........Marches4x4........ BCCC ........

Marches prepare for Round 1 in South Wales.

After a winter of slumbering and a slight hiccup over the location of the first round, Marches 4x4 is finally gearing up for the first of 6 Championship rounds.

Initially our first foray out was to be at a MOD site in Brough, unfortunately the MOD cancelled at short notice, and our Clerk of Course, Selwyn Kendrick, reshuffled the running order for this year and Crickhowell in South Wales became Round 1 of the 2009 BCCC.

Selwyn proudly showed the Marches team the site with a very large area of permanent pasture land which could easily accommodate the “circus” and the course which runs around a steep hill, which some described as an extinct volcano.
The course is expected to be in the order of 6 miles most of which are paths and tracks some not appearing to have been travelled for years. “ It is going to be fast and tough” commented Selwyn.
Some tracks are around steep slopes and one mistake could take the unfortunate competitor a long distance into the undergrowth, but the views the competitors get as they disappear will be awesome.

Due to the uncertainty of the location of the first round, regulations were published a little late. However entries have been arriving fast and many of the competitors from 2008 have been keen to part with their entry fee.

Martin Cox and Phil Ibbotson who were 1st and 2nd in class E last year have entered.
The Bartlett brothers, Ian Rochelle, Steve Smith and Chris Hammond are a few more of the names that will be joining us at Crickhowell.

Once again the wellbeing of everyone will be looked after by Greg and his staff at XOX with all day food and a bar in the evening.

Marches will once again use the vehicle extraction experts Mark and Debbie from Difflock 8 Recovery and the medical needs will be catered for by Dr John, Paramedic Graham Hundley and the teams from Cam Rescue and Castle Rescue.
The official photographer is Gary Simpson from Songasport who will be happy to supply proofs.

With a superb and exciting course and many of the top names in cross country motorsport competing, this is certain to be a exhilarating weekend for both competitor and spectator.

Fine weather would just put the icing on the cake.

We are happy to welcome competitors who would like to compete just for a day or weekend.
For only £95.00 for the day or £185.00 for the weekend competitors could experiance the fun and exhilaration of high milage cross country motorsport.
This is an ideal way for clubmans to find out how our events run and possibly encorage new championship competitors for our next season

If you would like any futher information on our first round, just send me, Chris Gibson, a e-mail

A pre-season round up

Our Ace reporter has been out and about, complete with dark glasses, floppy hat and a bulk purchase of reporters notepads from a closing Woolworths store.

Below are his observations.

Please note that neither the webmaster or Marches management take any resonsibility for the facts which are embellished with fiction in the pursuit of entertainment

Good day Boys and Girls,

David Willerton.

We would like to introduce our new 'glossy' style British Cross Country Championship magazine.

It is our intention to bring regular updates of the 'season' as it progresses..... or in many cases 'doesnt progress'.

During the recent months 'Organisers' and 'Competitors' have been preparing hard for the new season.

The Marches 4x4 typewriter has now been fitted with 'water cooling' to the keys and the merry band of volunteers are bashing away and the 2009 BCCC regulations will be available some time this week.
Besides the much hyped 'tow rope' rule, this was the annual 'wind up' to get competitors in a good frame of mind to continue moaning for the rest of the year and will not be implemented due to finanical constraints of the Competitors having to spend so much money in the beer tent to calm their nerves.

So, the gossip around the pit lane this week.

Monsuier Kershaw BCCC winner for 2008 and nearly every other year has been busy at it all winter.
Miles of stainless steel pipe have been fitted along with special filters and condensers, Richard commented that this winter has seen a major upgrade and he hopes to see a major improvement, the cows are now having to chew and digest at a 'Wallace and Grommit; pace to keep the new bottling plant going, and with any luck the 'fast and furious' street parts will arrive from Japan to be fitted to last years untouched car.

Rowland Marlow in the trees at Baden Hall

Gary Simpson.

200 miles away in a little corner of North Wales, its a completely different story!!! Midnight 'hacksawing' has seen Tim Dilworth and M Sport Design guru Anthony Brinkman beaver away like two rodents, clawing away 'weight' from the car.
Anthony who has not eaten since christmas day, explains that they must shed at least 150kg to keep up with the old Diesel Tomcats, "we have changed steel water pipes to aluminum, we have lightened everything in sight".
Most visitors to the garage have been complaining that their wallets were normally lightened more than usual !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Returning 2007 Champion Colin Gould now has a new vehicle, having watched Top Gear and seeing Richard Hammond in the Bowler Wildcat 200, Colin commented 'I have always been a driving god' so when i saw this little bloke in a car, I just had to have it !!
His brother commented, 'We made a pact two years ago to have Team Colours, and as the Wildcat was the only yellow car for sale at the time, he had to have it, as he is too tight to paint another car'.

