Arfon Jones and Chris Hill with their trophies after a successful night on the Bro Preseli (Jessica Hill)

It's been a great weekend for club members with the running of the Bro Preseli taking place on the 18th and 19th of April as well as the Rally Salamandre taking place on the 19th, out in Belgium, both rallies seeing club members active and achieving excellent results.

The Bro Preseli is an event organised by Teifi valley motor club, aimed at novice competitors with only semi expert, novice and beginner classes permitted to enter. Once again the event would start from Crymych and would consist of some 80 miles, with the majority of competition taking place on OS map 145.

There were many members among the 70 car entry, the first of which being Jamie Evans who was competing in his familiar Mk2 Ford escort, he had Wyn Mathias on the maps, and they would start at number 2, and a crew to keep an eye on. At 8 were regular pairing of Arfon Jones and Chris Hill, once again in Arfon’s Subaru impreza, they would be another within a shout of a strong result. At 11 was Llyr Davies, who had swapped seats and would be driving his Renault Clio, he had Dilwyn John. Sion Busson would be making another appearance navigating, he would be sat with Richard James in a Mk2 Ford escort, they would be seeded at 18. At 22 were Debbie Evans and Rhodri Evans in Debbie’s Mk2 Ford escort. 33 went to Lewis Jenkins who would be out in his brother’s Mk2 Ford escort, he would have Arwyn Jones who was also swapping seats, navigating for him. At 56 were Arthur Jones and Ollie Jones in Arthur’s Ford Fiesta ST, this would be Ollie’s debut in the lanes after a successful outing on the Towy targa some weeks ago. At 61 were Bethan Eynon Stobbs and Osian Jones in Bethan’s Nissan micra, and behind them at 62 were Mathew Pryce and Leigh Storr in a Peugeot 309 GTI.

With routes plotted it was off into the lanes for the first of six sections that were included in the night’s route. The section began barely a mile from the start and would loop around the tracks at Pencwarre farm before rejoining the lanes, and into the first Time control of the night, which would also be the first dropper. Doing best here among club entrants were Llyr and Dilwyn who had 1 minute 4 seconds, they were just in front of Arfon and Chris who had 1 minute 6 seconds, and then it was Jamie and Wyn with 1 minute 19 seconds. Debbie and Rhodri managed 1 minute 45 seconds, and right behind them were Mathew and Leigh with 1 minute 46 seconds. Lewis and Arwyn would manage 1 minute 56 seconds, Bethan and Osian managed 2 minutes 5 seconds, Arthur and Ollie would manage 2 minutes 37 seconds. Sadly it would be a short night for Richard and Sion who would retire early on in the event.

The section finish would be straightforward with everyone cleaning it, coming to an end at Tegryn, unfortunately a few competitors would pick up fails in this section as they forgot to obtain signatures for code boards, Lewis and Arwyn being one of the crews caught out here, dropping them down the order. The second section would be far longer, beginning to the east of Llanfyrnach; there would be a dropper at the beginning of the section at Llanwinio common. Jamie and Wyn would clean it, and in fact the rest of the half. Following them would be Llyr and Dilwyn with 8 seconds drooped, and just behind them were Arfon and Chris with 10 seconds. Debbie and Rhodri were doing well with 30 seconds dropped, and following them would be Mathew and Leigh on 45 seconds. Bethan and Osian would have 50 seconds, and Arthur and Ollie would drop a minute. Lewis and Arwyn would have 1 minute 15 seconds.

From here the section would head South to Cwmbach where there would be another tight section at time control 4. Both Jamie and Wyn and Arfon and Chris would clean this clock, and Llyr and Dilwyn would have 2 seconds. Bethan and Osian would manage 10 seconds, great going by them. The route would then continue south, skirting around Cwmfelin Mynach and Llanboidy, before turning back to the North, with another tight section to the lanes East of Glandwr. Again Arfon and Chris would manage to arrive at this clock on time, promoting themselves into the overall lead, three seconds ahead of Llyr and Dilwyn who held joint second. 

From here the route dropped to the South again, looping around Login. Time control 8 was located in this section, where as well as Jamie and Wyn, both Arfon and Chris and Llyr and Dilwyn would both also go clean. Bethan and Osian continued to do well and would drop 8 seconds here. Mathew and Leigh would have 12 seconds, and Debbie and Rhodri would manage 23 seconds, they were just ahead of Arthur and Ollie who had 24 seconds. Lewis and Arwyn would manage 1 minute 16 seconds. 

