• Announcement of the Dukeries Rally date for 2012
  19th December 2011

Dukeries Motor Club are pleased to confirm that the 53rd Dukeries Rally will take place on Saturday 9th June 2012.

The event is to be based at Southwell Racecourse just south of the historic Minster town of Southwell, and will include 44 stage miles in the famous Sherwood Forest area of Nottinghamshire.

The 2012 Dukeries Rally will be a round of the REIS-Get Connected BTRDA Rally Series and the SWISHER MSA English Rally Championship plus four Regional Association Championships; the Competition Car Insurance EMAMC Stage Rally Championship, the Roadrunner / Phoenix Awards ANEMMC Rally Championship, the Fuchs Titan Race ANCC Stage Rally Championship and the Ward Construction / Rix Engineering AEMC Stage Rally Championship.

For any rally to be successful it needs the support of a very large number of officials, marshals and radio crews. The organisers of the Dukeries Rally are very grateful for all the support we receive from many motor clubs, groups and individuals and we hope that as many people as possible will come and support the event on Saturday 9th June.

Please note the date of the event in your diary.

• Dukeries Motor Club Supporting National Motorsport Week
  21st June 2011

Dukeries Motor Club Ltd are supporting the National Motorsport Week by inviting interested people to an informal Motosport Forum at Mansfield Rugby Club on 28th June 2011.

The evening will include the showing of the DVD of the recent 52nd running of the Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally followed by an informal question and answer session about the event.

You will be able to question drivers and co drivers about their experiences on the event and also learn more about Dukeries Motor Club and the other activities that its members get involved with.

There may also be a few members Rally Cars on display outside the Rugby Club and a small free buffet will be provided.

The evening will commence with the showing of the Dukeries Rally DVD at around 8:30pm.

Non members welcome.

• Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally - Event Report - Burton’s record-breaking win!
  13th June 2011

In the 52-year history of the Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally, Andy Burton has become the first person to win the event four times. With Robin Kellard in the co-driver’s seat of his Peugeot Cosworth, the Kington driver led this year’s event right from the word ‘go’ to put himself into the record books at last. The day was not without its problems, however, as Burton and his service crew had to remove the car’s clutch and gearbox to check it over during the service halt at Thoresby before completing the event.

Chesterfield’s Steve Perez, who was also a three-time Dukeries winner, started the day with similar aspirations but he and Paul Spooner (Ford Focus WRC) were two seconds slower than Burton on the opening stage – and that’s how it stayed. The 2010 winners eventually finished 24 seconds adrift after 44 miles of special stages in the East Midlands forests.

Yorkshiremen Charlie Payne/Craig Thorley, who were runners-up last year in their Ford Focus WRC, were 3rd, finishing on identical time penalties as the Subaru Impreza of Roger Chilman/Andrew Sankey from Hereford.

USA-domiciled Kenny Brack, former CART racer and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1999, entered the Dukeries Rally in a Ford Escort MkII as part of his preparations for the Midnight Sun Rally in his native Sweden next month and came away with a win in the two-wheel drive section. With co-driver Emil Axelssan, Kenny finished ahead of the Opel Kadett of Allan McDowall (Tarbolton)/Gavin Heseltine and fellow Escort runners Boyd Kershaw (Reading)/Bryan Hull.

The first group of cars to return to the finish at Southwell Racecourse were contenders for the 1400cc Championship and, as is so often the case, a very close-fought battle had taken place. Brian McGuinness (Haverhill)/Ian Harden’s Vauxhall Corsa won the category by just three seconds from the similar car of Kieran and Lyndsey Darrington (St Neots), with the Proton Satria of Millers Oils 1400 Championship leaders Darren Pinchin (Cheltenham)/Karen Watts relegated to 3rd place on the day, albeit only eight seconds off the leader after a time consuming ‘off’ on stage 3.    

Ash Slights/Tom Hughes (Toyota Yaris) took their fifth consecutive maximum points score from five starts in the 2011 BTRDA Rally First Championship, confirming them as this year’s winners with three rounds still to run. The Yorkshire teenagers have successfully defended their 2010 title and are hoping to move up to the full 1400 Series next season.

