Jonny Milner Motorsport News
01 November 2011
//Milner’s ties for overall sprint honours and secures Toyota deal for 2012
The outstanding performance of Huggate rally driver Jonny Milner and his Merlin International team in the 2011 Toyota Sprint Series has secured the promise of a brand new car for the 2012 Sprint Series Challenge.
Led by Jonny, who missed out on the overall 2011 Title despite winning the same number of rounds as Adrian Smith and being 2.1 seconds faster than his adversary over the six rounds (in the event of a tie, the title goes to the winner of the first round), the team had four drivers finishing in the top ten, including 21 year old Danni Bark, who was the fastest woman overall in the final round.
The final championship positions of the Merlin drivers were Jonny Milner 2nd driving his ‘Extreme’ Toyota Celica GT4, Andrew Falkingham (also from Huggate) 3rd, Ash Simpson from Fangfoss 5th and Danni Bark 9th.
Of the defeat, Milner said; “It was really disappointing not to win the championship but we had some real problems with the cooling system and just couldn’t get a clean run. It has made us all the more determined for next year and we’re hopeful that my performance throughout the series and at Goodwood will result in a new car sponsorship for the 2012 Championship. If you thought that this year’s car was ‘Extreme’, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”
Merlin International fielded the biggest team in the 2011 Toyota Sprint Series with eight drivers competing in three classes.
06 September 2011
//Milner's championship hopes rise
East Yorkshire rally driver Jonny Milner is celebrating after a second convincing win in the Toyota Sprint Series puts the 2011 Toyota Sprint Series championship title firmly within his grasp.
Driving his ‘Extreme’ Toyota Celica GT4 Milner, from Huggate beat defending champion Adrian Smith by 2.1 seconds – his biggest margin this year – to take his third victory in the fifth round at the Croft Circuit, Dalton on Tees, at the weekend.
Of the victory, Milner said; “This was a new circuit to the championship and it was a fast track that suited us well. The Merlin Preparations team had rebuilt the engine since the last round and the car handled superbly and the throttle response was amazing. We’re now one point in the lead and in with a real chance to win the championship at next month’s final round at Blyton, Scunthorpe. We’ll be making some final tweaks to overcome some pressurising issues and we’re hopeful that the pre-Goodwood testing that we did at Blyton will stand us in good stead as far as the course is concerned.”
Meanwhile, the rest of the Merlin International and Rock Oil supported team also had a successful day with wins for Andrew Falkingham in A3-Pro Class and York Rallycross driver Ash Simpson in the A3-Street Class. In the same class, Ash’s girlfriend, Danni Bark finished third and brothers John and James Crabtree had a great day to come came seventh and sixth respectively.
The final round of the championship takes place at Blyton Park on 15th October.
16 August 2011
//Team Merlin’s winning weekend
East Yorkshire rally driver Jonny Milner is celebrating a convincing win in the fourth round of the Toyota Sprint Series at RAF Cottesmore last weekend.
Despite early problems with rising water pressure levels, Jonny managed to beat old adversary and current series champion Adrian Smith by two seconds – his biggest margin of the year’s championship. The pair now have two wins each with two rounds of the championship remaining.
Following his defeat in the last round at Barkston Heath, Milner and the Merlin Preparations Team had worked on the Celica GT4’s super charger and was very pleased with the outcome. He said; “The car performed brilliantly and the high speed and technical course suited us. It’s great to be back in the fight.”
Meanwhile, the rest of the Merlin International and Rock Oil supported team also had a successful day with wins for Andrew Falkingham in A3-Pro Class and York Rallycross driver Ash Simpson in the A3-Street Class. Both are now leading their classes and came third and fourth respectively overall. Ash’s girlfriend, Danni Bark also competed in the A3-Street Class and finished sixth overall.
The team that will be back in action for the next round at the Croft Circuit, Dalton on Tees on 4th September.
04 July 2011
//Milner dominates at Goodwood Festival of Speed on Toyota’s anniversary of the Celica
East Yorkshire rally driver Jonny Milner is celebrating after winning the title for the fastest car at Goodwood’s historic hill climb.
Milner, from Huggate, had invested heavily in improving the performance of his nitrous fuelled 850 BHP Rotrex supercharged Toyota Celica GT4 in a bid to claim the prize and was delighted to achieve his aim of being the fastest car up the hill in a time of 48.01 seconds.
An elated Milner said; “This is a fitting tribute to Toyota, who produced the first Celica 40 years ago. The GT4 is over 400kg heavier than the million pound F1 cars that we were competing against, but with our modifications, including the six speed sequential MaKTraK gearbox and Michelin’s 24/64-17 RC001 rallycross tyres that enabled me to transfer all those horsepower to the ground, right from the start line, we were able to outperform GT1 champion Michael Bartels in his Maserati MC12 and Gary Ward in his Indy 500 winning Penske.”
Milner continued; “The car caused quite a stir in the paddock with its new ‘LFA Nürburgring Orange’ livery and aero 
package and I was delighted when the performance lived up to its good looks! To win the prestigious Tag Heuer award for the fastest car on the hillclimb was just the perfect result to round off a perfect weekend.”
Commenting on the victory, Michelin's Head of Marketing UK and ROI, Jianni Geras said; “Following our recent victories at both the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Nürburgring endurance races it shows that our tyres can cut it on sprint races, too. Proof that Michelin tyres offer winning levels of performance in all types of motorsport - using technology that transfers to the road in tyres like our recently introduced Pilot Super Sport high performance car tyre range.”
Milner and the Merlin Preparations team are already hatching plans for an exciting new Toyota to defend the crown at Goodwood 2012.
Based in a state of the art workshop in East Yorkshire, Merlin International Engineering has recently been appointed the sole Toyota Centre of Excellence in the UK.
