Round 4 of the BTRDA Rally series would take in 45 miles of Mid-Wales stages in generally dry condition, and after a non appearence on the previous round, Edwards was in determined mood following a host of improvements made by Deeside’s Group B Motorsport on rolling road sessions to the mapping of his C1-R Built, GPM supplied engine. However, immediately off the start-line of the opening 11 mile test, the crew knew they were in trouble, with intermittent boost and misfire problems, and overheating issues. {image_1}

Despite these woes, Edwards still managed to post a top 10 overall stage time, but frantic checks following the stage could do little to diagnose the fault. A top up of the cars cooling system helped the situation in stage two, Dyfi, helping the pair to a more customary top 5 stage time but still hampered by intermittent glitches.

“Its been a frustrating opening pair of stages, especially given our game plan was to have a real go on the opener, despite being out of the car for a couple of months,’ said Edwards of his disappointing morning.

During allocated service time it was discovered the engine had used all of its coolant, and would be the likely cause of the opening stage overheating and misfire problems, but with no sign of an external leak, there was little the North Wales Honda, AVS and Group B Motorsport Team could do apart from add water where possible to keep the car going.

The subsequent Hafren stage went far more smoothly, recording a time just 5 seconds down on fastest overall, indicating the potential of the Hankook Tyres shod car. Despite the possible head gasket issues being managed, significant performance gains were evident on-board, with Edwards revelling in the handling charactieristics as the below footage shows.

SS3 Hafren South
ON BOARD VIDEO – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiNlvRSemrA

At main service in Sweet Lamb, there was once a gain little that could be improved, so following otherwise routine maintenence Edwards would take on the Sweet Lamb Hafren stage with one eye remaining on the temperature gauge. A committed pace throughout the fast and flowing stage would see a further 2 seconds clawed back to main B13 class rival and former BTRDA Champion David Wright, setting 3rd fastest time overall to boot, helping maintain 5 position overall. However, with 12 miles of stages still to go, that position itself would be under threat, with the Focus WRC 08 of Stephen petch just a handful of seconds behind.

With little choice but to attack the 11 mile re-run of the opening Gartheiniog test, Edwards did so in fine style, determined to maintain position and possibly challenge Wright for 4th, the top 3 possitions now out of reach. A strong performance resulted in a dead-heat with Wright on the stage in a time 23 seconds faster than their troubled earlier run, and only a 2 second loss to the superior WRC machine of Petch was a fine effort, with just the short blast round The Woodyard spectator stage to go; a second fastest time here securing 5th position.

“We had a really good push to claw back what time we could after our mornings problems, and have been on, if not setting the class pace since which is a huge boost for the team and a fine reward for everyones hard work the last few months. The pace at the front is furious now so to be with in touching distance when the car is 1005 is great, and its nice to be ‘at one’ with the car finally and feel confident to push hard which bodes well for the rest of the season; we have some work to do now however to rectify this problem which we think has manifest itself prior to the rally.” explained Edwards at the Welshpool Finish.

This result hauls Edwards back up to 3rd Overall in the BTRDA Rally series and also kick starts the defence of his Welsh Nation Championship crown. But with just three weeks untill the next round of the series, Edwards and the Group B Motorsport team are sure to face a time and financial struggle to prepare.

Edwards and Rogers are also supported by Holton Homes, Egniol Ltd, Mintex Questmead, Smart-Trailers.co.uk, EvoParts.org, and Mintex Questmead, View Creative Agency.

For more information on Matt and his 2013 season partners please visit;

http://www.merallysport.com/

He and co-driver John Roberts, from Colwyn Bay, lost over a minute on the opening test of the Welshpool based event when their Mitsubishi Evo 9 struck fuel problems. They fought back, however, to finish 12th overall and first Welsh under 25 crew.

With victory going to top seeds, Scottish duo Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton in their Ford Focus World Rally Car, the highest placed championship contenders were Connor McCloskey and Francis Regan, the Irish pairing finishing second in their Subaru Impreza. They also climb to third place in the championship standings.

Up to fourth moves defending champion Matt Edwards. The Llandudno driver and co-driver Will Rogers from Ross-on-Wye finished fifth overall in their Mitsubishi.

