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Evo Challenge gets set to start seventh season |
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Monday, 19 February 2007 |
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 The 2007 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge blasts off in Bournemouth with Friday and Saturday?s Rallye Sunseeker, the high-profile one-make series for Group N Lancer Evolutions commencing its seventh consecutive season.Now featuring a calendar which includes six Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship rounds and two Pirelli Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship rounds, the Evolution Challenge sees a strong and well subscribed entry of 24 cars for its first event of the year.?It?s great that this championship continues to attract so many teams - and such a range of drivers - from a former British Champion to another who will be competing in a Mitsubishi for the very first time,? explains Championship Coordinator Simon Slade. ?I?m also pleased to see such a high quality entry as well, which makes it difficult to predict a winner, especially as everyone?s driving a similar specification car.?Returning to the Evo Challenge fold for another crack at the title is 2006 runner-up Jonny Milner, who starts this weekend?s event as the series? number one seed. He is followed by last year?s PIAA Junior Award winner, 24-year old Phillip Morrow, who embarks on his third season in the Mitsubishi Championship. The two returnees are followed by a quintet of Evo Challenge newcomers, led by reigning National Gravel Rally Champion Craig Middleton and then leading Production Class drivers: Julian Reynolds, Garry Jennings, Wayne Sisson and Sebastian Ling.They are in turn followed by five drivers, all of whom have previously competed in the Evolution Challenge at some stage and are equally in with a shot at the top spot: Nik Elsmore, Richard Hill, Neil McCance, Stephen Petch and Connor McCloskey.Added to this are drivers who have shown their abilities in other championships: Thomas Norton, Wayne Radford, Gordon Cunningham, Errol Clarke, Daniel Barry, Jonathan Sparks, Alan Carmichael, David Bogie and Spain?s Alex Sabater - and there?s no doubt that the first round of the championship is going to be a closely fought affair.This year the Evolution Cup becomes part of the Evolution Challenge, run as a class within the championship for standard specification Group N Mitsubishi Lancers. The five drivers contesting this series include: Miles Johnston, Mark I?Anson, Wayne Radford, Errol Clarke and Stuart Haskins.With the 24 Evolution Challenge runners representing 27% of the overall field, General Manager for Ralliart Paul Brigden said, ?I?m delighted to see such a strong entry. We were confident that numbers would rise this year. We are hoping to see even more crews add their names to the list of registered competitors before the weekend, but whatever happens, it?s going to be an exciting battle ? not only for this event, but throughout the season as well.?The Rallye Sunseeker gets underway at 7.00 pm on Friday evening, with two stages through Bournemouth?s botanical gardens and along the sea front. The rally then heads into the Ringwood and Wareham Forests on Saturday for a further 12 stages before the finish back in Bournemouth at 6.00 pm.The Evolution Challenge offers drivers what is widely regarded as the best prize in British rallying ? the chance to become a Mitsubishi works driver in the 2008 British Rally Championship. The Evolution Cup will see the winner walking away with a first prize worth ?5000.Also included in this year?s Mitsubishi championship is the PIAA Junior Award for under 25 year-old drivers, the Pirelli Cup and the Performance Friction Brakes Cup.The series is backed by Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart and sees continued support from its associate sponsors Pirelli, PIAA, Speedline Corse and Shell, whilst Sparco, Performance Friction Brakes and Tesco 99 Octane (suppliers of the controlled fuel for the championship) join the series for the first time in 2007.Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge & Evolution Cup entries (in start number order)
10 Jonny Milner (Huggate)/Ian Windress (Northallerton)
12 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Simon Morrow (Lisburn) (J)
13 Craig Middleton (Llandrindod Wells)/Robin Hernaman (J)
14 Julian Reynolds (Narberth)/Patrick Walsh (Aberystwyth)
15 Garry Jennings (Kesh)) /Craig Drew (Lydney)
18 Wayne Sisson (Carnforth)/Daniel Stone (Chesterfield)
19 Sebastian Ling (Llandysul)/Aled Rees (Crymych)
20 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Vicky Allen (Denbigh)
21 Richard Hill (Chesterfield)/Aled Davies (Llanelli)
23 Neil McCance (Coomber)/TBC
25 Stephen Petch (Richmond)/Michael Wilkinson (Tow Law) (J)
28 Connor McCloskey (Lirea)/Damian Connelly (Monaghan) (J)
30 Miles Johnstone (York)/Ian Bevan (Wrexham)*
33 Thomas Naughton (Bury)/Horace Saville (Bury)
34 Mark I?Anson (Haydon Bridge)/Graeme Walker (Henley)*
47 Wayne Radford (Dinnington)/TBC*
48 Gordon Cunningham (Galston)/Stuart McManus (Kilmarnock)
49 Alex Sabater (Barcelona)/Josep Marino (Girona)
52 Errol Clark (Irvinestown)/Greg Shinnors (Limerick) (J)*
53 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Mark Bowen (Cork) (J)
57 Jonathan Sparks (Glastonbury)/Bradley Magnus (Downham Market)
58 Alan Carmichael (Ballymena)/Ivor Lamont (Ballymena)
59 Stuart Haskins (Taunton)/Mike White (Highbridge)*
61 David Bogie (Dumfries)/Rob Fagg (Isle of Man) (J)
* = Evo Cup
(J) = Junior driver
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