30 June 2011
//Milner unveils new look in bid for Goodwood glory
2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner has made extensive modifications to his ‘Extreme’ Toyota Celica GT4 in preparation for the historic Hillclimb at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (30 June - 3 July).
Yorkshireman Milner and his Merlin Preparations team have made extensive adjustments to the aerodynamics, suspension, engine and gearbox in a bid to outclass his lighter, F1 competitors in the epic 1.16 mile race.
The ‘Extreme’ Toyota Celica GT4 is now even more extreme. Boasting a new shade – ‘Lexus Nürburgring Orange’ in celebration of the Celica’s 40th anniversary – a modified engine that delivers 850 BHP, wings, winglets and Michelin’s super sticky hill climb tyres, Milner is confident that the team has done everything they can to produce a winning car.
Commenting on the changes Milner said; “Although we’ve done everything we can and we’re confident, we’re also realistic. The Celica is 400kg heavier than most of the other cars in the climb, but with the right conditions – wet would be good for us, being rally people – we’ve got a fighting chance.”
Milner has been invited by Toyota to take part in the Hillclimb at this, the world’s largest car event and is hoping that he can improve on last year’s second position and take a win back to East Yorkshire.
The Hillclimb is the Festival of Speed’s principal attraction. Taking place throughout the weekend, the challenging, invitation only course starts as a tree-lined run through the southern corner of the Goodwood Estate which then turns to sweep past the front of Goodwood House before climbing a steep and narrow estate road towards Goodwood’s equine racecourse on top of the South Downs.
Milner will be one of 300 cars and motorbikes that will sprint up the iconic hill daily in the hope of getting a fast enough time to earn a place in the Shoot Out finale on Sunday 3rd July.
28 May 2011
//Podium places all round for Merlin International team at Woodbridge
East Yorkshire rally driver Jonny Milner’s confidence in the changes made to his ‘Xtreme’ 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 was rewarded with a win in the second round of the Toyota Sprint Series Championship at Woodbridge last weekend.
Following his defeat in the opening race of the Series at Rockingham, Milner, from Huggate, and the Merlin Preparations Team had redesigned virtually every part of the car and beat old adversary Adrian Smith, winner of last year’s Series, by 1.11 seconds.
Commenting on the win, Milner said; “We’re delighted that all of the modifications paid off and that we’ve now got a win under our belt! The car handled brilliantly and is looking good for the rest of the Series."
Meanwhile, the rest of the Merlin International and Rock Oil supported team also had a successful day with wins for Andrew Falkingham in A3-Pro Class and York Rallycross driver Ash Simpson in the A3-S Class, a second for Duncan McMath in the A3-Pro Class and a third for Barry Watling, driving Jonny’s 2009 Championship Winning Celica GT4 ST205 in the A1–Pro Class. Ash’s girlfriend, Danni Bark came fourth in the A3-S class and was second lady overall.
The team that will be back in action at the third round of the Toyota Sprint Series at Barkston Heath on 24th July. Before that, Jonny will be hoping to improve on last year’s second place and win the historic 1.16 mile Hill Climb at Goodwood Festival of Speed from 1st to 3rd July.
Merlin International also supports Dunnington Under 11’s Girls’ Football Team.
17 May 2011
//Milner chases success with major modifications
East Yorkshire rally driver Jonny Milner is hoping that the extensive modifications that he has made to his Merlin International supported ‘Xtreme’ 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 will pay off at Woodbridge this weekend (22nd May).
Milner, from Huggate, will travel to Woodbridge, Suffolk, for the second round of the Toyota Sprint Series Championship confident in the knowledge that the Merlin Preparations Team has virtually redesigned every part of the car in a bid to gain valuable seconds and beat adversary Adrian Smith, winner of last year’s Series.
Commenting on the changes, Milner said; “We’ve looked at just about everything except the panels and the dash to try to address the gearbox and lag issues. We have fitted a rallycross style transmission system that we hope will solve the understeer problems and we’re confident that we have created a neutral handling car that will do what we want it to do!"
Milner, 42 was pipped to the post in round one after the Celica developed gearbox problems that required extensive remedial work in the pits during the first of the six round Series at Rockingham.
The full Merlin International team that will be in action at Woodbridge comprises Jonny, Barry Watling driving Jonny’s 2009 Championship Winning Celica GT4 ST205 in the A1–Pro Class, Duncan McMath and Andrew Falkingham in A3-Pro Class and York Rallycross driver Ash Simpson and girlfriend Danni Bark sharing the Merlin International Street Car in the S3 and Ladies classes respectively.
Merlin International also supports Dunnington Under 11’s Girls’ Football Team.
31 March 2011
//Milner starts out with a bang
East Yorkshire rally driver Jonny Milner’s first round of the Toyota Sprint Series Championship literally went off with a bang after he suffered unprecedented technical problems with his Merlin International supported ‘Xtreme’ 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 at Rockingham last weekend.
Despite the extreme technical challenges that he faced throughout the race, he was finally only pipped to the post by 0.6 seconds by old adversary Adrian Smith.
Commenting on the weekend’s extraordinary chain of events, Milner said; “It didn’t bode well when the brand new sequential linkage gearbox began to play up in the parade ring at 10mph!”
After winning the first round convincingly, some drastic running repairs saw the new gearbox replaced with an H pattern linkage but the damage had already been done and Milner had to miss three runs. Even after metal cutting the gear box to make it work again, the Celica was still jumping out of gear.
Relieved that the day was over, Milner said; “I’m naturally disappointed not to win the first round, but we know what issues we have to overcome and we have two months to iron them out. We were fortunate that the Merlin team were able to repair the gearbox so quickly, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t enough. We had a tough time getting all four cars ready in time for Rockingham, but overall, I was encouraged by the performance – we all did really well.”
