“Welcome to the Ross Traders Historic Rally and Targa Rally 2015.

After three years of clerking the event, Will Rogers is having a break. So Simon Harris has taken the reins again with still a great Officials team on board.

Our smooth Oakenhill Test venue in the Forest of Dean is retained, and we will run that once each way in the morning. We are returning to Whitfield for some popular tests including, hopefully, one new smooth mile-long test on gravel in the estate. They will be tree harvesting in that particular area in the next few months, but rest assured, if it isn’t smooth after they’ve finished, then we won’t use this new track but substitute a good asphalt road instead! Throughout all the tests, we will retain our Solo-style numbered and arrowed cones system to help show the route.

The total event route will be about 165 miles. This includes 10 miles of tests and 135 miles of regularity, split into six sections. One long section will be simple plot & bash, while another will be ‘ready to go’ – meaning you will have the first five miles or so pre-plotted, and have the rest given to you as you start from the RS control. The other four will be Pre-plot. None of the navigation on the 2015 event will be difficult.

Navigators will be working hard, but it won’t be hard work! Rally packs will be distributed on completion of documentation on Friday or Saturday, and these will contain the Master Schedule etc – in fact everything except the regularity navigation.

Novices will receive some navigational tips in their final instructions so that they will know exactly what to expect. Our website will contain some navigational information from previous years to give you a flavour.

We were tempted to use a better test group improvement system; but have refrained, and the full test times for everybody will count.

We have limited the maximum loss at any regularity control to one minute. However, we are not using the ‘joker’ system of deleting a crew’s worst regularity penalty. There is nothing in the Blue Book in historic road rallying to preclude a Category 4 car from being considered for the overall win, so that is fine by us!

The entry fee this year includes a wonderful ploughman’s lunch, and after-event hot meal at our own clubhouse in Ross-on-Wye town centre where the bar will be open while the results are being calculated. As always, there is no charge for using roads which offer the spectacular scenery of the Forest of Dean, and views of the dramatic Black Mountains and peaceful Wye Valley.

Our Club’s internal web entry system is up and running, so this year you may enter online and pay your entry fee by BACS to the Club Account. Details in ASR 10. You may, of course, prefer to enter by post including a cheque in the traditional way.

Whichever way you enter, we look forward to entertaining you on the Ross Traders this year, whether that be in a historic car or Targa compliant car up to 1400cc.”

Documentation: www.rossmotorsports.co.uk/Ross%20Traders