Mark Glennerster and Stephen Simpson achieving a strong finish on the Legend Fires Northwest Stages, image by Andrew Hern/AH Photography
The 23rd of March saw the Legend Fires North West stages take place from its base in Garstang. This rally would be the opening round of many championships including the British rally championship as well as the Motorsport UK asphalt championship. There would be a couple of club members included in the entry, with Mark Glennerster starting at number 24. Mark would be navigating for Stephen Simpson in Stephens Rally2 specification Ford fiesta. Down at 61 were Wayne “tar” Jones and Dafydd Evans, who were in Wayne’s Darrian T90 GTR+. Both would be competing in the Motorsport UK asphalt championship, and Wayne and Dafydd were also in the Great Britain national B cup also.
It would be a very challenging rally with tricky weather conditions and due to various incidents that occasionally occur in rallying some of the stages would be cancelled, these would be stages 4 and 5. As well as this a number of competitors would receive a nominal time over stages 1, 2 and 3, although the first few competitors managed to pass through the stages successfully. For Stephen and Mark they began their day with the twenty-third quickest time on the opening stage of the event, but they would drop down to thirty seventh overall on the second stage. On the third stage they would be one of the affected crews to receive a nominal time which would see them go up one place to thirty-sixth.
Following this there would be a service halt and then another loop of five stages. On the second loop of stages Stephen and Mark would settle into a great rhythm and climb up the leaderboard. With a string of excellent top twenty times they would go on to finish the event in a very respectable sixteenth overall and fifteenth in class.
It would be an eventful but successful event for Wayne and Dafydd in the Darrian. A high power lightweight rear wheel drive vehicle not being the best choice with the conditions, but even so they put in some excellent times. The first few stages were taken very cautiously and made even more difficult with intercom issues. They would be one of the many crews that would receive the nominal times on the mornings stages but in the afternoon they would have good clean runs which resulted in some excellent times. They attacked the first two stages of the second loop hard, and were rewarded with being the first two wheel drive vehicle in the overall standings. Following this with worsening weather conditions they both decided to drive a little more sensibly and backed the pace off a little to guarantee the finish. They would end their day in twenty third overall and second in class.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and there was more action in the Welsh lanes. On the 6th and 7th of April Welsh borders car club ran the Border 100 road rally. A 100 miles route on OS maps 125, 126 and 136 greeted the 75 competitors at the start venue at Llanfyllin high school. There would be a small handful of Lampeter members on the entry list with the first being at car 2, with Cadog Davies once again sat with George Williams in George’s familiar Mk2 Ford escort. Also navigating in car 18 was Dylan Jenkins, he was sat with Glyn Price who was making his first appearance for some time on a rally. They were in his usual and recently restored Mk2 Ford escort. At 47 was Llyr Davies who was driving this time, he had Trystan Leyshorn on map duties, and they would be using Llyr’s Renault clio sport.
The rally would begin with a long 53 minute section that would feature six Time controls. TC1A, which was sixteen minutes into the section, which almost everyone passed penalty free. Following this there was a ten minute section to TC1B, which would see all but four competitors gather penalties, both George and Cadog and Glyn and Dylan were two of the four that managed to pass through this section without gaining any penalties. LLyr and Trystan would receive 2 minutes and 14 seconds of penalties here. TC1C would be another where everyone would pass through penalty free. The next three Time controls would see everyone add to their penalty count. TC1D would see George and Cadog and Glyn and Dylan tie on three seconds, putting both crews in the battle for the overall lead. Llyr and Trystan managed 1 minute and 13 seconds. At the following Time control (TC1E), Glyn and Dylan would manage to pass this control penalty free, they would be the only crew to do so, George and Cadog were next best, with 3 seconds gained. Llyr and Trystan achieved 48 seconds at this clock. Section finish 1 would be the final Time control on this long opening section. Here it was Geroge and Cadog that set the pace with 10 seconds gained, but Glyn and Dylan weren’t far behind with 12 seconds. Llyr and Trystan were still going well with 1 minute and 37 seconds gained.
The second section of the rally was a short 4 minute one, in the lanes to the south of Dyfnant forest. Here George and Cadog tied best time with 43 seconds gained, Glyn and Dylan were 5 seconds further back with 48 seconds gained. Llyr and Trystan managed 1 minute and 30 seconds. The next couple of sections would take place near Llanfair Caereinion, with the third section containing three Time controls including the section finish. Competitors would gain penalties at Time control 3B, and again it was Geroge and Cadog that were the pace setters with only 15 seconds gained. Glyn and Dylan managed 41 seconds and Llyr and Trystan managed 58 seconds. Section finish 3 was cleaned by both George and Cadog and Glyn and Dylan and Llyr and Trystan achieved 38 seconds.
The fourth section of the event was another 4 minute one, where George and Cadog extended their lead with only 3 seconds gained. Glyn and Dylan were tied for second best with 8 seconds. The final section of the first half was a 5 minute section between Cyrfonydd and Maesmawr Hall. Here George and Cadog had their lead cut a little with the second best time of 28 seconds. Glyn and Dylan had 41 seconds, rounding off what was a very good half for them, and Llyr and Trystan had a time of 1 minute and 5 seconds, which was also rounding off a good half.
At the petrol halt George Williams and Cadog Davies held a narrow 3 seconds lead, with their penalty count being 1 minute and 45 seconds. Glyn Price and Dylan Jenkins held a very respectable third overall with their penalty count of 2 minutes and 33 seconds. Llyr Davies and Trystan Leyshorn held twenty ninth overall with 11 minutes exactly.
The first section of the second half began at Guilsfield and would contain one tight section at TC6A. Here George and Cadog would only gain 1 second in penalties, holding on to their lead by the narrowest of margins. Glyn and Dylan achieved 35 seconds here and Llyr and Trystan would receive 1 minute and 58 seconds. The following section ran in the lanes near Meifod, and would be another tight section. Here George and Cadog would drop down to second with their time of 58 seconds, although they were still comfortably ahead of third, which was the escort of Glyn and Dylan who had 1 minute and 18 seconds here. The eighth section of the rally was longer than the seventh, and featured three Time controls as well as the finish control. Time controls 8A and 8C where the ones that would see competitors add to their tally. George and Cadog would gain 19 seconds at A, and 7 seconds at C. Glyn and Dylan would manage 13 seconds at A, but would in fact clean C. Llyr and Trystan's times would be 51 seconds at A and 1 minute 13 at C.
The final section of the event at Llanfechain saw George and Cadog end their rally with another best time as they gathered only 6 seconds at the finish control. Glyn and Dylan would end their event with a time of 17 seconds, and Llyr and Trystan would round off a good night with 2 minutes and 24 seconds.
At the finish of what was a very well organised and enjoyable challenge George and Cadog finished in an excellent second overall with a time of 3 minutes and 16 seconds. Glyn and Dylan would finish in third with 4 minutes and 56 seconds. Llyr and Trystan would end in twenty sixth overall and twenty second in class with a total penalty of 19 minutes and 29 seconds.
Many thanks must go to Andrew Hern of AH Photography for the use of his image in this report.