The Merlin International team comprised Jonny, Barry Watling, 4rd in Jonny’s 2009 Championship Winning Celica GT4 ST205 in the A1–Pro Class, Duncan McMath, 2nd in the A3-Pro Class with his Celica, reserve driver Bob Hawkins 1st in the A3 O/A (in Duncan’s shared car!) and Andrew Falkingham, 3rd in the same class in his Celica GT4 ST205.
Meanwhile, the Simpson brothers and their Merlin supported cars had a much less eventful start to the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship series at Lydden Hill, where a bumper field and live SKY coverage attracted a large crowd and made for a great atmosphere.
York brothers Ash, 22 and Russ 20 Simpson were driving a self built Lotus Exige and a Citroen C2 respectively and both came away from the Kent race circuit with podium places.
Both Ash and Russ had their minds sets on the podium before the event had even started, but also knew that with the small budget set for the year, the cars needed to be kept intact for the rest of the season.
Competing in the Hot Hatch class, Russ managed to set good qualifying times within the heats to qualify second on the grid for the final, where a good start left him in a strong second place that he maintained to the end of the race. Commenting on his performance, he said; “The Merlin team had prepared the car well and I was delighted to finish behind the leader and with no damage!”
Meanwhile, Ash was competing in the Super Modified class in his Lotus Exige and was on the pace in qualifying and managed to snatch 3rd place on the grid for the final out of 20 serious competitors.
Commenting on the race, a delighted Ash said; “A brilliant start launched the Lotus into a battle for the top spot from the first corner. I used my head well and played the joker lap whilst the front to cars battled it out and stole second place from rival Jamie Bird on the last lap, to take second place at the line.”
Jonny Milner added “This was a fantastic result for the Merlin International Team for round one, with Ash and Russ Simpson showing they have what it takes to reach the podium against tough competition in the 2011 season.”
Jonny Milner is next in action in the second round of the Toyota Sprint Series at Woodbridge, Suffolk on 22nd May whilst Ash and Russ will be competing in the second round of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship at Blyton, Lincs on 7th May.
24 March 2011
//York rallycross brothers benefit from major sponsorship deal
Two young York rallycross drivers are celebrating after negotiating a major sponsorship deal.
Brothers Ash, 22 and Russ 20 Simpson from Fangfoss near York have secured a four figure deal plus technical expertise from East Yorkshire motor industry business Merlin International that will support them throughout all eight rounds of the forthcoming Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship that start at Lydden Hill, Kent on 26th March.
Part-time student Ash, who won Super Modified class of the seventh round of the Championship last year in his self built Lotus Exige, is delighted that the brothers’ rallycross potential has been rewarded with the sponsorship deal and said; “Last year we could only enter a couple of the rounds of the championship due to a lack of finance, but this year, we can really commit to it and hopefully get some great results.”
For this year’s championship, Ash will be driving his Lotus in the Super Modified class again whilst Russ will be driving a Citroen C2 in the Hot Hatch class.
Merlin International, owned by the current National Gravel Rally and former British Rallycross champion Jonny Milner, is a fast growing vehicle repair and retail wheel and tyre business that specialises in recycling from its purpose built premises in East Yorkshire.
Commenting on the deal, Jonny said; “I have watched Ash and Russ’s rallying career develop with interest. Like me, Ash started competitive rallying when he was just was 14 and rose through the ranks to compete in the prestigious British Rallycross Championship. Rallycross is the high-octane, thrill-a-minute mix of touring car racing and rallying that pitches some of the fastest racing cars in world in head-to-head action on tracks that combine both tarmac and gravel surfaces. It’s hard work, but great fun and I wish the boys all the best for a fantastic season.”
21 March 2011
//Milner fights back
Undeterred by the loss of his Toyota Sprint Series Championship title last year, East Yorkshire rally driver Jonny Milner is looking forward to the first race of the new season’s championship with customary determination and confidence.
Without the distraction of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship that he won last year but will not take place in 2011, Milner will be able to concentrate on driving his ‘Xtreme’ 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 to victory in the six round series that starts at Rockingham on 27th March.
The Merlin International supported Toyota Celica has been subject to significant modifications since last season including a new gearbox and major suspension and spoiler work and Jonny is confident that he’ll give old adversary Adrian Smith a ‘good scrap!’
Commenting on the forthcoming season, Milner said, “It’s the 40th anniversary of the Toyota Celica this year and I’m determined to bring the title back to Yorkshire. We’ve taken advice from a Touring Car Engineer regarding suspension and we’re looking forward to seeing what a difference that makes. The course at Rockingham is demanding - fast smooth tarmac with big braking zones, tight bends and technical sections – but that suits us, so I hoping for a cracking first race.”
Merlin International, one of the associated sponsors of the 2011 Toyota Sprint Series, is also investing in its team of protégés, or ‘trainee wizards’ as Jonny calls them, that include Quaife MSA British Rallycross Champion Ash Simpson driving his Celica GT4 ST205 in the all new Street Class of the Series and his girlfriend Danny who will drive the Celica in the ladies section.
In addition to running Jonny’s, Ash’s and Danny’s cars, Merlin International Motorsports is also supporting Barry Wattling’s Celica GT4 ST205 in the A1–Pro Class, Duncan McMath’s MR2 in the A3-Pro Class and Andrew Falkingham’s Celica GT4 ST205, also in the A3-Pro Class.
23 October 2010
//Undeterred by loss of Sprint Series title, Milner looks forward to 2011
Despite winning the last round of the Toyota Sprint Series Championship outright, Huggate rally driver Jonny Milner returned empty handed from Blyton Park last weekend.
Driving his Merlin International supported ‘Xtreme’ 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4, the defending champion drove well, but he was narrowly beaten over the six round series by old adversary Adrian Smith.
