Chesterfield-based XS Racing team claimed two victories on round five of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Isle of Man Historic Rally (17-19 July).
 
On the toughest event on the BHRC calendar, the XS team fielded five cars and three of them scored great results as they tackled over 150 miles of flat out asphalt rallying on the closed public roads of the Isle of Man.
 
The team's top result came from Steven Smith and John Nichols, who took second overall and first in category two in their Porsche 911RS. Their biggest drama of the rally came on a road section on the opening leg, when a seagull flew into their path and smashed the Porsche's windscreen. With no replacement screen available, the team worked hard to make another screen fit so that Smith could continue in the rally and score a result that keeps them firmly in contention at the head of the championship battle with three events to run.
 
"We had a very fair run," said Smith. "It was a measured performance with the championship in mind and the car never missed a beat."
 
For Peter Smith and Howard Pridmore came victory in class C3 on the driver's first rally on the island. Going into the final stage of the rally, which ended outside the famous TT grandstands in Douglas, Smith/Pridmore were second in class to XS Racing team mates Andrew Siddall and Colin Thompson in their similar Escort Mk1. But when Siddall's engine suffered a broken rocker on the final stage and dropped time, Smith/Pridmore swept ahead to make it an XS one-two in the class.
 
However, earlier in the rally, another XS crew had led the class as Drew Wylie/Neil Ewing turned in a great performance. Unfortunately, a starter problem put them out on the second day of the rally.
 
The final car from the XS stable was the Lotus Cortina of Jonathan and Graham Gale and they were challenging hard for the lead of category 1 as well as heading class B4 by a handy margin during the second day. Unfortunately, a broken halfshaft put them out after a tremendous performance that had them matching the pace of the Sunbeam Tiger and Porsche 911 at the top of the category. "Jonathan was absolutely flying until he hit trouble," said XS Racing's John Cropper.
 
"All of our drivers did an exceptional job," said Cropper. "Drew was really on it and Peter and Andrew did an amazing job considering it was their first time on the island."
 
The team is now working flat out to have the five cars ready for round six of the championship, the Harry Flatters Rally over the Epynt ranges in Wales on 2/3 August.
 
XS Racing specialises in all types of historic rally preparation and parts supply across a wide range of cars. XS Racing can be contacted on 01246 233777.

Issued by Paul Lawrence (tel 01952 510382) on behalf of the Historic Rally Car Register (www.hrcr.co.uk)