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ACSMC Rally Championship Newsletter June 2025

Mark Baulch, ACSMC Rally Championship Coordinator, writes:

Having been unable to make it to Bovington, it was great to be at the third round of the Championship and to see so many ACSMC Competitors enjoying the event, with all but one making it to the very end. Unfortunately, as you all saw, I was very busy helping with the stopline time control, so I was not able to come and see you all for your stories in the Service Area. However, with a total of twelve competitors in attendance, I am sure that you have some tales to tell, so please do share them with me and I will send out an updated version of this brief report.

Sadly, SS2 was as far as Kevin and Daryl Ambrose could make it in their Vauxhall Chevette. But ACSMC Competitors seemed to buck the trend of cars failing. Joseph and Daniel Duffy were back out in the Lotus Elise and claimed 3rd in Class, together with 12th overall, making them the top ACSMC Competitor at this event. Nigel and Catherine Brain were out for the first time in their new MX5, which Nigel described as ‘slightly slower’, but they were clearly having fun and brought the car home 10th in Class, 31st overall.

Paul and Ben Garraway looked to be having a lot of fun in their Talbot Sunbeam Ti and the result of 5th in Class and 29th overall at one of  their ‘Joker’ events sees Paul jump to second overall in the Drivers Championship in a year that is looking to be very hotly contested. Scott and Darren Stutchbury were back out in their Renault Clio RS3. They brought it home 9th in Class, 33rd overall. Dave Hockaday and Steve Frost were back at Abingdon in their Volkswagen Golf GTi which had frustratingly let them down a few times in the earlier events. They therefore looked absolutely delighted to end the event 14th in Class and 43rd overall, putting some strong points on the board after an unlucky start. Jon Bray and Darren Styles were competing in their MG ZR 140 and continue to understand that car better, with a great result of 2nd in Class and 51st overall.

Pete Wilkins and Caroline Brampton have competed in this Championship for some time now and were clearly enjoying the stages in their BMW M3. 13th in Class, 47th overall saw yet another consistent result score them enough points to move to the very top of the Championship tables. They still have one Joker to play and there are only 11 points between the top four, so the rest of the season looks set to be very exciting.

Stephen Hall was driving his Ford Fiesta Mk1, with Luke Palmer in the co-driver seat for this event. In the last few stages, Stephen was clearly having fun and overtaking quite a few cars on the stages as he told me with a big grin. They finished 13th in Class and 58th overall.

Joining the 2025 ACSMC Championship at this round were Ryan Stutchbury and Gemma Sinclair-Willis in their Peugeot 205 GTi. An unfortunate incident early on left them without a nearside headlight, meaning that the car looked like it was permanently winking for the rest of the day! They did very well to continue though and still finished the event to score some points, so congratulations for that.

Freddie Death in his Renault Clio, with Keelan Watkins in the co-drivers seat, was continuing to learn the car and climbed the leader board from a seeded 84th to 34th overall and 10th in Class, grinning happily all the way!

Stuart Hook and Aaron Brimblecombe were also looking happy in their Peugeot 205 and finished 15th in Class, 46th overall.

In a day which seemed to see quite a few struggling, including some top seeds with punctures and wrong splits resulting in extended stage times, Darren Taylor and Steve McNulty did not seem to put a wheel wrong in their Ford Focus WRC. Well, apart from giving a pallet a good slap right in front of us at one point! They led from start to finish and won by a comfortable 15 seconds. Chris Woodhouse and Lucy Wilding kept them honest in their Ford Fiesta R5 and looked quick all day whilst Mike and Lewis English finished third in their Ford Fiesta R2 and still within the same minute overall.

My congratulations to all of the Competitors that took part at the CAR-nival stages. If you have stories that you would like added to this newsletter, please do let me know. It seems a long way away right now, but the next round is at Bovington on the 15th & 16th November.

Posted by Geoff Wade, FDMC Media

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Steering Column – FDMC Members at CAR-nival 25 – Roger Lane

Roger Lane writes:

Well, this year’s Abingdon’s Carnival Rally has taken place successfully for, would you believe, the 30th time and again enjoyed by all right down to the later runners. And mentioning later runners, here’s a summary of the stories of their day from crews who proudly entered under the FDMC flag.

Car 44 – Tom Eckett and Olly Wilkinson, BMW 318Ti
Tom spent the event regretting a lack of power for which he tried to compensate by super late braking and frequent use of the handbrake. Unfortunately, the handbrake cried enough on stage four resulting in the classic use of the Scandinavian flick!  There was no doubting the crew’s push as Tom is quoted as insisting that he could have improved his final 37th place overall if only the driver in the Alfa Romeo in front of them ‘ hadn’t been in the way ‘!
 
Car 51 – Chris Penny and Jude Penny, Citroen C2VTR
 
Chris insisted that his junction error on Stage 3 was a result of his co-driver calling right when, in fact , it was left. But that’s a driver’s classic and it was only Jude’s second event. Car suffered a mystery misfire on the last two stages leaving them finally 55th overall.
 
Car 56 – Dave Hockaday and Steve Frost, VW Golf GTi
This was Dave’s 10th Abingdon about which he was complimentary saying that, unlike many other venues, the tarmac surface was really good. Not that that helped on the first stage where they got a stage  maximum as a result of a fuel feed problem ( he had hoped that their failing to  complete a second lap would go unnoticed as the slow time suggested a correct stage ! . Otherwise had a drama-free run to finish 43rd.
 