Having won the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship convincingly last month, Milner was hopeful that he could repeat his success by retaining the Toyota Sprint Series Championship title too, although he knew that he had a tough fight on his hands. Determined to regain the title in 2011, Milner commented; “This year’s Sprint Series has been a tough old scrap between me and Adrian all year and really could have gone either way. It’s been great fun, though and I’ve learnt so much about how to develop and drive this type of car and we’ve both committed to come back and have another go next year.”
With only tenths of seconds between the two drivers all series, both will be looking to their cars to see what refinements they can make over the winter to gain the advantage to take the title. Jonny said; “The Merlin Preparations team will strip the car down over the winter and see what we can do to gain valuable seconds over Adrian’s Toyota Celica GT4X.”
Merlin International was one of the associated sponsors of the 2010 Toyota Sprint Series and will be looking to expand its customer car and hire deals for the 2011 Series.
17 September 2010
//Young York rallycross driver takes first British Championship Win in Merlin supported car
21 year old York rallycross driver Ash Simpson is celebrating after claiming his first British Championship win last weekend.
Ash, from Fangfoss, won the Super Modified class of the seventh round of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship at Blyton, Lincolnshire, in only his second competitive outing at the eight round championship.
Driving his Merlin International supported self built Lotus Exige, the part-time student and sign maker overcame technical issues during his practice session to drive an impressive series of heats where the Lotus’s power proved unbeatable. The final line up saw Ash competing against experienced drivers in more powerful cars but his game plan worked and he reached the first corner in the lead. He was then able to run his own race and managed to fend off overtaking manoeuvres from the other drivers until the last lap. In spite of clipping a track marker and bursting a tyre with a few corners to go, he kept to the inside line and just crossed the finish line first to take the honours.
Commenting on the win that earned him ‘Driver of the Day’ award, Ash said; “By winning the round I gained a place in the Superfinal, the race for the fastest 8 cars of the day. I battled hard and was delighted to finish fifth, especially as the Lotus was the fastest two wheel drive car and only a mere eight seconds off the pace of the 4 wheel drive supercars.”
Like his supporter, Merlin International’s Jonny Milner, Ash has been competing since he was 14 and has risen through the ranks to compete in the prestigious British Rallycross Championship. When he’s not rallying, he’s studying for a Degree in Racing Driving at Loughborough University in conjunction with Silverstone and works part-time for The Big Sign Company in Shiptonthorpe.
This is the second win for a Merlin International supported car this month. Huggate champion Jonny Milner’s Toyota Corolla WRC took the overall MSA National Gravel Rally Championship title at the penultimate round at Ludlow on 4th September.
13 September 2010
//Milner revs up for final fight to defend his Toyota Sprint Series Championship title
Following his convincing MSA National Gravel Rally Championship win last weekend, Huggate rally driver Jonny Milner is revving up to defend his Toyota Sprint Series Championship title at Woodbridge, Suffolk on 19th September.
Whereas Jonny gained enough points on the penultimate round of the Gravel Rally Championship to take the title outright, the defence of his 2009 Toyota Sprint Series title will be a much closer fought battle.
Driving his Merlin International supported ‘Extreme’ 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4, Milner goes into the fifth round trailing by just 2 points to old adversary Adrian Smith. Smith, driving a Toyota Celica GT4X, has three wins to Milner’s one and both have everything to play for.
Commenting on the forthcoming race, Milner said: “By comparison, the National Gravel Rally Championship was quite easy! The Toyota Sprint Series has been a hard fought race that really could go either way. I’m desperate to win to defend my title and Adrian’s keen to knock me off the top spot!! I have to win the last two events to take the Championship. Although two wins would mean a tie on points, the title would stay in Huggate because we won the first round at Rockingham.”
Milner continued; “Having said that, we’ve done an unprecedented amount of work on the car’s engine, induction system, brakes and fuelling since the last round at Barkston Heath in July, so I’m hopeful that it will pay off.”
The sprint at RAF Woodbridge is the fifth in a series of six races that make up the Toyota Sprint Series. The final round of the championship takes place at the new circuit at Blyton near Scunthorpe on 16th October.
Merlin International is one of the associated sponsors of the 2010 Toyota Sprint Series.
10 September 2010
//Check out this ad in Motorsport News 15/09/10
08 September 2010
//Unbeatable Milner wins MSA National Gravel Rally Championship with one round to go
When 41year old Jonny Milner returned to Championship Rallying after a seven year gap, he had high hopes of a podium finish, but not even the confident Yorkshireman himself would have believed that he could win the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship ahead of the final round. But this is exactly what happened at the fourth round of the Championship at Ludlow on 4th September.
The 43 mile Sixty & Worcestershire Rally around the Marches district and Radnorshire set the scene for Milner’s success. Jonny, from Huggate in East Yorkshire and co-driver, Ian Windress from Northallerton knew exactly what they had to do on the forest stages to stay ahead and build on the lead that they had secured in the previous three rounds.
Driving his BFGoodrich and 7 Lakes supported Toyota Corolla WRC, 2002 and 2003 British Rally Champion Milner was only sixth fastest through the opening stage and spent the first half of the day chasing Championship rival Roger Duckworth in his Subaru Impreza WRC. However, during the seventh test, Duckworth suffered a broken gearbox and in the penultimate stage York’s Charlie Payne’s clutch failed on the start line. Milner’s final 15 second advantage meant maximum points and secured the Championship ahead of the final round, Yorkshire’s Trackrod Rally, on 25th September.
An elated Jonny Milner said; “After a pre-event drama that saw parts being shipped to the hotel, the car performed superbly and has proved 100% reliable throughout the Championship thanks to the team at Merlin Preparations and once more the BFGoodrich softer compound tyres proved unbeatable on the very challenging Ludlow stages. We led this championship a decade ago in a Peugeot 205 but the title eluded us. I was determined to get it in the bag this time and it’s been a good scrap and a great year.”
