Mark Higgins hopeful for home event

The Stobart VK Rally Teams continue their two-prong attack on the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship this weekend when the Stobart VK Subaru Team and Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team take on the challenge of Rally Isle of Man.

Currently leading the championship after seizing a victory from under the nose of his rivals in the last event, the Jim Clark Rally, Stobart VK Subaru driver and reigning British Rally Champion Mark Higgins can’t wait for the competitive action to start on the roads of the island where he was born.


“It’s my home event and it’s always been good to me in the past,” says Higgins. As well as his BRC competition, Higgins faces the challenge of the WRC-spec cars of the Irish Tarmac Championship in the outright results. “An overall podium in the rally may be possible against the WRC cars and I can’t wait to be back on the event. It’s a fast rally, certainly one of the best tarmac rallies in the world.”

Leading the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team charge in the S1600 class, Scot Barry Clark sits just five points behind class leader Guy Wilks after a frustrating time on the Jim Clark Rally where he relinquished his points lead.

It’s fair to say that Clark is rather eager for Rally Isle of Man to start. “I love it over there,” he says. “Just everything about the event; the atmosphere is superb, the stages are fast and challenging and overall everything about it is fantastic. You’re flat out at 110mph in sixth with 10 foot banks alongside you either side, which is something that really concentrates the mind!”

Alongside Clark in the S1600 squad is Roman Kresta who is looking forward to making more progress on challenging roads of the island. "It is early in the Fiesta’s development, but it is a very good tarmac car. We have learnt from the Jim Clark Rally despite the bad luck we had there, so we will see what happens."


In the Stobart VK Subaru squad Higgins will be re-joined in the squad by the driving crew of Julian Reynolds, co-driven by Paul Spooner after Dorian Rees and Nigel Gardner stepped in for the Jim Clark Rally.

“I’m very much looking forward to the Manx,” says Reynolds. “On gravel I expect to be competitive, and I was disappointed with eighth on the Pirelli, but I’m not so sure on tarmac. I’m going with an open mind and hope I will put on a good show.”

Final word to Mark Higgins, does he have an advantage from rallying at home? “You need to have done the Manx a couple of times and then you know it well enough to win. Gwyndaf, Ryan, Rory, Jonny – all these guys know the event well so it’s going to be a real challenge and a treat for the fans.”

Rally Isle of Man starts at the TT Grandstand at 18:00 on Thursday 3rd of August and finishes back there on Saturday after 188 competitive stage miles. 

Further information on the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship can be found at: http://www.brcweb.co.uk

Further information on Rally Isle of Man can be found at http://www.rallyisleofman.co.im/

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