THE 2024 Probite British Rally Championship gets underway this weekend, with the Legend Fires North West Stages having the honour of hosting the opening round.
The Garstang-based event features ten special stages comprising 60 stage miles on closed public roads and has attracted an impressive field of 130 cars and crews.
Once again, the 2300 Club is heavily involved in the running of the two-day event, including sharing the sponsorship of the non-spectator Hawthornthwaite stage with Delta Drives and Controls.
Club members who have vast experience of running closed road events through the Tour of Mull Rally, also occupy senior positions in the organising team, with Clive Molyneux acting as deputy clerk-of-the-course.
The vitally important 000 car team, which is one of a convoy of safety cars running ahead of the first car and checks the safety of each stage, is made up of 2300 Club members Graham Ryding, Tony Driver, Ron Cowan and Cliff Simmons.
Our very own John Cope will be driving car 0, in his Fiesta R5 and co-driven by Andy Marchbank and will be the final safety car before car one.
Other club members will also be involved in providing the marshalling team on Hawthornthwaite.
Flying the 2300 Club flag on the stages is popular Blackburn driver Nigel Worswick, who has been seeded at car 47 in his immaculate Fiesta S2000. He has Chris Williams alongside him reading the notes.
Picking a winner from a star-studded top 30 is impossible. European Rally Champion Chris Ingram, winner of the last LFNWS, starts at car one in a VW Polo GTi R5 followed by a who’s who of British rallying.
They include Keith Cronin (Fiesta Rally 2), Osian Pryce (Fiesta Rally 2), Meirion Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and multiple Mull winner Paul Mackinnon (Hyundai i20 R5). There are a host of north-west drivers hoping to make local knowledge count, including Mark Kelly (Skoda Fabia R5), David Wright (Fiesta Rally 2), James Ford (Citroen C3 Rally 2), Neil Roskell (Fiesta Rally 2) and rally sponsor John Stone (Polo GTi R5).
The Legend Fires North West Stages kicks off with a ceremonial start in Garstang Town Centre on Friday night, where spectators can get the chance to meet the drivers and see the cars, before the rally starts in anger on Saturday morning.
For more information visit: www.northweststages.co.uk.
