Lead driver, Tom Preston took on his competitors in the BTRDA Rally Challenge again for the first time since April. This time they are coming together in Cumbria with George Morrison leading the pack, with Tom Preston following in second, having beaten Morrison previously in Somerset.
The Rally is organised by the Roger Albert Clark Rally Motor Club. It was a round of the Rovenol BTRDA Rally Series, the MSA English Rally Championship, the BTRDA Rally Challenge, which Hippo Rally Team take part in, the S G Petch Association of North East and Cumbria Car Clubs Stage Rally Championship, the Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship and the Association of Northern Car Clubs Forest Challenge.
The Rally Challenge is a mixed surface event and there are 7 stages throughout the season, with there being at least 2 scored from each surface, with the Carlisle stage being a gravel surface.
In these Carlisle Rally Stages, that took place on Saturday, 11th June, 111 cars entered and Hippo Rally Team were seeded car 15 with their Skoda Fabia R5, sponsored by Pirelli, Fuchs and Speedline Wheels. The event started at 8AM on Saturday with drivers returning from the stages at the H & H Auctions from 3PM onwards.
Overall the Hippo Rally Team, driven by Tom Preston and co-driver, Jack Morton, finished 8th overall in the Four-wheel drive class after a fine day of dry weather and fantastic driving.
Tom has said “We didn’t have any issues with the car at all just still adjusting to the different driving style, we were 11th overall going into the last stage and a managed to set a 5th fastest on the last stage to get back to 8th overall so good to see the pace is going in the right direction”.
#TeamHippo will be taking to the rally course again on the 25th June in Scotland. The RSAC Motorsport Scottish Rally takes place up in Dumfries with the stage length being an impressive 65 miles long.
