northwards, via Shopford, to end at the southern edge of Kershope Forest. Chris Way/James Chaplin (Honda Civic) were the only car to arrive at IRTC3 on time; next best were Simon Cottrell/Sam Spencer (Ford Escort) on 29 seconds.

Richard Hunter/Gary Evans (Ford Escort) in Car 2 had a short and troubled night; the car stalled and wouldn't restart on the opening test, losing them almost a minute. Then the engine failed as STC4, the start of Reg 2, and they were out.

The route almost touched the Scottish Border before turning back southwards to the start of the second section, the longest of the night. It was over an hour of intense action, twisting its way to finish near Kirklinton Hall.

Top seeds and defending John Robson Champions, Kris Coombes/Louis Baines (Nissan Micra), were one of only four crews to clean this, the others being Chris Farrell/Dylan Griffiths (Ford Escort), Jack Willan/Simon Bentley (Proton Satria GTi) and Cottrell/Spencer. Way/Chaplin were eight seconds late at IRTC5, but still held a lead of 21 seconds over Cottrell/Spencer. However, this was the high point for the Escort crew, they retired on the next section with the car losing oil pressure.

At this point the Hexham Historic was being led by Nick Bloxham/Emily Anderson (Ford Escort Mexico), who were over three minutes ahead of Steve Head/Miles Fieldhouse (Ford Escort). In the Trophy Rally, Keith Fletcher/Geoff Fletcher (Proton Satria GTi) had an even greater advantage over their rivals; they held a lead of over four minutes.

The third regularity started across the A6071 at Alstonby, at the most westerly point of the route. It crossed back over the main road, skirting Smithfield, to finish at Hethersgill. Everyone was late at IRTC7, with Coombes/Baines, once again being quickest, and, with Way/Chaplin dropping 43 seconds more than them, the Nissan took the lead. The erstwhile leaders also fell behind Willan/Bentley, who now led them by four seconds in the battle for second place.

It was a disastrous section for Bloxham/Anderson; their Escort had all its lights fail. They lost over nine minutes tracing an earthing problem and, as a result, fell from first to fifth in the Historic Rally.

STC8 to IRTC9 was a short and easy section and the majority of the field cleaned it. The final section of the first half was a four minuter using the loop to the south of Low Row; it included three Not As Map route checks.

Way/Chaplin made up some of the deficit to the leaders by dropping just one second, they were sixteen seconds faster than Coombes/Baines; this performance also pulled them up to second place.

John Robson Rally 2025

This all meant that at Petrol Coombes/Baines led Way/Chaplin by the narrow margin of four seconds, while Willan/Bentley were a further 16 seconds down. These three were well clear of the remainder of the John Robson field.

The Hexham Historic was now led by Neil Raven/Claire Raven (Peugeot 205 GTi). Bloxham/Anderson were starting a dramatic fight back after their electrical problems and had passed Tony Harrison/Phil Savage (Peugeot 504) for fourth place.

Mike Cook/Ross Blyth (Ford Fiesta ST150) were now at the front of the Trophy Rally; early leaders Fletcher/Fletcher had lost almost six minutes to their rivals leading up to IRTC7.

The route now headed back towards its Hexham base, starting with a southward dash across the Tyne Valley from Featherstone Castle. This was cleaned by both Coombes/Baines and Way/Chaplin, although Willan/Bentley fell further back as they were 19 seconds late at IRTC13.

STC14 was near Knaresdale Hall and began a 20 minute section that ran to the outskirts of Haltwhistle. With everyone being late at IRTC15, with Way/Chaplin going back into the lead as they were six seconds quicker than Coombes/Baines. Farrell/Griffiths were fastest and they moved into fourth, closing the gap on Willan/Bentley and setting up a close battle for third place in the final stages. Peter Wilkinson/Adam Griffin (Suzuki Swift), who had been in fourth place at Petrol, could have been involved as well, but retired on this section.

Way/Chaplin extended their lead by another eight seconds as they were quickest to IRTC17, which was on Hadrian's Wall. The battle for the lead was settled at the next control, STC18. Coombes/Baines arrived there at 20 seconds into the minute that they required; they decided to wait for the following minute, under the impression that there was no penalty for being late. This was incorrect, any lateness on a Standard Section is penalised at a minute per minute. This now put them 1m10s behind Way/Chaplin.

There were two sections remaining and all dropped time on them. Way/Chaplin extended their advantage over these tests to come home with a victory margin of 1m28s over Coombes/Baines, giving the driver his maiden rally win. For the navigator it was his first success in almost eight years.

Farrell/Griffiths continued their late charge and closed the gap to Willan/Bentley on all of the second half controls, however they ended just short of their target - Willan/Bentley held on to third place by eight seconds at the Finish.

Raven/Raven took the win in the Hexham Historic, although they were only ten seconds clear of the hard charging Bloxham/Anderson, who had pushed themselves back up the leader board on every section. Michael Davison/Josh Davison (Toyota MR2) and Malcolm Holdsworth/Richard Holdsworth (Honda Civic) tied for third place; the matter being decided in the former crew's favour as they were the first to submit their entry for the event.

There was less drama in the Trophy Rally, where Cook/Blyth maintained their four minute advantage through the latter sections to take a clear win in the event. Charles Andrews/James Whittaker (Toyota Corolla) were equally clear winners in the Beginners Class, finishing with the same victory margin as Cook/Blyth had over their rivals. Due to the different navigation that the Beginners received, they weren't eligible for overall placings in the Trophy Rally.


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