REPORT BY: KEITH McGHIE

NICK Dobson steered his ageing Ford Escort to its fifth class win in seven events at last weekend’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire but was unable to match the pace of BTRDA (British Trials and Rally Drivers Association) Silver Star Championship rival Rob Wright.

The Burley-in-Wharfedale construction engineer was dominant in the Under 2-litre class throughout the event’s six forest stages, to build a lead of almost four minutes and ten places over his nearest challenger - the Ford Fiesta ST of Stoke on Trent’s Tom Naylor - by the time the cars reached the finish along Filey seafront.

But the overall BTRDA Silver Star title race, restricted to just two-wheel drive cars, which Dobson has led for most of the year, now looks likely to be out of reach as new series leader Rob Wright, from Whitehaven, has a more powerful 2.5 litre Escort and was predictably 85 seconds quicker over 45 miles through the notoriously fast North York Moors forest stages.

Wright just needs a good finish on the last of the eight round series to seal the Silver Star title but Dobson, whose consistent high finishes have kept him in the race, was still delighted to maintain his hold on the class.

While the less high-tech vehicles were battling mid-field the tussle for the 2022 British Rally Championship, fought out in vehicles valued at up to £175,000, raged on with Welshman Osian Pryce leading his nearest rival Keith Cronin from the opening night time test in Dalby forest.

Pryce’s Volkswagen Polo GTR5 was 5 seconds faster over the 11.2-mile test and held his advantage throughout the following day, with three further quickest times, before four times previous champion Cronin, from Bantry in Ireland driving a similar vehicle, took the last two stages, albeit too little too late.

The 29-year old from Machynlleth was left celebrating his first British title as the afternoon high tide lapped the Filey sea wall.

Outgoing British Champion Matt Edwards, also from Wales and this year opting to compete in a 40-year old Fiat 131 Abarth, took the honours in the concurrent Trackrod Historic Cup, while Elliot Payne, from Ripon in a four wheel drive Ford Fiesta Rally2, clinched the BTRDA national title at the age of just 19.