Not the case down in the sunny Victorian sea-side town of Weymouth, Steve Lloyds Milner Protruck was seen disappearing down to the world famous emporium of the Bartlett Brothers, it is expected that the 'magic ride' vehicle will soon be in team colours and ready for the first round.

Steve Lloyd who had only driven a Land Rover series 2a up to the start of last years BCCC clubmans round is now campaigning a Milner R5 without the transaxle configuration.
Steves young son Ollie has now got rid of his 'hangover' and his mother has barred him from the beer tent.
The local valet is still finding bits of carrot inside the motorhome but it should be usable if the windows are not shut.

John Cockburn has built a new missle of a car, based on a space frame and beam axles this vehicle will be unstoppable however in a over generous scottish tradition John may not be racing this year to asist Ian Greg in 'primrose' , Bob 'can you smell something burning' Semen and Steve Lloyd along with Richard Hopkins, who may debut a Nemesis.

Bob Seaman upside down with Debbie Difflock

Gary Simpson.

The United Kingdoms number one diesel tuner, Jeremy Fearn has been pumping his diesel power around the world in the close season. JJF has been seen at Heathrow on may occassions flying out to India and Chile. he may well miss the first round as a trip to India has been booked to assist a top secret project.
A local spokesperson for Brough Council, commented that the absence of the Fearn Hotel may leave a few people displaced for accommodation, we will be setting up a 'hot line' similar to the Immigration and we will have 'housing' and food available for the normal inhabitants.

Back up to cold North, Carl Duffield will be returning to win the championship this year.
We suffered a few engine problems last year, but I have cut the floor out and will pedal it around like Fred Flintstone if I have to!!!! chuckled the young Earby driver.

Alas the long awaited arrival of the Lofthouse Freelander has been put back another season.
The 27 year old Chorley driver, Dan Lofthouse will be campaigning the battle warrior Proto LD4. 'Father is not as young as he use to be and just doesnt build cars as quick as he use to, I am giving him Cod liver oil to loosen up his joints but I cant get him to work any quicker! At one time when I was watching X Factor on TV on a Saturday night, I could phone him up and he would come in from the cold draughty garage and make me a cup of tea and be back out during an advert break, these days he forgets the chocolate biscuits and its half way through the song before he gets out of the way' said Dan the 35 year old with the school boy looks.

Top Gun and OK Magazine wanabe Justin Birchall has had a busy 4 months.
The car is just about right, but its taken me 3 months to find the right shaped sun glasses so that I look right when I get out of the car.
Last year I wore Ray Bans which looked good, but then I found out a 'lucky lucky man' was selling replica's for 2 Euro's on Magaluff beach so they had to go.
Justin believes that this will be his year, and has commissioned an alloy wheel manufacturer to produce a special edition alloy wheel called the 'Chieftan'.
We have had a little bit of bad luck last year with wheels, the local re-cycling site now has a special skip for us after we dumped the first 30 broken ones.
Justins fearless ex-glamour model wife Louise believes if he can keep out of the ditches and on the road they may be able to finish a run on four wheels.

Some casual parking !!

Gary Simpson.

Derbyshires Alan Kirkland now has an ex fighter plane engine fitted into the back of his car.
The Jaguar engine is fitted with nato electronics and Alan his hoping to have a big improvements in his results after stripping out the old 200,000 mile V8 motor.

V8 guru Rowland Marlow has been spending money 'hand over fist' down the local B&Q this winter, it is expected he will be competing this year ...... if he can get the bathroom tiled in time.

Those comical duo from Warrington Tomcat Tony and Bumpy Mike have had there cars in pieces and put back together.
Both had a bad year last year but this year the chase is on. 'Bumpys fitted new TOW stickers to his car so the marshals can pull him back over quicker, it means I wont be able to stop for a fag now half way around a run' said Tomcat.

So readers it looks like a busy season is ahead... keep reading !!!!!!!!!

BCCC 2009 season.

Our first round is a new venue for us at Crickhowell South Wales on the 11-12 April, this is the bank holiday weekend and will be spent in one of the most scenic parts of South Wales.

Round two is at Radnor Forest on the 9th - 10th May. A favorite venue for many competitors with it's fast gravel tracks and testing cross country sections.

Round Three, Penrith, Cumbria 6-7 June. Another new site, this time private land comprising of woods and open moor land.

Round Four was scheduled for Castle O’er Scotland on the 4-5 July, Unfortunately it is unlikely that the venue will be available. I have been told that another venue will run on that date.

Round Five is a return to SweetLamb on the 12-13 September. This is a favourite with many competitors. The blistering fast roads and treacherous cross country sections test man and machine.

Round Six,our final round of the year is Driffield in Yorkshire on the 10th - 11th October. This stomach churning site is a MOD vehicle training area and provides some exhilarating airborne activity.

Note: photographs of other BCCC competitors from all our 2008 and 2009 events are available by contacting official photographer Gary Simpson at Songsport