tomos pencnwc

The weekend of the 9th and 10th of July saw an excellent turnout from club members head down to Builth Wells to compete on the Quinton motor club organised Nicky Grist stages, a rally that would make up a round of several championships, including the MSA British rally championship. The rally effectively ran as two events, with the full two days of competition making up the fifth round of the MSA British rally championship, whereas the first day was would make up the other rally championships, which included BTRDA rally championship as well as the MSA welsh rally championship.

 

The rally would see several members from Lampeter and district motor club on both events, as club members aimed to add vital points to their respective championship bids. The first day consisted of 45 miles of gravel, made up from eight stages, four different stages ran twice, whereas the second day consisted of some 55 miles of tarmac over the Epynt military ranges, spilt up over 10 stages.

                The event would see club members mixing times in amongst the top British Rally Championship contenders with the likes of Elfyn Evans and Tom Cave both competing. Lampeter and district being represtned by Dylan Davies and LLion Williams, who were the first of club member on the entry list, once again competing in their regular Subaru Impreza B13 at number 22. Dylan and LLion would be competing on the one-day rally. Not too far behind in 26 was Tomos Davies, navigated by Eurig Davies, who would be taking part in the full two-day event. Right behind Tomas in 27 were the regular pairing of Andy Davies and Max Freeman in their regular Subaru Impreza N4. At 56 were Meirion Evans and Jonathon Jackson who would be joining Tomas and Eurig in the two-day event in a Ford fiesta R2T. At 97 were Dorian Evans navigated by David Chris Williams in Dorians Ford escort mk2, and also in an escort was Rhys Jones, who was navigating for Chris Lloyd at 124.

                The rally began with the Crychan stage, which unfortunately was to be the end of the rally for two of club’s members on the single day rally, with Dylan and LLion forced into retirement with fuel issues and Rhys Jones navigating for Chris Lloyd also retired with battery problems. Andy Davies and Max freeman began with an excellent seventh overall fastest on the first stage, and Dorian Evans and David Chris Williams managed a respectable seventieth fastest.

                In the two-day rally Tomos Davies and Eurig Davies began their rally with an excellent twelfth fastest overall, and also showing good pace were Meirion Evans and Jonathon Jackson in their fiesta, who posted twenty-first quickest.

                The next few stages were Halfway 1, Route 60, and Monument 1, where the remaining club members continued to post impressive times, with Andy and Max managing to climb up to fifth overall and Dorian Evans with David Chris Williams climbing up to forty-seventh overall after the first run of stages. In the two-day event Tomos and Eurig held twelfth whilst Meirion and Jonathon Jackson held twenty-thrid.

                Unfortunately, the second loop of stages saw another retirement as Andy and Max’s Impreza broke a ball joint on stage 6, which unfortunately forcing the crew into retirement. This left only Dorian Evans and David Chris Williams the only surviving club members on the single day rally, who managed to battle on through the day to finish an excellent thirty-eighth overall.

                So with one day down it was unfortunate that neither Dylan, Llion or Andy managed to add any points to their championship bids, but the crews have promised to return stronger than ever after the poor luck that they suffered on the event, with the next round of the BTRDA championship and the MSA welsh rally championship being the Woodpecker rally which takes place on the third of September, which gives crews a small break over August ready to prepare themselves for the next challenge.

                However, the weekends action was not over, as Tomos Davies and Eurig Davies in their Fiesta S2000, as well as Meirion Evans and Jonathon Jackson still had a full day of competition ahead, with 55 miles of Epynt to be taken on! The days’ stages began with New Road being the first stage of the day, and it was clear that the change of surface was no problem for the club’s members as Tomos and Eurig posted eleventh fastest time and Meirion and Jonathon posted twenty-fourth quickest.

                Both crews managed the days remaining stages over the ranges successfully without drama or misfortune over some famous roads that made up such stages as Quarry stage, Tank stage, Cilieni and Drovers return, which was the last stage of the day. At the end of two difficult days Tomos Davies and Eurig Davies managed an excellent twelfth overall and first in their class, where Meirion Evans and Jonathon Jackson managed a very respectable twentieth overall, and fourth in the Junior category.

                The next round of the MSA British rally championship is the Ulster rally, which takes place on the 19th and 20th of August.

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