Congratulating Jonny on the win, BFGoodrich Motorsport Manager Pete Shaw said; “We would like to congratulate Jonny and Ian on winning the 2010 MSA Gravel Rally Championship. We are obviously very pleased with the way the BFGoodrich tyres performed in this year’s Championship. It shows that the drivers, the car and the BFGoodrich tyres are the perfect winning combination.”
Milner is back in action defending his Toyota Sprint Series Championship title in his Merlin International supported 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 at Woodbridge in Suffolk on 19th September.
21 July 2010
//Milner returns to Barkston Heath to defend his title
Huggate champion rally driver Jonny Milner is hoping that his second visit to Barkston Heath on 24th July will be more successful than his first.
Since the 2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner’s title defence was challenged by an unfortunate gearbox malfunction at the RAF course earlier in the year, Jonny has made significant changes to his Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 and is confident that the car will perform well.
Speaking about the event, Jonny said; “It’s a technical sprint track that suits the extreme Celica well and if the car performs as well as it did on the hillclimb at Goodwood, where I was only marginally beaten by a former F1 car, I will be very happy.”
The sprint at Barkston Heath is the fourth in a series of six races that make up the Toyota Sprint Series. Jonny and his old adversary Adrian Smith are scrapping it out at the top. Jonny was in the lead at the end of Round 2, but a bad race at Sculthorpe saw him slip into second place – just 6 tenths of a second behind Adrian in his Celica GT4. The final round of the championship takes place at Tockwith in York on 16th October.
06 July 2010
//Jubilant Milner only seconds behind former F1 car in historic Hillclimb
2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner is celebrating after his stunning performance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed rewarded him with a podium place for the historic Hillclimb.
Driving his extensively modified Toyota Celica GT4, Milner, 41 from Huggate in East Yorkshire, was just three seconds slower than Moscow based Roger Wills’ Williams Cosworth FW-05 in the final run that rounded off the world’s largest car event last weekend (2-4 July).
Speaking after the event, a delighted Milner said; “To lose out by seconds to a 1976 Formula 1 car is absolutely unbelievable. The car went like a dream; the new Michelin RC001 rallycross tyres were exceptional and the new aluminium flat floor and ground effect skirts and diffuser helped me to put in an amazing performance. It was a great weekend – the atmosphere was superb and everyone was really friendly. Even Jenson Button’s dad came over to say hello!”
Michelin's head of car marketing for UK and Ireland, Jianni Geras said: 'Jonny's success on the hill at Goodwood is great news for Michelin and shows that our tyres can work across a variety of motorsport disciplines, whether off-road or on tarmac. It also follows on nicely from our recent successes at Le Mans, although of course, that was over a slightly longer distance.”
Commenting on the invitation to drive his BFGoodrich, Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd supported Toyota Celica GT4 in next year’s Hillclimb competition, Jonny said; “It’s great that Goodwood Festival of Speed Patron Lord March has invited me back next year and I’m confident that there’s more that we can do to refine the car even further."
The final run results were;
1. Roger Wills – Williams Cosworth FW-05 – 47.15s
2. Jonny Milner – Toyota Celica Sprint – 50.00s
3. Andrew Smith – Ecosse-Cosworth C2 – 52.13s
Jonny is back in action at Barkston Heath on 24th July when continues his defence of the Toyota Sprint Series in his Toyota Celica GT4.
29 June 2010
//Milner’s high hopes for historic Hillclimb
2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner will be unleashing the power of his 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 as he attacks the historic Hillclimb at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (2-4 July).
Yorkshireman Milner has been invited by Toyota to take part in the Hillclimb at the world’s largest car event and is hoping that he can improve on last year’s sixth position with a podium place.
The Hillclimb is the Festival of Speed’s principal attraction. Taking place throughout the weekend, the challenging invitation only 1.16-mile course starts as a tree-lined run through the southern corner of the Goodwood Estate which then turns to sweep past the front of Goodwood House before climbing a steep and narrow Estate road towards Goodwood’s equine racecourse on top of the South Downs.
Jonny has prepared the car for the technical and challenging course with a newly developed diffuser kit and additional winglets that help to suck the car to the ground like a Formula 1 car. He will also be using the latest Michelin RC001 rallycross tyres on the BFGoodrich supported car for enhanced grip and superior performance.
Milner will be one of 300 cars and motorbikes that will sprint up the iconic hill daily in the hope of getting a fast enough time to earn a place in the Shoot Out finale on Sunday 4th.
In addition to the Hillclimb event, Milner has also been invited to drive the Toyota Corolla WRC with which he is currently leading the MSA National Gravel Championship around the challenging Forest Rally Stage at the Festival. The stage, designed with the help of former World Rally Champion Hannu Mikkola, hosts around 50 cars and top drivers from the history of rallying every year. This year, Jonny is delighted that 66 year old Björn Waldegård, winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979 will be driving his WRC. Jonny explains; “It’s a great honour that Björn wants to drive my car. His rallying career spanned four decades and during his time as a Toyota Works Driver, he drove every Toyota rally car with the exception of the Corolla. He won his last rally in 1990, aged 46 and is still the oldest driver to win a World Rally Championship. I’m looking forward to seeing him drive the WRC on the tough 1.67 mile course.”
Milner’s Toyota Celica GT4 is also supported by Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd and is powered by Sunoco Race Fuels GT Plus and the WRC is supported by BFGoodrich and 7 Lakes Fishing.
08 June 10
//Severn success for Milner
Former double British Rally champion Jonny Milner is celebrating following a second consecutive win in the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship on 5th June.
