Carless Fuelled Callum Black heads to the Hills Ford Stages as Protyre Asphalt Champion!
Callum Black heads to this weekend’s Hills Ford Stages (14-15 September) having been confirmed as the 2024 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship’s overall drivers’ champion!
This comes after the provisional championship points following the recent JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion National were finalised after the mandatory seven-day period for queries had expired.
It signals a tremendous back-to-back title triumph for Callum, after a magnificent championship comeback in his 586 Sport-prepared Pallas Connections Ford Fiesta Rally2. The Brackley driver was 10th in the points standings after Round 3 but scoring 118 points out of a possible 120 on the next four rounds has landed him a well-deserved title.
Jack Morton also clinches the co-driver’s title – but for a third time, having lifted the trophy in 2015, 2023 and again this year.
Neil Roskell could still finish equal with Callum on points after this weekend’s final round but would lose the tiebreak.
Neil will still want to finish runner-up (albeit for a third time) and will be out to win the Hills Ford Stages. He’s contested the event once before – finishing eighth in 2021 in what was his third ever closed road rally. He returns this year with much more experience, a load of rally wins on his CV, with Dai Roberts on the notes and in a ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Fiesta Rally2 that he’s very comfortable with.
Sam Touzel has been one of the sensations of 2024. He’s predicted to be a future Protyre Asphalt champion and in his first season in the BTRDA series he’s come from challenging for a top 10 finish to scoring his first championship podium result last time out on Rali Ceredigion. Partnered by Max Freeman, few will be surprised if the Jersey driver wins in his Smart Scaffolding/Express Auto Parts Fiesta Rally2.
Mark Kelly won the event last year and whilst he hasn’t done a full season when he appears the Bolton driver is super-fast. He led the Tour of Epynt for example and finished second to Callum by 17 seconds – having lost exactly that amount of time with a full 180 degree spin! Co-driven by Will Atkins, Mark will be one to watch in his Kelmore Škoda Fabia R5.
Also aiming for the top spot will be the 2022 Protyre Asphalt champion Steve Wood. The Aberystwyth driver finished second here last year (co-driven by the Protyre Asphalt Championship Co-ordinator Paul Morris) and he’ll return in his Citroën C3 Rally2 with Kenny Hull alongside.
Simon Bowen/Craig Simkiss led the Protyre Asphalt Championship mid-season and returns in their rapid Fiesta S2000T, while Hugh Hunter/Jane Nicol start in their Robert Hunter & Son Tarmac/Lewis & Hunter Contracting Fiesta Rally2.
William Hill has already wrapped up the class B14 title after another fantastic season in his Hills Ford Fiesta Rally3. To celebrate that and his home event, he and co-driver Richard Crozier will contest the event in a Fiesta Rally2 – while his father Tim Hill (co-driven by Paul Spooner) jumps into the Rally3.
Philip Hopkins is always fast and spectacular in his Hopkins Race Transporters Mitsubishi Evo 6. He won class B14 (by one second) on Epynt and together with Sam Allen will be looking for a good result again.
Stephen Simpson might be 12th in the drivers’ standings, but he can count all the points he scores on the final round and as he is only 12 points away from seventh is likely to rocket up the leaderboard. Co-driven by Mark Glennerster, the Manchester driver will be looking for a top six finish in his CA1 Sport-prepared Tudor Glass Fiesta Rally2.
Roger Duckworth scored a top 10 Protyre Asphalt result on his first visit to Epynt earlier this year and together with Alun Cook will be aiming for a similar result in his Technia Fiesta R5.
Mike English scored a top 10 overall and class B15 podium Protyre Asphalt finish last time out in Ceredigion. He’ll be partnered this time by Andy Robinson and will be looking to finish the season off on a high in his Proact Fiesta Rally2.
The Hills Ford Stages is one of Roger Moran’s favourite events, and whilst he’s leading the class in the British Hillclimb Championship he has decided to skip that and instead team-up again with Daniel Petrie and head down the much flatter lanes in his Moran Motorhomes Škoda Fabia R5.
Sean and Colin Quigley will contest the event in their Fiesta Rally2, Rob Hughes/Dylan Thomas appear in a Fiesta R5 and James Labey (co-driven by Sion Cunniff) will be hoping to win the Protyre Asphalt Junior title in his Fiesta Rally2.
Adrian Spencer won class B14 last time out in his RED Industries/Adgespeed Subaru Impreza S11 WRC replica and will be looking for a repeat performance, this time with Ashley Trimble alongside.
Tom Jones/Andy Conibear will also challenge for B14 points in their Eveleighs Garage Subaru Impreza, as will Adam Midhall/Thomas Pidden (Mitsubishi Evo 9), Richard Slinger/Mark Twiname (Mitsubishi Evo 6) and Mark Holmes in his Metro 6R4.
Darren Atkinson has already retained his class B13 title for a third consecutive year, and he and Harry Stubbs will be out to try and secure the Escort Challenge title as well in their Haldane Fisher Escort Mk2.
