Click here to read the full press release from Chelmsford Motor Club.

After the Saturday seafront spectator stage in Clacton took place in late afternoon sunshine, conditions changed dramatically on Sunday.

The challenging lanes in the Tendring countryside were made more so by rain and different grip levels on various sections. These caught out a number of crews, so we congratulate our Top 3 finishers.

1. Neil Roskell/Andrew Roughead – Ford Fiesta Rally 2
2. Hugh Hunter/Rob Fagg – Ford Fiesta Rally 2
3. John Indri/Claire Williams – Mitsubishi Mirage R5+
   

We’ve had to move the start of the seafront stages on Saturday evening. It’s now opposite Connaught Gardens on Marine Parade East. Postcode CO15 6JB.

The ‘rally family’ unites at a time of loss and during our rally we remember and celebrate the lives of Ian Rix and Craig Breen.  We invite crews to apply stickers to their rally cars that we’ll provide at signing-on, and we’ll endeavour to provide these to our volunteers too.

Ian was a much respected competitor and a staunch supporter of Rallying in East Anglia who sadly passed away recently.  Our thoughts go out to his wife Clare and the rest of the family.

Craig began rallying in his native Ireland and mainland Britain, before progressing to European Rally Championship and World Rally Championship events.  He was a rally fan at heart, who made it to the top, charming everyone along the way. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues

The most local competitors in the rally this year will be Mark (Rik) Coleman and Robert Best, both from Clacton, in car 100.  You may remember their distinctive Ford Fiesta from last, carrying the distinctive Robin Cancer Trust livery and messaging. 

We spoke to Rik about the experience of rallying close to home and of supporting the charity.  He said “The rally last year was absolutely amazing, raising both awareness and cash for the Robin Cancer Trust.  My phone rang off the hook and I saw people I hadn’t seen for ages.  It was humbling to get so much support. I felt like a 10-minute superstar, although it created pressure not to let anyone down.”

Looking ahead to the 2023 rally Rik said “After some car trouble last year*, we’re hoping for a hassle-free run.  The sponsorship raised by stickers on the car goes 100% to our fantastic charity and we can’t wait to get started on Saturday night.” See www.therobincancertrust.org

*We thought he pulled-over on the Ship Hill spectator stage, opposite the Robin Cancer Trust stand, to get more attention, but he says it was a gear linkage issue.  We believe you Rik. 🙂

Spectator information for both Saturday and Sunday is available from this link.

The seeded entry list is available from this link

These are now available for the 2023 rally on the Competitors page, which is also where you’ll find the Supplementary Regulations.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the rally in 2023. Please see the information and links on the Marshals page and register to join us.

The recent rally was a great success, with thousands of people at Clacton seafront on the Saturday evening for the sunset stage and at the Sunday spectator stages. They were joined by tens of thousands of viewers who watched the live online streaming.

Chelmsford Motor Club is therefore delighted to announce the next running of the event is planned for the weekend of 22nd & 23rd April 2023.

Event Director Tony Clements said: “The welcome the rally received on its return this year was fantastic and we look forward to working with the local communities again.  We’ll have further innovations for next year to entertain the growing crowds who come to see this exciting spectacle.”

Cllr Alex Porter, Tendring District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said: “Since it was first on the road in 2018, the Corbeau Seats Rally Tendring & Clacton has always been a spectacle, and this year’s new seafront stage in Clacton proved immensely popular – with crowds lining the promenade.

Given its popularity and what a draw it is for the area I’m delighted Chelmsford Motor Club plans to bring the rally back next year; it is certainly something we will support.”

Cllr Porter added: “The rally is an important part of our exciting events calendar, and whether cars are your thing or you prefer the bright lights of Illuminate Festival or the planes at Clacton Airshow, you can keep up to date by downloading – for free – the LoveTendring app to your smartphone.”

Further information will be available later this year.

Congratulations to our top three overall and all award winners through the classes.