Historic Porsche specialist Richard Tuthill is returning to rallying after two years out of the driving seat to take on the pace-setting Escorts on the Severn Valley National Historic Rally (Saturday June 4).
The event, based in Builth Wells in mid-Wales, marks the third round of the new-for-2011 Tuthill Porsche Challenge and also counts as round four of the Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship. Tuthill’s last appearance on a stage rally was in 2009, with his last outing in the British Championship in 2007.
In fact, it was on the Severn Valley that Tuthill, managing director of Tuthill Porsche, the foremost preparation firm for historic Porsche rally cars, last competed, winning the event in his 3.0 litre Porsche 911 in 2007.
The Oxfordshire resident knows that winning the rally again will present a tough challenge, but is keen to discover the level of pace in the Historic championship, which is being dominated by Julian Reynolds and Nick Elliot in their Escorts.
“I always set out in a rally with the aim of winning but I think this may be too much to ask this time,” said Tuthill. “I haven’t driven a rally car competitively for more than two years and I know the pace will be pretty fast out there. I’m not expecting to win, but the pressure will be on; I am unbeaten in the UK so have a lot to live up to.”
Richard will be among five other drivers in Tuthill-prepared Porsches on the gravel event. Brenda Sullivan, wife of the 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan, will drive with support from the Tuthill team for the first time. Regulars Dessie Nutt and Edmund Peel will be competing alongside Tuthill Porsche Challenge competitors Andrew Barnes and John Lloyd in their 3.0 litre historic-specification 911s.
Tuthill continues: “The Severn Valley Rally is a great event and I’m also delighted to welcome Brenda Sullivan to the team. Not only is it fantastic to have the wife of a legend like Danny on board, but it’s great to have a female behind the wheel of a historic Porsche.”
He continued: “I’m also really pleased with how the Challenge is going. We’ve seen great drives from John Lloyd and Andrew Barnes so far this season and have been lucky enough to have Francois Delacour and Jimmy McRae involved too.”
The Severn Valley Rally covers some of the most challenging and fast flowing special stages Wales has to offer, which feature on Britain’s round of the world championship, Wales Rally GB. The event is based at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells and features 53 competitive miles over eight special stages. The first driver will leave the start in Builth Wells at approximately 0820hrs on Saturday June 4.
Tuthill will be co-driven by ex British rally champion Nick Beech, with whom he drove with in the USA for Hyundai, they will start the event with competition number 266.
For an all-inclusive fee Tuthill Porsche Challenge competitors will have the use of a Challenge-specification 3.0-litre Tuthill Porsche on all remaining rounds of the series, with all costs, including maintenance, consumables, accommodation, entry fees and insurance, fully covered. The winner will receive a fully-paid entry in an FIA European Historic Rally Championship round, using one of Tuthill Porsche’s full-specification 3.0-litre Porsche 911s.
– Credit: Tuthill Porsche/www.francistuthill.co.uk.