He’ll be chased hard by Gordon Morrison, who’ll make the trip down from Scotland to contest the event with Ian Parker in his Lochwinnoch Motors Heavy Haulage Escort Mk2.
Huw James/Lewis Sims were on sensational form last time out, winning class B13 and taking home fourth-place overall Protyre Asphalt points in their A&D Tyres Escort Mk2 on Rali Ceredigion. With confidence high, they’ll be after the top Protyre Asphalt 2WD award this time as well.
Aled Wyn Morgans/Ian Taylor were on sensational form last time out, but as their normal Aberystwyth Motorsport Escort Mk2 will take several months to repair after a non-championship accident and Lee Edwards is contesting the event in the Escort G3 they borrowed for Rali Ceredigion, it’s yet to be seen what car Aled will appear in. But it will either be a stage or road rally spec Escort Mk2.
Brad Cole is back for the first time since breaking his arm in an accident on the Manx National Rally. The Somerset driver has repaired his Trick Motorsport/Hydroline Solutions Escort Mk2 and together with Jamie Vaughan will be keen to make up for lost time and get back to his spectacular best.
Paul Evans/Callum Young return for the first time since rolling their Electric Bike Supermarket Escort Mk2 on the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally, while Oliver Davies/Jack Bowen are also back in their Escort Mk2.
Mark Jasper makes his first Protyre Asphalt start since the 2023 East Riding Stages (which he contested in a Metro 6R4). He won class B13 on the 2021 Hills Ford (which was known then as the Three Shires Stages) and he and co-driver Don Whyatt are back in a Escort Mk2.
Michael Harbour/Cameron Dunn lead B11 and are awaiting parts for their Aldosport/Hamilton Haulage/VS Pro Pressure Washing Services Escort Mk2 and will hopefully post a late entry to contest the event.
Ben Crump/Ian Beamond crashed out of Rali Ceredigion and are also in a race against time to repair their Coltech Escort Mk2. They can still clinch the B11 crowd, as they can count all the points they score on the last round, while the leaders have to drop their lowest score.
Matt Turner/Tom Bishop finished fourth in class on Epynt and will be aiming for their first B11 podium of the season this time in their Escort Mk2. They’ll have stiff competition from the likes of Ant Allery/Richard Bonner (Escort Mk2), Roger Holder/Karen Phelps (Honda Civic), Mark and Claire Lennox (Escort Mk2), Alan Marriage/Kevin Lane (Escort Mk2), George Heighway/Paul DeBono (Toyota Corolla) and Geoff Glover/Keith Barker in their Vauxhall Astra RWD.
With Isle of Man son and father duo Rory and Paul McCann (Metalways Honda Civic) having already clinched the class B10 title, Darren Pool/Chris Beer have a great chance to finish the season with a class win in their Eveleighs Garage Vauxhall Corsa.
Simon Hunter/Howard Pridmore will be aiming to clinch the B9 title in their Kwiktrak Vauxhall Corsa S1400 and will be in a class fight with Alex and Stephen Roscoe (Nissan Micra).
Charlie Wright won the R2 class last time out in his Ford Fiesta, which is run by the students from Harper Adams University. Co-driven Adam Westerby, the #RallyingTheWrightWay driver will be hoping to secure the R2 title this time.
Laura Christmas navigated Mark Manning to maximum Plastics4Performance Mini Challenge points on Rali Ceredigion. This time she takes over in the driver’s seat, with Laura Cooledge co-driving in a Mini.
This year’s Hills Ford Stages is a two-day event containing 12 stages and around 60 stage miles on closed public roads around Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Organised by Cheltenham Motor Club, the event begins with a ceremonial start in Ledbury’s historic marketplace on Saturday 14 September, immediately followed by a stage run twice. There will be 10 stages on Sunday (15 September) containing five stages run twice, with some sections never previously used. The rally will be based at the Much Marcle Showground near Ledbury.
Action from the Hills Ford Stages will be streamed live and free-to-view on the Special Stage TV Facebook and YouTube channels.
Hills Ford Stages – top 10 seeds
1. Mark Kelly/Will Atkins ….(Škoda Fabia R5)
2. Callum Black/Jack Morton….(Ford Fiesta Rally2)
3. Neil Roskell/Dai Roberts….(Ford Fiesta Rally2)
4. Steve Wood/Kenny Hull….(Citroën C3 Rally2)
5. Sam Touzel/Max Freeman….(Ford Fiesta Rally2)
6. Damian Cole/Michael Gilbey….(Citroën C3 Rally2)
7. Robert Swann/Tom Woodburn….(Ford Fiesta WRC)
8. Simon Bowen/Craig Simkiss….(Ford Fiesta S2000T)
9. John Indri/Tony Hewitt….(Mitsubishi Mirage)
10. Roger Duckworth/Alun Cook….(Ford Fiesta R5)