In his BFGoodrich and 7 Lakes supported Toyota Corolla WRC, Milner and co-driver Ian Windress tackled the hot and dusty stages of the Severn Valley National Rally through Radnor forest and fought a cat and mouse battle with rival Roger Duckworth to emerge eventual winners with a 10.9 second advantage.
Milner, from Huggate in East Yorkshire, is delighted with the win that consolidates his lead in the six round championship and said; “It’s good to be in pole position half way through the competition, but it was neck and neck with Roger right to the end – it was anybody’s race, but I think that it was our tyres that gave us the biggest advantage. Whilst our competitors were experiencing excessive wear due to the hot 
conditions, our BFGoodrich tyres were spot on – they wore evenly and were still strong at the end of a 16 mile stage. It was a great day and a tough battle. Radnor was superb; its high speed, long flowing corners made it a joy to drive.”
Milner continues his bid to take the National Gravel Rally Championship title at the Swansea Bay rally on 17th July.
Immediately after the win, Milner drove 226 miles from Powys to Fakenham, Norfolk for the third race in the Toyota Sprint Series Championship that took place at RAF Sculthorpe the following day. Sadly, technical issues were to deny Jonny and his Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd sponsored Toyota Celica GT4 a double win and he was beaten by just 0.6 seconds by old adversary Adrian Smith. Milner’s defence of the Sprint Series title continues at Barkston Heath, Lincolnshire on 24th July.
07 June 10
//Jonny Milner returns to Rallycross roots in new Lincolnshire night race
East Yorkshire Rally champion Jonny Milner returns to his Rallycross roots this weekend as a guest driver in the third round of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship at Blyton in Lincolnshire.
Although it’s 20 years since Huggate’s Jonny Milner won the British Rallycross Championship aged just 21, he is looking forward to being back in the thick of it on 12th June as a guest driver of the front runner in the supercar class, Steve Hill.
Milner will be competing in the Suzuki Swift Sport Challenge, a one-make championship that was introduced to the British championship this year and which features 1600cc Suzuki Swifts prepared to a tightly controlled set of technical regulations designed to produce equal competition between drivers in the class. The race, the first night event in the championship’s 34 year history, starts at 3.30pm and will finish under floodlights just before midnight. Broadcast live on Motors TV, Jonny will face tough competition, including World Superbike racer Leon Haslam, who is swapping two wheels for four for the exciting event.
Blyton is Jonny’s local track and will be eagerly followed on the day by Gary Smith from 7 Lakes Country Park at Crowle, one of the main sponsors of the Toyota Corolla WRC that Jonny is currently leading the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship with.
Blyton Rallycross is on the B1205 near Gainsborough in North Lincolnshire. The gate price is £12 for adults and children under 12 are free.
The Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship is an eight round championship that concludes in Pembrey, South Wales on 10th October.
Rallycross is the high-octane, thrill-a-minute marriage of touring car racing and rallying that pitches some of the fastest racing cars in world in head-to-head action on tracks that combine both tarmac and gravel surfaces.
26 May 10
//Milner faces back to back weekend
Former double British Rally champion and 2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner will have his work cut out when he defends two titles on consecutive days next month.
Yorkshireman Milner and co-driver Ian Windress from Northallerton will start the Severn Valley round of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship in pole position on 5th June after last month’s decisive victory at Kielder gave them the championship lead.
Straight after the rally, Jonny will make the 226 mile journey from Powys to Fakenham, Norfolk in readiness for the third race in the Toyota Sprint Series Championship that takes place at RAF Sculthorpe on 6th June. Jonny is hoping that he will not be cursed by the gearbox issues that cost him the lead by 0.38 of a second in the second round at Barkston Heath on 4th April.
Commenting on the prospect of back to back racing, 41 year old Jonny said; “It will be a challenging and tiring weekend with a rally one day and a sprint road race the day after but both the BFGoodrich and 7 Lakes supported Toyota Corolla WRC and the Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd sponsored Toyota Celica GT4 are performing well. It’s 20 years since I last did a back to back – it was an eventful weekend where I rolled end to end on the rally, drove up to York hospital for x rays then set off to Rallycross at Knockhill in Scotland and won!”
26 April 10
//Tyre tactics pay off as Milner masters Kielder
Former double British champion Jonny Milner’s decision to change to wider tyres for the second round of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championships paid off with a convincing win and an overall championship lead.
Leading from the opening stage of the 9 stage Pirelli Tour of Cumbria, Yorkshireman Milner and co-driver Ian Windress respected the challenging Kielder forest course and crossed the line a full minute ahead of Stephen Petch in his
Hyundai Accent WRC.
Milner was delighted with the performance of his BFGoodrich tyres and 7 Lakes supported Toyota Corolla on the dry and dusty course that witnessed many mechanical dramas and accidents and said; “The decision to change to wider BFGoodrich tyres paid dividends on the rough Kielder course that caused many punctures. They performed superbly and the back up support from the BFGoodrich technicians was invaluable.”
Milner added; “It’s 5 years since I’ve driven this course, but you never forget it! The pressure of leading from the opening stage 
was horrible. Pace was critical and we drove a tactical race and just tried to keep out of trouble. Fortunately it paid off and we’re thrilled to be back on top after a seven year break from championship rallying.”
Jianni Geras, BFGoodrich marketing manager said: “This victory in the harsh conditions of Kielder has highlighted the durability of our rally tyres. It shows that the testing and development that we do on the global stage, in events such as the IRC and on the Dakar rally, really benefit our customers whether on the road, off-road or in competition.”
Milner enters the next round of the championship at Builth Wells on 5th June looking to increase his lead over Stephen Petch.
16 April 10
//Milner’s tyre tactics for Cumbria
Jonny Milner has fine-tuned the engine and will use wider tyres on his BFGoodrich and 7 Lakes supported Toyota Corolla WRC ahead of the second round of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championships next week.
