Bulldog Rally Determines Winner of 2006 MSA Gravel Championship in the United Kingdom

The battle for the 2006 MSA Gravel Rally Championship comes to an end on October 21st in the UK. The final round of the Bulldog Rally will play out on the fast roads of Oswestry at Shropshire in the Mid Welsh forests.

Craig Middleton's Hyundai Accent WRC Craig Middleton's Hyundai Accent WRC
Llandrindod Wells driver Craig Middleton and co-driver Robin Hernaman have a shot at the championship. Middleton and Hernaman are in a good position after taking their 3rd win of the season at Scotland. In the forest above Lock Ken in Scotland, only two drivers broke the seven minute barrier; Middleton by six seconds and Roger Duckworth by three seconds.

As the drivers went into stage 4 at Cairn Edward, Middleton was leading Duckworth by 22 seconds. At the end Duckworth cracked an exhaust manifold and he chose to finish the race. Middleton and Hernaman took a hard-earned victory.

An 8th place finish will guarantee the Hyundai Accent WRC pair the title, but they will not take anything for granted. Roger Duckworth and co-driver Mark Broomfield are close with their Subaru WRC.  This year’s championship allows crews to drop their two worst scores. In 2005 crews were only allowed to drop one score.

Middleton and Hernaman use K&N Engineering Filters. “K&N gives the best protection under any conditions,” said Graham Middleton, Craig’s father. “This is vital because we run an expensive engine in the WRC Hyundai.”

Under the ANCRO Championship Standings scoring rules, Middleton and Hernaman are the favorites, but the race at Bulldog Rally will determine who wins the title.

Follow Craig Middleton's progress throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.