Slights’ run of success also sees him moving into the overall lead of the SWISHER MSA English Rally Championship, of which the Dukeries was the fourth round. Prior to the start, he shared the top spot with Darren Pinchin but his class win just gives him the edge as the series moves into the summer break.

This run of success has been matched by Ian Arden in the RF1000 class, who has also taken  maximum points on the fifth consecutive event and duly wrapped up the F1000 Rally Club and BTRDA Rally First 1,000cc Forest Championship.     
     
In terms of Championships, the Dukeries Rally forms part of the BTRDA Gold Star Rally Series and, after five of the eight events, Andy Burton has built up a commanding lead after four outright wins. The only other crew to win a rally so far this season, Hugh Hunter/Andy Marchbank, went out when their Ford Focus WRC developed mechanical trouble after three of the nine stages. This was their second retirement of the season, putting any chance of a repeat of their 2007 Gold Star title in serious doubt.

Also included in the list of retirements was Kazakhstan driver Arman Smailov who was having his first experience of rallying in the UK. However, his Subaru Impreza also succumbed to mechanical bothers during the afternoon.

Dukeries Motor Club members had mixed fortunes on the event.  Ian Bass was once again the highest placed Dukeries co-driver finishing 17th this year with Phil Pickard. (Escort Cosworth). Just behind them in 23rd place was Chris Cawthorne/Mark Swallow (Subaru Impreza).   Shelly Taunt/Julie Murphy (Subaru Impreza) again made the trip up from Devizes and finished 29thoverall with Shelly also winning the best Lady Drivers award. Andy McArthur/Phil Rushton (Subaru Impreza) were on their first forest rally with this smart Gp N4 car and were very pleased to finish with a still smart car!    

Chris Langthorne/Mick Hollis (Ford Escort Mk2) were 42nd overall and 6th in the very competitive Historic Category whilst David Pattrick/Simon Ashton (Peugeot 106 GTi) finished second in class N3 on one of their rare outings together. Simon now lives and works in Sweden was competing on the South Swedish Rally the weekend before, reading the notes in Swinglish!    
Andy Smith/Bridie Hall (Peugeot 205 GTi) were 3rd in class B10 on what was Birdies very first multi venue rally.  Apparently forest rallies are the future!   Ian Holliday/Jane Wright (MG ZR) spent an enjoyable day swapping stage times with a group of similar spec MG ZR’s.
Emlyn Evans (Peugeot 306) was on his first ever stage rally, accompanied by Pete Butler.  It was a steep learning curve for Emlyn but he got more confident and quicker as the day went on and even managed to catch a car on the last stage.  James Souter/Mark Osbourne (Vauxhall Corsa) suffered a series of ‘challenges’ throughout the event, which began badly with a stage maximum on SS1.

The retirements included Tony Cawthorne/Andrew Barlow who had terminal electrical problems in Clipstone South. John Stevens/Guy Simmons (Escort Mk2) broke a half shaft on Sherwood Pines 1 to be joined by Mark Mazzitelli/Wayne Langthorne (Escort Mk2) who had terminal gearbox problems and retired at the main spectator area.  David Wood/Alan Jackson (Corsa) were going well in the very competitive 1400S Class until they had the misfortune to lose all the oil on the way to SS5 (good job they had a spill kit!)   

Full results of the 2011 Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally are available to download here.

• The Dukeries Rally needs your help!
  5th June 2011

Every stage rally requires a huge number of Officials, Marshals and Radio Crews and without their assistance it would not be possible for the event to run.  The organisers of the Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally are very grateful for all the support they receive from many motor clubs, groups and individuals and they hope that as many people as possible will come and support the 52nd Dukeries Rally on Saturday 11th June.

This year there are 6 forest stage venues that will be used in various combinations during the event so everyone will have the opportunity to see the competing cars twice.  The event has attracted a very competitive and varied entry of 122+ cars and in addition to the best BTRDA Championship crews and leading local competitors, it includes an Indianapolis 500 race winner and the Kazakhstan National Rally Champion.