Milner, from Huggate in East Yorkshire, finished fifth at the end of the first round due to misfire issues and has spent the last two months testing and refining the 300 bhp high compression engine and is confident of a good run at the Pirelli Tour of Cumbria on 23/24 April; “Since Bournemouth, we’ve worked on the car’s driveability and ways of gaining crucial time and I’m happy with the results. The engine’s as good as new and the wider BFGoodrich tyres will help us to gain speed in the dry conditions of Kielder forest.”
Jonny and co-driver Ian Windress are hoping that the modifications to the car will help him to close the gap on his main competitor Roger Duckworth in his Subaru WRC.
The Pirelli Tour of Cumbria comprises over 70 stage miles of testing rally terrain with a minimum of road miles.
09 April 10
//Off line gearbox problem costs Milner first place at RAF Barkston Heath
2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner’s title defence was challenged by an unfortunate gearbox malfunction at Barkston Heath last weekend.
Yorkshireman Milner tackled the technical sprint track at the operational MOD base with customary skill and ease until the gearbox of his extreme 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 broke in the fifth run of the eight run competition and he lost out to old adversary Adrian Smith with a time differential of only 0.38 of a second.
Jonny, who won the first round after unveiling the super slick and powerful GT4 at Rockingham last month said; “It was disappointing not to win, but technical issues are always going to play a part when you’re punching out that much power. We now have a couple of months before the next round at Sculthorpe to make some cutting edge gearbox changes to give the car a significant edge and the mechanics greater flexibility.”
Milner’s Toyota Celica GT4 is supported by Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd and is powered by Sunoco Race Fuels GT Plus.
The Merlin Preparations team was also delighted to see its first customer car take a podium place in the A3 class. Duncan McMath proved that his Rockingham result was not beginner’s luck when he drove the Merlin built Toyota Celica GT4 ST205 into second place with a best time of 55.27 seconds, just 0.01seconds behind the class winner.
Milner’s success in the 2009 Sprint Series encouraged him to resume his rallying career for the first time since his back to back national championship wins in 2002/3. He finished sixth in the first round of the 2010 MSA National Gravel Rally Championships in Bournemouth and will be back in rallying action on 23rd April in Cumbria.
Merlin International is one of the associated sponsors of the 2010 Toyota Sprint Series.
23 Mar 10
// Extreme car provides Rockingham win for Jonny Milner
2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner’s title defence got off to a good start with a convincing win at Rockingham last weekend.
Yorkshireman Milner had kept the identity of his 2010 sprint car firmly under wraps and fans were not disappointed when he unveiled a stunning 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 at the first round of the 2010 championships at Rockingham Motor Speedway track.
Milner won the A1 series with a best time of 79.63 seconds for the challenging 1.3 mile course and was delighted with the car’s performance. “Not only did the car turn heads with its wide, low slung looks and extreme rearward seating position, but it had the performance to match” said Jonny.
“The car was fantastic. It reached speeds of over 150mph on the straight and I was amazed with the corner speed that it could carry. I never found the car’s limit, which is encouraging for the rest of the series. This car has taken the Sprint Series into a new zone and I can’t wait for the next round at Barkston Heath on 4th April.”
The winning car, supported by Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd, is powered by Sunoco Race Fuels GT Plus.
In addition to Jonny’s success, the Merlin Preparations team was delighted to see its first customer car take third place overall. Duncan McMath drove the Merlin built Toyota Celica GT4 ST205 to a podium place at his first attempt with a time of 88.08 seconds.
Click here for the full race report.
18 Mar 10
//Milner to unveil Extreme car to defend national sprint title
2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner will defend his national title in a car that remains a closely guarded secret.
Yorkshireman Milner plans to unveil the car at the first round of the 2010 championships at Rockingham on 21st March.
Refusing to be drawn about the car’s identity and detail, the normally chatty former double rally champion will only divulge that; “It’s called Extreme Merlin and it is Extreme with a capital E…it will look stunning and go quick.”
The mystery car, supported by Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd, has been built from a bare shell, boasts 700 BHP and will be powered by Sunoco Race Fuels GT Plus.
Milner won the 2009 series in a Celica GT4 after a faltering start that saw him suffer engine failure in round one but then claimed five consecutive wins in the remaining events to take the title.
The 1.3 mile course at Rockingham is a demanding, fast smooth tarmac with big braking zones, tight bends and technical sections that will challenge both cars and drivers.
Jonny’s success in the 2009 Sprint Series encouraged him to resume his rallying career for the first time since his back to back wins in 2002/3. He finished sixth in the first round of the 2010 MSA National Gravel Rally Championships in Bournemouth and will be back in rallying action on 23rd April in Cumbria.
Merlin International is one of the associated sponsors of the 2010 Toyota Sprint Series.
04 Mar 10
//A confident start for Milner’s rallying return
Jonny Milner made a confident start to his National Gravel Rally Championships title bid with a solid performance at the Rallye Sunseeker in Bournemouth.
Despite a couple of misfire challenges with his BFGoodrich and 7 Lakes supported Toyota Corolla WRC, Jonny and co-driver Ian Windress negotiated the slippery course well to finish sixth at the end of the first round.
Jonny was pleased with the performance and is confident that the determined Yorkshire duo can improve on position for the next round, the Pirelli Tour of Cumbria, on 23/24 April. Jonny said: “Despite the misfire, the car was as quick as it has ever been, and after feeling a bit rusty in the first stage, I soon settled in and it felt just like the old days, not like I’d had a seven year break! There’s some work to do before Cumbria but that course will suit us better than Bournemouth so we’re hopeful that we will be able to get some points back.”
Jonny’s main competitor in the 6 round series is Roger Duckworth who finished fourth in his Subaru WRC.
