4th Rally for the Ages launched

With a great youth and family-oriented tradition now well established, the fourth ever Rally for the Ages has been launched with entries now open on the HERO-ERA website. The green coded beginners rally and will start and finish at Hardwick on the 11th of July 2026 and as the only ‘For the Young for Free’ concept in historic rallying, it has been a draw for young competitors since 2023, many eager to try rallying for the first time, last year’s winning navigator was aged just 12 – a record!

HERO-ERA are anticipating another sizable entry with potentially more than the 2025 figure of 30% of the entry being teenagers, in fact last year that figure included three 12-year-old navigators on the entry list! This strengthens the company policy of encouraging young people into the sport and to enjoy historic motoring.

The simple format of scrutineering and signing on before some helpful pre-event briefing will help ease any beginner’s nerves before venturing out onto the winding country roads around Bicester. Crews will tackle two regularities and two tests before a break, where their Airstream Café will be open for refreshments and allow crews some time to reflect on their performance so far. Then it’s time to go back out on the road for two more regularities and tests before travelling back to the finish to check the results and enjoy the social side of rallying with fellow beginners and hope for an award at the prize giving.

There has been an eclectic mix of machinery entered over the last three Rally for the Ages, in 2025 a 103 year old Vauxhall 30/98 of James Portway and his son Lorcan was their passport to their first ever rally James saying afterwards; “we wanted to give it a try and we loved it!” Anna and Louisa Getley were powering their Bentley 3 4 ½ around the perimeter track at Bicester Motion grinning all the way in 2024 or the Mini 1275 GT crew of Tamzin and Roland Thomas, the brother and sister persuading their father to lend them his bright green Mini to take a second consecutive podium.

As well as helping bring young people into the historic motoring events and learning to appreciate classic vehicles and older, Rally of the Ages has encouraged and nurtured new talent. 2024 Bob Rutherford Scholarship finalist Jack Havey was 16 when he navigated his father Jonathan to the first Rally of the Ages win in their VW Golf in 2023 and achieved another podium last year as he navigated Tim Sawyer’s Escort Mexico to second place after a great battle with the winners. Imogen Shepherd navigated her father Jonathan in their BMW to a win followed by a second place in 2024, she will surely go on to greater success in rallying.

However, 12-year-old Beatrix Bloxham stole the show with a measured yet stunning navigational performance last year, sitting alongside her father Nick in their yellow Ford Escort Mexico to take the win. The Bloxham family are literally steeped in rally history but that didn’t stop Nick being incredibly proud of his young daughter afterwards with such a performance that included winning the Clockwatcher’s Award for best navigator on the day.

Many just wanted to bring their cars home and enjoy every moment of this ‘For the Young for Free’ event. The rally will become just that, free to enter, if the combined age of the crew is under 70, then the entry fee is refunded.

Rosanna Talbot decided to enter with Alfi Baker in her 2017 Ford Fiesta. “I put the car through the car wash, filled it with petrol and somehow, we won the ‘Youngest Crew Award’!”

For 2026 starting and finishing in Hardwick, there will be four tests and four regularities for the teams to savour on the 80-mile route.

The HERO-ERA Head of Competition James Phillips outlined the ethos of the Rally for the Ages and how his team will be on hand to help.

“This is in an important event in the Hero calendar for the whole team as it’s a great introduction to Historic Rallying and the Hero family where we see so many promising and enthusiastic young crews competing, often for the first time.

“It’s an enjoyable challenge to balance the excitement of the driving tests and the intense concentration required on the regularities for the newcomers as well as still producing a challenge for the more experienced competitors, but this is something my team thrive on. “Running this event firmly underlines Heros commitment to bringing younger people into the sport with their continued support for the Bob Rutherford Scholarship and 30% discount for under 35’s entering certain events.”