Car 70 – Kevin Ambrose and Daryl Ambrose, Vauxhall Chevette HSR
Disaster – the car was leaking oil where it shouldn’t have done so retired to the imaginary bar early on before further damage was done.  
 
Car 82 – Jon Hunt and James Prowting, Honda Civic
Jon’s face couldn’t have beamed any wider as the rebuilt gearbox with different gears changed the driveability of the Honda ! No longer able to blame the car, he then criticized himself saying that his stage five was scruffy but lessening the fault as cold tyres were to blame! It was James second stage rally and now he just wants to do it himself! Finished with a smile 45th overall.
 
Car 83 – John Rutter and Lorraine Nixon ( blonde bombshell it said on the side of the car ! ), Opel Manta V6
With a rebuilt engine enjoying it’s maiden outing, John’s fingers were crossed. He started the day bright and breezy following a sleep in a tent overnight!  The gods weren’t smiling as, after a steady run  and on just  the last stage, the head gasket blew! Not a happy man.  They did nevertheless record a finish with 64th overall.
 
Car 98 ( so seeded as those were the numbers already attached to the doors ! ) – Dave Benjamin and Harriet Bennett, Escort RS2000
This was Harriet’s first rally and a test to see if her relationship with her boyfriend survived ! Well Dave gave it everything on his first event since last year including a spin on stage one and mega-late braking!  However fate took a hand again and on the very last stage, the engine said enough. Such a shame as it would have crowned their almost 4 weeks off work including having just returned from the TT on the Isle of Man!  
 
So this summarises infectious Club motorsport with its ups and downs but always a story to tell. And there will be yet more stories in the future to recount….
 
     

 

Posted by Geoff Wade, FDMC Media

 

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Steering Column – Membership Report Summer 2025 – Paul Prescott

Those of you who received the December 2024 magazine will have seen that I am looking for someone to replace me in the role of Membership Secretary. Well, encouragingly, I have had an expression of interest from a long standing and active member who I feel would be ideal to take on the role. However, should anyone else have been thinking they might enquire further, please let me know. You never know when circumstances might change, and there’s always the possibility to share tasks or help out in other ways. As I said in the last magazine, I’m not walking away from the job, but we need to identify someone to step into these shoes before the end of 2025. We finally managed to move house in March, and that continues to stretch me further, as downsizing is quite a traumatic process! Where am I going to store all those car parts and 50 years’ worth of trophies!!!

The sooner someone steps forward, the more time there will be for me to help with the handover. There’s plenty of scope for new ideas on how the job can be done, and certainly how newer technology can be incorporated to make the job even easier. In fact, the Committee have been considering adopting a managed membership package that can generate new memberships and renewals automatically on receipt of subscriptions with minimal oversight from Club officials, and issue electronic membership cards just like MSUK do with the basic competition licences. The aim is to trial the new system alongside the current during the latter half of this year. Again, if you want to know more, without commitment, please contact me at (almost) any time, by email, text, WhatsApp, Messenger, telephone (land line or mobile!) or even face to face. Challenge repeated!

Hopefully, you should all know when your membership is up for renewal and take action to ensure that you hold a current membership card and remain on the contacts list. This will ensure that you continue to receive notifications, such as when entries open for any forthcoming events. Of course, the easiest way to be sure that this happens is to set up a Standing Order with your bank. When I see that the club has received your subscription, I send out a new membership card to the address we hold for you.

Please have a think; do we have the most up to date address, email address and mobile number for you? Worth checking if you have changed any of these recently.

Those who choose to continue paying by cash, cheque or direct credit need to make the payment, and inform me in good time. I will do my best to get a new card out to you by return. If anyone needs their new card before I have seen their Standing Order or Direct Credit payment, please give me a call.

So, to remind you, the Farnborough District Motor Club Limited (Ltd.) Metro Bank account number is: 50856739 and the Sort Code is: 23-05-80.

The annual subscription remains at £20 for single membership, and £25 for joint membership with a “partner” from the same address. This has remained the same since around 2007!

Here’s the list of those I’ve not seen payment from yet through the March to June 2025 renewals period (as of 15th June 2025):

Due in March ’25: Daryl Ambrose (3040), Stephen Bowers (3450), Chris (+ Ian & Evan) Kent (3458), Jonathan Mason (3460).

Due in April ’25: Gerry Pennell (2263) We need an email address that works, please!, Simon Taylor & Katherine Tipple (2603), John Hoskins (3227), Mac Robinson (3362), Dan Young (3364), Bethany & Luke Frox (3416).

Due in May ‘25: Steve Wallace (2600), Mo Kader (3035).

Due in June ’25: Gordon & Elizabeth King (3370), Stuart Leach (3371), Dean Grimes (3427) Steven Hitchcock (3464).

You will need to send me your subscription soon, to ensure you remain on the mailing list, and get a new membership card.  After 3 months without renewing, your details will be removed from the mailing list.  If you have decided not to renew your membership, please send me a message to let me know.

We have signed up 24 new members since January 2025, so to them all: Welcome to FDMC; we hope to see you soon at a club social meeting or the next event.

Paul Prescott (FDMC Membership Secretary)

Posted by Geoff Wade, FDMC Media