22 Feb 10
//Jonny takes to the Country for latest sponsorship deal
An East Yorkshire rally driver has struck a sponsorship deal with a leading North Lincolnshire leisure business ahead of his return to championship rallying after a seven year gap.
Jonny Milner from Huggate near Pocklington has negotiated a sponsorship deal with the 7 Lakes Country Park at Crowle to provide support for his Toyota Corolla WRC in the MSA National Rally Gravel Championship that starts this weekend (27th February).
41 year old Jonny is pleased that his latest sponsorship support has come from a local business and said; “7 Lakes Country Park is a great place that works hard to promote the park, Jet Ski facility, fishing and the surrounding area and we’re proud to be associated with Gary and his team.”
7 Lakes events manager Gary Smith is also happy with the partnership and said; “I have followed Jonny’s career since before he won the British Rally Championship back to back in 2002 and 2003 and when I heard that he’d bought his winning car back and was making a return to championship rallying, I thought that it was a good time to talk to him regarding sponsorship. I’m confident that the relationship will help us to raise awareness of the Country Park and the Jet Ski Club and bring more visitors to this part of rural North Lincolnshire too.”
Comprising an idyllic 120 acre park of native woodland, crystal clear lakes and green fields on the Isle of Axholme, 7 Lakes Country Park is an the ideal place to get away from it all that provides an unrivalled range of leisure and water sports activities in a tranquil setting that is only minutes from the M180.
Milner’s debut in the newly modified double championship winning car gained him a well deserved podium place at the recent Riponian Stages Rally and he’s hoping that the form will stay with him for the first round of the National Rally Gravel Championship in Bournemouth this weekend. “This car’s never been off the podium whenever I’ve driven it” declared Jonny proudly.
14 Feb 10
//Jonny retains podium position at Riponian Stages Rally - "This car's never been off the podium whenever I've driven it" declares Jonny proudly
12 Feb 10
//Top tyre deal is Good for Jonny
An East Yorkshire rally driver who is returning to rallying after seven years has secured a significant sponsorship package from a world leading tyre manufacturer.
Jonny Milner from Huggate near Pocklington has struck a deal with BFGoodrich to provide competition tyres for his Toyota Corolla WRC in the MSA National Rally Gravel Championship this year.
41 year old Jonny is delighted with the deal and said; “Working with a world respected brand like BFGoodrich is great news for me. The tyres have a rich heritage of championship success at the very highest levels and have been chosen by some of the greatest names like World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb. It promises to be an exciting season for the team and we’re delighted to have a respected partner like BFGoodrich on board.”
BFGoodrich is equally pleased with the association. Jianni Geras, BFGoodrich marketing manager said: “Since the WRC moved to a control tyre championship it has been difficult to demonstrate our performance advantage over our competitors. This sponsorship deal is good for us as it keeps the BFGoodrich brand at the frontline of British motorsport and shows we are still a leading force in rallying”.
Established in 1896, BFGoodrich was the first car tyre manufacturer in America and now manufactures an extensive range of competition, commercial and domestic tyres. It has just celebrated its 10th win in the prestigious Dakar rally and has previous World Rally titles to its name.
Milner retained his podium form in the double championshipwinning WRC when he finished third behind Paul Bird and Kirsty Riddick in their Ford Focus WRC08 and Tony Thompsonand Jon Dunning driving a Mitsubishi Evo 9 in the Riponian Stages Rally on 14th February. The first of the six round MSA Gravel Rally Championship takes place in Bournemouth on 27th February.
02 Feb 10
//Jonny's Back!
Jonny Milner, winner of the coveted British Rally Championship title twice in succession, is returning to championship Rallying after a gap of seven years.
Jonny announced his decision to compete in the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship that starts with the Rallye Sunseeker in Bournemouth on 27th February.
Of the decision, 41 year old Jonny said; “The buzz for rallying never went away after I won the double in 2002 and 2003 but business commitments meant that I could no longer compete at that level. Over the last two years I have had great success in the Toyota Sprint Series, taking outright championship victory in 2009, so when the car that I won the rally double in came up for sale, I knew that the time was right to get back into it.”
Jonny’s double championship winning car, a Toyota Corolla WRC (World Rally Car) boasts a new 300 bhp high compression engine, paddle gear change and fully active differentials. “The car is now as good as it can get” Jonny enthused.
Jonny’s co-driver will be Northallerton’s Ian Windress, a former national champion navigator who partnered Jonny during the 2008 Mitsubishi Challenge and will also join him for the first shakedown rally, the Riponian Stages on 14th February. Jonny will also be in action at Rockingham on 21st March where he will be defending his 2009 Toyota Sprint Series Champion title in his new 700 BHP car!
The 6 round MSA Gravel Rally Championship begins with the Rallye Sunseeker (Bournemouth) and includes rounds in Cumbria, Severn Valley, Swansea Bay and Shropshire before concluding with North Yorkshire’s Trackrod Rally in September.
22 Jan 10
//New Events Listed in our What Coming Up section.
Click here to see a list of the rally car events that Jonny Milner and team will be coming in.
5 Nov 09
//Congratulations to Jonny Milner - Championship Winner 2009 Toyota Sprint Series.
Congratulations to Jonny Milner, winner of this year's 2009 Toyota Sprint series in Class A1. Having fought a very close battle with Adrian Smith, Jonny won the last 5 consecutive rounds to secure the top podium finish by just 4 points.
Jonny faced some serious competition throughout the year from Adrian, Adrian taking the first win at Rockingham with Jonny suffering mechanical problems in his Celica GT4. The rest of the season showed massive competitive spirit between Adrian and Jonny, with Jonny only winning in the last round with 405 points. It was a nail-biting season all round. Jonny Milner Motorsport would like to extend congratulations to Adrian and all 2009 TSS drivers.
Here's looking forward to 2010!
