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HERO Challenge Three

HERO-ERA

4th October 2025


HERO Challenge Three 2025
Winners: James Holt/Alistair Leckie (BMW 325i)
Photograph: © HERO-ERA

Organiser: HERO-ERA

Date: 4th October

Clerk of the Course: James Phillips & Guy Woodcock

Tests: 123 Miles (5 Tests, 6 Regularities)

Base: Chepstow

Starters: 79


The third and final round of the HERO Challenge Championship was based at Chepstow Racecourse. The one day event gave the contestants six regularities and five tests to tackle. The Challenge ran behind the second day of the HRCR Club Championship, but had simpler navigation, more relaxed ideal times and no plot 'n bash navigation.

The Drivers' Championship was wide open. After two rounds Nick Bloxham held a ten point lead, but he was contesting the Interclub event and so wouldn't be scoring any further points. Stephen Owens, who was second in the table was also absent as he was taking part in a Rally The Globe event in Japan. This meant that four drivers - Dave Maryon, James Holt, Dick Baines and Mark Lillington - were the likely challengers, but needed to win their class to be in with a chance of the title. Also, Christopher Day couldn't be discounted as he was also two points behind the other four challengers.

The Navigators' Championship was more straightforward as Mike Cochrane held a six point lead, but could still be denied the title by either Alistair Leckie or Harry Baines.

Two tests at the Racecourse opened proceedings, the first being a mile and a half circuit inside the race track. The tests, as on previous Challenge events, were being scored on class improvement, but with the fastest in a class getting zero penalties, with those behind getting the amount of time that they were slower than the quickest in the class.

With eight classes this meant that at least eight crews were ensured of finishing the test with a clean score sheet. In fact, nine cars were on zero at the finish, as Stephen Chick/Alex Chick (Datsun 260Z) and Dave Smith/Suzanne Barker (Ford Escort Mexico) tied for best in Class 7.

James Holt/ Alistair Leckie (BMW 325i) got off to a bad start as they caught the car in front with half a mile of Test 1 remaining; they lost around fifteen seconds and ended ten seconds off the fastest time in their class.

Four cars were fastest in class on both of the Chepstow tests and left the Racecourse with a clean sheet. These were Chick/Chick, Christopher Day/Claire Day (Mini Cooper S), Mark Lillington/Mark Bramall (MG B) and Martin Peterson/Charlottle Crowther (Austin Healey 100/6). On scratch times Day/Day has been fastest of all crews on both tests.

HERO Challenge Three 2025
Runners Up: Mark Lillington/Mark Bramall (MG B)
Photograph: © HERO-ERA

The first regularity was a ten mile affair with three timing points, using lanes on either side of the Chepstow to Monmouth B-road. Four competitors hit all of the three points on time; Holt/Leckie were one of these and moved into the top ten. Chick/Chick and Darren Everitt/Susan Dixon (Triumph 2.5) now shared the lead with three seconds of penalties. Dick Baines/Harry Baines (Mini Cooper S) were one of those who zeroed the reg, but were being hammered on the tests as they were in the same class as Day/Day.

Paul Crosby/Pete Johnson (Mini Cooper S) completed both of the first two regularities without adding any penalties, but were only ninth, as they were also in Class 2 with Day/Day.

The Reg 2 ran to the left of the A40 starting at Ganarew and finishing at Peterstow; there were three timing points. As well as Crosby/Johnson, Mike Dixon/Liz Dixon (MG B GT) cleaned the section.

The morning coffee halt was taken at Winter's Cross. At this point Chick/Chick had established a lead of one second over Day/Day, with Lillington/Bramall in third, three seconds off first place.

Two tests at Ross Cattle Market were next on the agenda. Day/Day were fastest, but were three seconds under the bogey, so were matched on time by Chick/Chick, Crosby/Johnson and Everitt/Dixon, who all matched the bogey. Day/Day were fastest again on Test 4, while Chick/Chick picked up a ten second line fault at the test finish. This left Day/Day leading Lillington/Bramall by two seconds, with Holt/Leckie tying with Darell Staniforth/Henry Carr (Toyota Corolla) for third place.

An eleven miles regularity, with three timing points, took the route to the lunch halt at the Rolls of Monmouth Golf Course. The section twisted its way around Orcop and Garway. For the first time during the day Angus McQueen/Mike Cochrane (Ford Cortina) appeared at the top of a score sheet, putting in the best performance on the reg; this moved them up to share third place overall with Holt/Leckie and Staniforth/Carr.

HERO Challenge Three 2025
Test Pilot: Christopher Day/Claire Day (Mini Cooper S)
Photograph: © HERO-ERA

At Lunch, Day/Day still had a two second lead over Lillington/Bramall, with the trio battling for third eight seconds off first place. If the Mini pairing could maintain this position, the driver would take the Challenge Drivers' title, as he would have a maximum 20 points - 10 for a class win, 5 for first overall and 5 for the Test Pilot Award.

Reg 4, which started near the lunch halt and then ran south through Coed-y-Fedw and Llangovan, saw a change of leaders; Lillington/Bramall went in front as they dropped five seconds fewer than Day/Day. The latter were now tied for second place with Holt/Leckie, three second behind the first place.

The final test, which used the drive of Lord Harlech's home, made little difference to the lead battle as 67 cars beat the bogey.

There were two regularities left to tackle. Reg 5, which started near Usk and looped around to finish at Tredunnock, was a disaster for Day/Day; they met a civilian Mercedes approaching the final timing point and, having been on schedule, were 21 seconds late. The Joker cut this to 15 seconds, but in such a close competition, this dropped them to sixth place.

Lillington/Bramall dropped just a second on the reg and now led Holt/Leckie by four seconds, with Staniforth/Carr in third.

There was only one regularity remaining, but things were far from settled as the section proved to be a challenging one. For them, Lillington/Bramall had a disaster, adding 20 seconds to their total. Their nearest rivals didn't have a smooth ride either, Holt/Leckie picked up penalties at all timing points, but their total of 12 seconds was enough to get them over the line in first place, with Lillington/Bramall taking the runner up spot six seconds behind.

The victory ensured that James Holt secured the HERO Challenge Drivers' crown; the five points for the overall win putting him two points ahead of Mark Lillington. McQueen/Cochrane came through to take the final podium spot, giving Mike Cochrane the Challenge Navigator's title, finishing five points ahead of Alistair Leckie.

Crosby/Johnson finished in fourth, with Johnson taking the Clockwatchers Award for the best performance over the six regularities. Day/Day were one place further back, with Christopher Day taking the Test Pilot Award.

The best performance of all crews over the final two regularities pushed Rob Smith/Richard Stainer (VW Corrado) up to ninth place in the final overall positions.

Remarkably, all of the 79 starters made the finish.


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