The petrol halt followed, taken at Glandy Cross. Arfon and Chris were holding the outright lead with 1 minute 16 dropped, Llyr and Dilwyn were in second place with 1 minute 19 seconds dropped, they were tied with Jamie and Wyn who were also on 1 minute 19 seconds. Bethan and Osian were in twenty fifth with 4 minutes 13 seconds dropped, and Debbie and Rhodri were twenty seventh with 4 minutes 37 seconds. Mathew and Leigh were holding thirty second place with 5 minutes 22 seconds dropped. Arthur and Ollie were thirty sixth with 7 minutes 4 seconds dropped. Lewis and Arwyn were in fifty first after collecting a couple of fails, they had 6 minutes 17 seconds of penalties.

The second shelf began with a couple of short sections, with the first being just outside of Glandy cross, beginning at Pant y Caws, and using the lanes running parallel to the A478. Sadly we would lose Jamie and wyn as they would go off in a farm and would be unable to rejoin the road, forcing their retirement. Llyr and Dilwyn would take the lead on this section as they would drop 8 seconds, with Arfon and Chris dropping 20 seconds. Behind them would be Arhtur and Ollie who were still going strong and doing very well on what was Ollie’s first time in the lanes, they were rewarded with 54 seconds here for their efforts. Bethan and Osian would manage 1 minute 30 seconds, Mathew and Leigh would have 1 minute 46 seconds, Lewis and Arwyn would manage 1 minute 55 seconds, Debbie and Rhodri would have 1 minute 59. The fourth section took place at Mynachlog ddu, here again everyone would drop time, Arfon and Chris closing in on Llyr and Dilwyn as they dropped 6 seconds to Llyr and Dilwyn’s 12 seconds. A real tight battle was developing! Mathew and Leigh were next, dropping 50 seconds here, and they would be followed by Bethan and Osian who had 1 minute 8 seconds, they would be just ahead of Arthur and Ollie who would have 1 minute 9 seconds. Lewis and Arwyn would manage 1 minute 13 seconds and Debbie and Rhodri would have 1 minute 28 seconds.

The fifth section would be longer, beginning to the South of Glandy cross competitors would continue South, passing by the lanes at the edge of Llandissilio, before very briefly dropping down to map 158, and then rejoining map 145 by Clarbeston. The section would finish at New moat where everyone would drop time. Arfon and Chris would retake the lead here as they would drop 19 seconds. Llyr and Dilwyn would have 54 seconds, and Mathew and Leigh would have 1 minute 49 seconds. Bethan and Osian would have 1 minute 57 seconds, and Lewis and Arwyn would be given a notional time of 2 minutes 6 seconds here due to another competitor blocking the road. Debbie and Rhodri would have 2 minutes 20 seconds, and Arthur and Ollie would have 2 minutes 34 seconds. 

The final section of the event began on a white to the North of Sychpant, and would come out by Henry’s moat. Time control 14 would be located here and it would once again be very close at the front, with Arfon and Chris dropping 20 seconds, they had Llyr and Dilwyn right behind them on 21 seconds. Mathew and Leigh were having an excellent second half as they would drop 1 minute 17 seconds. Arthur and Ollie also did well here as they would have 1 minute 21 seconds. Lewis and Arwyn would be behind them on 1 minute 37 seconds. Debbie and Rhodri were still going strong on 1 minute 45 seconds, and Bethan and Osian would manage 1 minute 53 seconds. 

The route would then see competitors head East, passing through Trebengych before passing through the white at Pisgah, where Time control 16 was located, being as this part of the route included passing over private property, it would be timed to the minute. The front runners would pass through without adding to their tally, but those lower down the order would drop a minute of two here. The section would finish by Llangolman, and the majority of the field would clean it. 

The event finish would be at Caffi Beca at Efailwen. Taking a well earned victory after a tough but enjoyable night would be Arfon and Chris who would end their night with a total penalty of 2 minutes 21 seconds. They would have a winning margin of 18 seconds come the end of the event. Llyr and Dilwyn would end their night in third overall with a 2 minutes 54 seconds, another great result for a club member. Bethan and Osian would end their event in a very respectable twenty first overall with 12 minutes 41 seconds. A very respectable performance by them. Mathew and Leigh ended their event in twenty third overall with 14 minutes 19 seconds dropped, they would be just ahead of Debbie and Rhodri would end their event in twenty fourth with 15 minutes 9 seconds dropped. Arthur and Ollie finished in a very respectable twenty eighth overall with a penalty count of 20 minutes 8 seconds. Lewis and Arwyn would end their night in thirty fifth with a couple of fails gained, they had a penalty count of 16 minutes 18 seconds.

It had been another excellent Bro Preseli and everyone left the finish happy after a great challenge that the organisers had held.

Thanks must go to Jessica Hill for the use of her image in this report.