Challenging was an understatement of the conditions facing crews who headed to Penuwch for the Barcud Motor Club organized Chris Heller Memorial Rally on the 24/25th November

Forty crews started the 60-mile route along the wet & windy lanes of the 135 & 146 maps

Several L&DMC members were out competing but the winner was Ricky Pearce with Helen Lewis in the navigators’ seat, who started the event car 24, won the event

Highest seeded starting L&DMC crew were James Davies & Marc Mayes, starting at car 3. Unfortunately, their rally would end rather prematurely just a few miles near Llangwyrfon when the engine of the 205 didn’t take too kindly to taking on water

Fresh from navigating for Iwan Mayes on the recent AMC Stages in Carmarthen, Paul Jones was originally down as a second reserve with Max Jones in the Ford Capri. Another competitor’s bad luck on Saturday morning meant that the crew started the rally, running car 9. Paul commented at the finish that this was his first road rally navigating for 8 or so years so was quite happy with finishing 7th in class & 8th overall

L&DMC was also represented in car 34 with Andrew, James’s brother, sitting with Rhys Lewis in car 34, a Ford Sierra. Unfortunately, their rally came to an end in near Llanilar when they hit a hedge & got stuck, causing some major damage to the car

Pontrhydyroes garage owner Sean Crowley changed seats from his 2nd place driving on the Rali Bro Caron to navigate for first time rally driver Emma Jones in car 39. Originally supposed to be in a Nova, the crew set off on Emma’s first rally in VW Polo as the Nova wasn’t going to be ready. A Misfire hampered the crew early on but that was cured to enable Emma & Sean to finish a very respectable 3rd in class & 14th o/a on Emma’s first rally