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The Vauxhall Astra Stages Rally is organised by the Vauxhall Motoring Group (Wirral)) (The Motoring Section of Vauxhall Motors Sports and Social Club), a club affiliated to the Royal Automobile Club MSA, and a member of the Welsh Association of Motor Clubs and Association of North Western Car Clubs.
It is a very well established and successful event, having been first run in 1980. For its first 7 years it was a Single Venue tarmac rally based entirely at the Vauxhall Motors Plant at Ellesmere Port on the Wirral, using the perimeter roads and car parks of the factory and traditionally run on August Bank Holiday. It was the first Single Venue Rally ever to be granted National Status in 1985 - although the club elected not to use that status, but rather keep the event for Clubmen.
In 1990 the organising club managed to obtain a much sought after allocation of Forestry Commission land for the event, and despite that first forestry Astra Stages having been devastated by the worst blizzards to be seen in North Wales in 50 years, the event has been held in the forests since then.
The Astra Stages has had several bases - Bala in 1991, when it was the last event to use the Coed-y-Brenin Forest complex. Ruthin, Clwyd was the base for 1992 - 1994, and we moved to our permanent base in Llangollen in 1995, with Start at the prestigious Royal International Pavilion and Rally Headquarters at the Bryn Howel Hotel.
The organising Team is also well established and very experienced. Clerk of the Course, Andy Kay conceived the idea of the event and has been at the helm since its inception. Andy has organised rallies since 1975 and has competed on over 300 rallies up to and including World Championship Internationals since the late 1960s. He has competed in and finished 6 RAC Rallies as Co-Driver, and has had many overall wins and top 3 places as Co-Driver/Navigator.
The rest of the organising team are also, in the main, experienced organisers and competitors and the same core of officials has been running the Astra Stages since 1980.
The Astra Stages is no stranger to awards, the 1999 Rally being the Best Event in the Welsh National Championship, an award it also won in 1997, the 1998 Rally was ANWCC Rally of the Year. The1997 rally also won the accolade for Best Organised Rally in the Welsh Clubman's Championship. The 1996 event was also voted Best Organised Rally in the Welsh Clubman's Championship - the 1995 event was ANWCC Rally of the Year and WAMC Best North Wales Event. The 1994 event was Best ANWCC Forest Rally and Best Welsh Clubmans Rally, and the 1993 event also won the award for Best Welsh Clubmans Rally.
The Astra Stages Rally is a National (B) status rally and it is a round of the Activ-Air North Western Rally Championship
and the Competition Car Insurance Welsh National Championship, The Sweet Lamb Rallying Welsh Clubmans Stage Rally
Championship.
The Astra Stages Historic Rally, a separate event, but running alongside the modern rally, is a Round of the MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the HRCR Historic Rally Challenge and the RP Joinery Millennium Welsh Historic Championship.
It takes place on April 8th and it is based at the Royal International Pavilion in Llangollen, Denbighshire, Rally HQ, Start and Finish taking place there. The current format of the event comprises a compact route with eleven stages totalling 60 competitive miles in Classic North Wales Forests and a central service area at the Ruthin Farmers Mart. There is minimal road mileage and the route is such that Emergency Service is possible after each stage.
The event regularly attracts an entry of about 150 competing crews from all over Britain and being a round of both Welsh and North Western Championships, the quality of the entry is excellent and thus many thousands of spectators from around the Principality and the North West and West Midlands as well as followers from all over Britain come to watch.
Tarmac Event:
1980 Fred Henderson/Tim Rogers - Vauxhall Chevette 2600
1981 Derek Evans/Terry Evans - Vauxhall Chevette 2600
1982 Fred Henderson/Fiona Beacon - Vauxhall Chevette 2600
1983 Mike Pattison/Dave Taylor - Ford Escort RS2000
1984 Mike Pattison/Dave Taylor - Ford Escort G3 2300
1985 Kevin Kettlewell/Bill Bates - Triumph TR8 3500
1986 Kim Mather/Yvonne Mather - VW Scirocco
Forest Event:
1990 The Weather - Lots of Snow
1991 Shaun Gardiner/Dave Brick - Ford Escort Cosworth
1992 John Roberts/Phil Sandham - Ford Sierra Cosworth
1993 Matthew Clark/Steve Leighton - Ford Sierra Cosworth
1994 Tim Ellis-Jones/Huw Lewis - Ford Escort Cosworth
1995 Jon Bennet-Evans/Chris Jones - Ford Escort Cosworth
1996 Greg Mills/Chris Jones - Ford Sierra Cosworth
1997 Hugh Hunter/Andy Marchbank - Ford Sapphire Cosworth
1998 Geoff Smith/Ryland James - Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1999 Richard Gough/Tony Beddoes - Mitsubishi Carisma GT2000 Pete Littler/Andy Marchbank - Ford Escort Cosworth
Historic Event
1994 Bob Hart/Kevin Edmonds - Volvo 122S
1995 Brian Dennis/Alan Jenkins - Morris Cooper S
1996 Dave Preece/Rowand Prentice - Porsche 911
1997 Graham Waite/Gary Titchmarsh - Volvo 122S
1998 Michael Fewings/Simon Wallis - Saab 96 V4
1999 Graham Waite/Gary Titchmarsh - Volvo Amazon2000 Russell Brookes/Neil Wilson - Porsche 911
Post Historic Event
2000 Nick Whale/Nick Kennedy - Porsche 911
Last Modified: 9th April 2000
Visitor Count since 23/11/99
© Andy Kay, andyk@vox1.u-net.com