The event will provide you with a comprehensive Marshals Handbook giving all the necessary information including an entry list and stage maps plus an exclusive 2011 Dukeries Rally Pin Badge, a Programme and an event Car Sticker.

So if you are not competing on the event, PLEASE come along and offer to help.  You will be very welcome and we know you will have an enjoyable day!

Please contact the Chief Marshal, David Northcote by email on marshals@dukeries-rally.co.uk   or by phone on Tel: 07801 228049 (after 5pm).

Alternatively if you are a member of a local motor club you can contact your own club’s Chief Marshal or one of the Stage Commanders - Richard Ogan, Tony Jones, Ian Evans, Trevor Leathley, Sue Rylatt or David James as soon as possible so they can confirm suitable arrangements.    

No volunteers, no motorsport!

Whether the event is a Formula One Grand Prix or a Special Stage Rally every event needs small army of volunteer marshals and officials to be able to run.  For those wishing to become involved with motor sport – but not as a competitor, there can be no better introduction than as a marshal or official.  Volunteer marshals carry out a wide range of interesting duties, all of which contribute to the overall efficiency and success of the event.

Whatever you choose, your presence will be welcomed and appreciated.  As a marshal, you will be part of a band of enthusiasts who enjoy their motor sport and want to contribute to the success of the events.   Signing-on as a marshal is easy – just contact the Chief Marshal of the event and he will guide you to the most suitable location and give you all the info that you need.    

 

• Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally - Frequently Asked Questions
  18th May 2011 - UPDATED 4th June 2011

Camping / Motorhomes:
Competitors and Support crews can camp or use a motorhome / caravan overnight at Southwell Racecourse on Friday or Saturday.  Toilet facilities and water will be available on Friday overnight at the main Racecourse building.  There is no pre-booking requirement.   There will be a range of food and drink available at Southwell Racecourse on Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday evening.   Please ensure that you keep the venue clean and tidy. 

Accommodation:
There is a Folk Festival in Southwell on 11th / 12th June so accommodation in the local area may be difficult to find.  Please do not wait to the last minute or you may find it very difficult. 
These websites may help:  www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk  www.southwellcouncil.com

Fuel:
Vital Equipment will be at the event and they are able to supply both a quality Super Unleaded fuel and a FIA spec Carless Turbo Ultimate fuel.   (V.E. also supply WRC and BTCC)   This re-fuel facility is open to all competitors and it is strongly recommended because it provides quality fuel dispensed safely (trigger or snap on mechanisms).  For the competitor there are no issues of transporting fuel or sourcing fuel locally. Please contact the Vital Equipment fuel order line Tel: 01981 241 169 or via their website at  www.vitalequipment.co.uk            

Vital Equipment will be located at Southwell Racecourse on Friday afternoon / evening but will then move to the Main Service Area at Thoresby Market Site.    
It is acceptable to refuel from fuel stations along the route and these will be marked in the Road Book which is sent out in advance.

Servicing:
The main Service Area is at the large Thoresby Market site.   The site will be open on Saturday from 9:00am till around 3:00pm.    First car is due around 11.00am.   Both Service and Auxiliary Service vehicles will have access through the main competitor entrance.   There is free parking for spectators in an adjacent area – just use the next entrance 100m west and follow the spectator arrows.   
Start to Main Service      22 stage miles    44 road miles
Main Service to Finish    22 stage miles    72 road miles

Programmes:
These will be available from Sat 4th June onwards.   They are priced at £2 and will contain a list of spectator stages and stage maps, the event time schedule, a seeded entry list plus information on the leading competitors.
Sat 4th – Sat 11th         Rainworth Skoda, Sherwood Oaks Business Park, Southwell Rd West,  Mansfield.  NG18 4GF
Fri 10th – Sat 11th        Southwell Racecourse

They will also be available by 1st class post at a cost of £2.50p – details to follow.

