Safety devices rally challenge widens format

Motor Sport is among the backers of this year’s Safety Devices Historic Rally Challenge, which has been opened up to allow newer cars to take part and will be decided an class (rather than overall, as was the case previously) positions to level the playing field for smaller cars.

The Historic Rally Car Register, which organises the series, has brought last year’s Classic classes, for cars built from 1967-1974, into the championship proper, which should make it more accessible to prospective competitors, for whom Mini Clubman and Ford Escort models, previously ineligible for the overall awards, could make cost-effective and easy to run mounts.

The series has also been shortened from last year’s 10 to eight rounds — two gravel stage, two tarmac stage and four road navigational formats — with six of the results to count. New on the Safety Devices calendar are the popular Tour of Cornwall and Woodpecker Stages events. Regulations are available from Bill Pardoe, 15 The Hawthorns, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 3DH.