History
The original Yorkshire Rally ran throughout the 1950's and 60's, These epic events saw some of the greatest tests of man and machine of the time. We have collated some archive information which recount the tales of the Yorkshire Rally of yesteryear.
1950
Mike Wilson & Tommy Wise, founders of the Yorkshire Rally, competing here in the 1950 Monte Carlo Rally for the works Jarret Team, in car 120 on the right of the picture. Mike with his camera and Tommy lighting his cigarette. Courtesy of The Klemantaski Collection.
1959
Courtesy of Tony Hodgetts:
John Heppenstall (MGA Twin-Cam) at the Burnsall Control; Peter Bolton and Peter Craven inspecting. Eric Toye (Chief Scrutineer) checking. |
Arnold Burton's AC Ace-Bristol (Arnold standing at rear) checking in at the Burnsall Control under the watchful eye of Norman 'Fur' Coates. |
1960
Courtesy of John Holroyd (MotorsportPhotographs.com):
John Heppenstall |
John Heppenstall |
Bruce Moss |
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Ken Lee |
Past president Bill Whiteley & Eric Battle. Winners of the event in 1956. |
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1961
Clean Sheets on the "Yorkshire" - Autosport Rally Report - 17th February:
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
1962
Yorkshire Rally - Autosport Rally Report - 23rd February:
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
Part 3 (Pictures) |
The 12th Yorkshire Rally - BARC Report - February:
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
Courtesy of John Holroyd (MotorsportPhotographs.com):
Pat Moss and David Stone - 1962 winners. Pat Moss was the first lady to win the event. |
GD Grimshaw |
Peter Proctor (Sunbeam works driver) and Michael Kempley. |
Ann Hall Yorks won the Ladies award. |
1963
Geoff Allen (Mini Cooper) Wins A "Pushing And Heaving" Yorkshire Rally - Autosport Rally Report - 15th February:
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
BARC Yorkshire Rally Report:
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
Cover photo |
1964
Yorkshire Rally - Autosport Rally Report - 21st February:
Anecdotes
"I competed as navigator on many of these great events in the 1950's and 60's. I had a good deal of success on most of the events, so needless to say, it still ranks as one of the most favourite of rallies that I ever did.
The first 'Yorkshire' that I did was in 1955 with John Waddington in a Ford Anglia 100E, we won the event by quite a margin. I won it again in 1958 with Tommy Gold in a Austin Healey 100. The following year, 1959, I won it once more, this time yet again with John Waddington in a Austin A40 Farina, beating incidentally, another Austin A40 Farina into second place by a very narrow margin.
Finally, and this is the only record I have, in 1962 John Waddington and I finished in fourth place in a Triumph TR3A, we lost only one mark and the first three cleaned the event. Pat Moss and David Stone were named as the eventual winners. And j ust for the record Mike Sutcliffe and Phil Crabtree won in 1961."
Mike Wood - Three Times Winner
"Marshalling used to be nearly as exciting as competing. I did a control at Booth Wood one year, and we arrived outside the hotel and set up our control near the obligatory 'phone box, but first we had to dig a parking place for the cars, and then dig a snow-hole for the control, as the snow was four foot deep by the road. Our "igloo" housed a table, chairs, hurricane lamp and paraffin heater, and hot soup and plenty of blankets kept out the cold on what was fortunately a clear night with the igloo keeping the wind at bay."
Tony Hodgetts - Photographer
Courtesy of John Holroyd (MotorsportPhotographs.com):
Signing on |
Control |
Results |
"Of what I can remember, they were long Rallies, 350 milers, using the most roughest rock strewn tracks that Mike Wilson (C of C) could find. The famous year, 1963, of the snow storms, the organisers altered the rules at the last minute with many roads being impassable.
So what they did was to leave the TCs in their original positions and you could drive through them WD, turn around just beyond and then return and book in using the correct approach with no penalty, this still caught a lot of folk out with WDs.
Reg McBride & myself finished 2nd, much to our disgust!
Approaching from the South around the Ripon / Thirsk area, we encountered a ferocious snow storm which blanketed the whole Cleveland Hills and blocked even the main roads. You had to make a major decision to get to the TCs in the Grosmont area, I returned back to Helmsley and across to (totally convinced I was doing the wrong thing) Scarborough and up to Whitby then back towards Grosmont.
These roads were only just on, there was a TC in the village on the West side of Grosmont, with Grosmont 'Out Of Bounds', and another TC, East of Grosmont, we were meant to use the white road which skirted to the North of the village, but it was blocked with 10' high drifts.
With cutting out a large section around the Cleveland Hills, we naturally arrived in the Grosmont area with 55 minutes in hand and with the road being blocked I walked through the OOBs and could see the Marshals in position to the West, not wanting to be accused of walking through an OOBs I returned and reported to Reg. We decided to wait outside the flag at the TC, to the East, for our due time and booked in on schedule time and then proceeded through all TCs to the Finish.
When the results came out, Geoff Allen & Barry Hughes were 1st, they got the TC, West of Grosmont and obviously drove through the unmanned OOB in the village, we were furious and protested, but as there was no marshal on the OOB there was no proof."
Don Barrow - Another prolific competitor and survior of 'The Yorkshire'