Becky all set for Ulster rally challenge

East Yorkshire rally driver Becky Kirvan will resume her rally season with the KC Rally Team next weekend when she contests rounds four and five of the BRC Challenge championship in Northern Ireland. The Ulster Challenge rally will see two days of competition with each day counting as a separate round.

Becky presently lies in second place in her class championship as well as tenth in the overall championship and she is keen to carry on her good season in the lanes of Ulster.

"We’ve had a really great season so far with good finishes on all three championship events," said Becky. "We will be competing on tarmac again on the Ulster Challenge and with the experience I built up on the last round, which was also on tarmac, I am confident we can go well."

With the last round being held back in May Becky has had a break from competing although she has not had much time to rest as she has been appearing at numerous local events to promote both rallying and her sponsors with her KC, Bardahl Oils, Princes Quay Shopping Centre, Rally4Real, Peart Auto Services and Songasport-backed Ford Fiesta ST rally car. She has also had an opportunity to test the car on tarmac to get back into the swing of driving at competition pace.

"Attending the events was a great experience, it was nice to meet lots of new people and there was loads of interest in the car and rallying. I also took the car to a track day at Cadwell Park recently for a test session and while it wasn’t really representative of the surface I’ll drive on in Ulster it was good for me to get used to driving the Fiesta again. This will be my first trip to Ireland so I can’t wait to get over the water and get to the rally start!"

The Ulster Challenge rally will start on Friday 19th August with the crews facing 90 miles of competition over the two days.

Please visit www.beckykirvan.co.uk for all the latest KC Rally Team news and pictures or join the team Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BeckyKirvanRallying.

EMMU rescue celebrates 30th anniversary

The Morecambe-based Emergency Mobile Medical Unit (EMMU) celebrate their thirtieth anniversary this year.

EMMU was formed by Stuart Westbrook who persuaded colleagues from the Royal Lancaster Infirmary to give up some of their spare time to make sport safer by attending events such as car rallies and power boat meetings.

When the unit started medical cover at these potentially dangerous events was generally limited to basic first aid and it took some convincing to persuade event organisers to let them attend. However, EMMU quickly gained a reputation for providing a vital highly professional skilled service and within a year of being formed it had 40 members and was providing emergency medical cover at events all over the country.

"When I first started the unit I had no idea that it would grow so quickly but thanks to the volunteers we soon became known for enhancing the safety at dangerous sporting events and that reputation has continued to grow." said Westbrook.

One of the current EMMU team is Rachel Medich who has been part of the unit for six years. Even though she has recently moved to Aberdeen she still attends events with the team.

"I competed on events for several years and had not really thought about the medical cover on events. I then got a job at the Infirmary and chanced upon a poster advertising EMMU and a training weekend they were holding."

"The training was brilliant and I joined the unit as a trainee. For three years I attended events in a trainee capacity and learned about everything required to safely extract a casualty from a vehicle and immobilise them to prevent further injury. I then passed an assessment which meant I could be a fully licensed Motor Sport Association rescuer."

"I did not realise how much thought and preparation goes into every rescue. Each one is different and the circumstances of the rescue can be very difficult, for example a rally car crashed upside down in a remote forest."

"I absolutely love attending the events and being part of what is a very professional and well respected team, they’re like a big family to me."

Thirty years after its inception Westbrook still leads the EMMU team, although he has now retired from working at the Infirmary.

"The EMMU work is completely different from the job I did at the hospital. The events are often located in very remote locations so we have to be prepared to deal with all kinds of incidents on the spot."

"I feel very privileged to have had support from various local business over the years, including our present supporters Angus Fire, Macadam Garages, TEG Sport, Blaklader, Holmatro and North West Tyres. Without their assistance and that of the volunteers who give up their free time to attend events and training there would be no rescue unit so I am very grateful for the support we receive. Hopefully the unit will continue for many years to come."

Please visit www.emmu.co.uk for further information on EMMU or contact Stuart Westbrook on 01524 422896 or 07831 395221.

Morgan sparks interest in 2012 rally season

Formula 1000 rally competitor Harry Morgan enjoyed a successful test of the latest Chevrolet Spark competition car last week as he starts to make plans for his 2012 rally campaign.

Morgan, who currently competes in a Nissan Micra, is considering upgrading to the Chevrolet for 2012 and he was invited to the test at Blyton Park where the XS Racing team were undertaking development work. Before his driving stint Morgan was able to examine the newly developed Chevrolet.

“I had a good look at the car, the set-up and the development work, the build quality was excellent and the preparation completed by XS Racing was first class,” commented Morgan.

After Chevrolet driver Cameron Davies had completed his own test Morgan was able to get behind the wheel himself.

"I was very impressed by the performance of the Spark, I felt the brakes were powerful, the steering had a lot of good feedback making the car very precise and the suspension set-up was well balanced providing excellent feel whilst in the car.”

“The engine had excellent torque and power, providing exceptional acceleration and the gearbox had a nice gear ratio, making the most of the 1000cc engine’s power."

"My ambition for 2012 is to compete again in the Formula 1000 Forest Championship and hopefully if I can obtain sufficient backing and sponsorship I may be able to compete in the new Chevrolet Spark, with the aim of being the 2012 champion."

"I would like to thank Alistair Sutherland and the XS Racing team for inviting me to the test day, plus Cameron and Geraint Davies for making it such an enjoyable day."

If you would like to know more about Harry and his rallying career visit www.harryrally.co.uk.

Images from the Ray Kempster Memorial Hill Rally

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Images from round 4 of the BCCC

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