 

• Entries open for the Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally
  23rd April 2011

Entries are now open for the 2011 Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally on Saturday 11th June, which will be the 52nd consecutive running of the event.  The rally will be based at Southwell Racecourse and include 44 Forest Stage miles in the famous Sherwood Forest area of Nottinghamshire linked by 115 road miles.
Thanks to the continued support of Competitors and our Sponsors Rainworth Skoda we are able to have a standard entry fee of £395.  To encourage competitors to sample forest rallying we also have a reduced entry fee of £345 for any driver entering their first forest rally and for all registered BTRDA Rally First Drivers.

The event has 14 classes including 2 for Historic Rally Cars and we hope to see some cars from past Dukeries Rallies out on the event again.  Event Scrutineering, Documentation, Start, Finish and Awards Presentation will all be at Southwell Racecourse and a short Saturday Scrutineering session will be available by prior arrangement.

The 2011 Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally is a round of the Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Rally Series and the SWISHER MSA English Rally Championship plus four Regional Association Championships; the Competition Car Insurance EMAMC Stage Rally Championship, the   Roadrunner / Phoenix Awards ANEMMC Rally Championship, the Fuchs Titan Race ANCC Stage Rally Championship and the Ward Construction / Rix Engineering AEMC Stage Rally Championship.  In addition the event will host the 2011 MSA Regional Association Stage Rally Challenge.

Regulations can be downloaded from this website and competitors are encouraged to use the simple on-line web entry system to submit their entries.   There are several payment options including Bank Transfer, PayPal / Credit Card or cheque.  To encourage competitors to enter the event as soon as possible we guarantee a full refund if the entry has to be withdrawn before the closing date.

We invite you to join us on the 52nd Dukeries Rally which we hope will provide you with a very enjoyable and safe days motor sport.      

 

• MSA Inter Association Challenge 2011
  2nd April 2011

The Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally which runs on Saturday 11th June has been nominated by the EMAMC to host the 2011 MSA Regional Committee Inter-Association Stage Rally Challenge.
  
The Dukeries Rally, which is now in its 52nd year, has been chosen because of its central location and its ability to attract up to 150 entries from across the UK.
  
The MSA Inter-Association Stage Rally Challenge is open to teams of 3 cars representing any of the Regional Motorsport Associations.  The rules are simple:-

• A team must consist of 3 drivers
• Each driver must be a current member of an Association club.  
• Drivers can only be in one team
• Regional Associations can enter more than one team

As usual the points scoring will be based on a drivers finishing position in relation to other competitors in the same class and the level of competition in that class.  

It is hoped that as many as possible of the UK Motorsport Associations will submit teams

Details of the teams should be submitted to Howard Wilcock at h.wilcock@virgin.net

 

• Rainworth Skoda to sponsor the 2011 Dukeries Rally
  1st March 2011

Dukeries Motor Club are very pleased to confirm that the 52nd Dukeries Rally, which will take place on Saturday 11th June 2011, will once again be sponsored by Rainworth Skoda.  The club would like to thank the Directors of Rainworth Motors for their continued support which allows the event to provide an excellent value for money package for all the competitors.

This will be the 8th year that Rainworth Skoda has sponsored the Dukeries Rally which is the largest special stage car rally in the East Midlands.  Over the years Rainworth Motors has had a close association with rallying through the support of local drivers and events such as the Dukeries Rally.

Rainworth Skoda are the largest Skoda Dealers and the area, located at new flagship premises on Sherwood Oaks Business Park just off the A617, which is convenient for both the M1 and A1.  They were Skoda Retailer of the Year in 2009 and 2010 in recognition of their excellent customer service and their pledge not to be beaten on any price!  They also have a dedicated Business Department which supplies many leading companies in the area and will deliver SKODA to anywhere in the UK.

www.rainworthskoda.co.uk

The event also receives support from Skoda UK, who through Skoda UK Motorsport are very active in running a Super 2000 Skoda Fabia in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) in 2011 for Andreas Mikkelsen / Ola Floene.    More information about the activities of Skoda UK Motorsport can be found on www.skodaukmotorsport.com