Kielder Forest Rally set for Reis English Rally Championship tussle

The Kielder Forest Rally plays host to the third round of the Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship and its Elliot Payne who heads up the points tables with two wins to his name as the series heads for the North Tyne Valley [15 June].

The Kielder forest complex is renowned for its high speed yet unforgiving stages, which are lined with car swallowing ditches, ready to catch the unwary. The perfect battleground for the Reis Motorsport Insurance supported series, the gravel tests will see Payne lock horns with Nova driver Nigel Jenkins who trails by two points, Russ Thompson (Lancer EVO9) by four and Matthew Hirst (Fiesta R5) by six. However, with five rounds to run and each competitor’s five best scores to count towards their final tally, it’s still possible for someone who has yet to come to our attention to move into the ascendancy!

In a class-based series such as this, competitors are set against those in similar cars, such that out-and-out power doesn’t necessarily pay dividends – as a glance at the list of previous English Rally Champions will amply illustrate!