Meanwhile Pontesbury’s Will Onions and co-driver David Williams slip from second and third places in their respective Championships after succumbing to multiple punctures in their Ford Escort RS. There was a strong finish however for Keith Parry from Llangefni and Eryl Evans from Llanon as they took their Impreza to third in class and move to second place in the championship. {image_1}

In the Group N category, for near showroom specification cars, Bury’s Tom Naughton took the honours in his Mitsubishi while Worcester’s Paul Davey moves into third place in the championship behind leader Luke Francis and the second placed Subaru of Alex Allingham from Stalybridge.

Luke Francis also maintains his lead in the under 25 category ahead of Welshpool driver James Watkins and co-driver Richard Suter from Chepstow who finished third in class in their Nissan Micra. Two wheel drive honours went to the Mark II Escort of Haverfordwest’s 18 year old Ben Llewellin co-driven by Chris Davies from Port Talbot. In the championship standings, Leigh’s Rob Dennis moves ahead of former leader Will Onions while David Roberts from Bala takes second place in his Mark II Escort.

The next round of the championship will be the Severn Valley Stages on 15th June. Based at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, the event will include stages in Crychan and Cefn forests used on Wales Rally GB last year.

Issued by Peter Hughes Media on behalf of the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship

Photo: kmjphotography@hotmail.co.uk

North Wales Car Club are hosting the event, which will feature a display of old and new rally cars plus other motor sport exhibits.

To get involved in the rally Show, contact Go Motorsport’s North Wales RDO Howard Davies via NorthWales@GoMotorsport.net {image_1}

The far-reaching collaboration between the UK’s round of the globe-trotting FIA World Rally Championship and this country’s premier national rally championship will form an integral part of IMS’s latest the ‘Road to Wales’ initiative – a targeted activity promoting Wales Rally GB including special displays at major events such as the renowned Cholmondeley Pageant of Power (14-16 June) and Castle Combe’s popular Rallyday (21 September).

As well as providing a raft of mutually beneficial marketing and publicity benefits, the partnership with the MSA British Rally Championship will offer no fewer than six front-runners with free entries into Wales Rally GB (14-17 November).

The top three finishers in the overall BRC championship as well as class winners in both British Junior and RallyTwo Rally categories will all be offered free entries into the concluding round of the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship. Additionally the winner of the NGK Spark Plugs BRC Challenge will be awarded a free entry into the National Rally that runs alongside the WRC event in the legendary Welsh Forests. These free entries will be transferable to the next highest finishers should the winning crews not be able to attend Wales Rally GB.

“It’s every rally driver’s dream to compete on the world championship stage and we are thrilled to be helping the top performers from the British Rally Championship to make that step up into the big time,” explained Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of IMS. “While there are, of course, other significant costs involved, hopefully the provision of these free entries will be a big incentive as we’d like to see all the front-runners from our top national championship furthering their careers by competing in what’s the sport’s biggest event in this country. After all that’s how future champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns earned their spurs and came to prominence.”

Coe is keen to emphasise that the provision of free entries into Wales Rally GB is just one aspect of a wide-ranging new affiliation between IMS and the BRC.

“By working together we can really make a difference in promoting rallying within the UK,” continued Coe. “The exciting partnership includes a comprehensive programme of joint advertising, database, social media and other marketing schemes that will benefit all involved in the sport as well as forming a key component in our overall ‘Road to Wales’ campaign.”

Mark Taylor, Managing Director of the MSA British Rally Championship, also welcomed the new partnership. He said: “The WRGB roadshow will be attending some of the BRC events taking the opportunity to talk to marshals, officials as well as competitors and fans”.

“Let’s not kid ourselves, the winning drivers will still need to find some more budget to enter Wales Rally GB, but thanks to Pirelli and Citroën who have kindly assisted in support with cash prizes and tyres, the additional costs are much less than what they would normally be.
“The Road to Wales leads to an end of season finale, an aspirational pinnacle for our champion drivers and co-drivers. I hope the rally community gets behind the scheme – let’s showcase and celebrate the very best of our home grown talent to the rest of the world.”

For the latest updates, directions and stage information, follow Wales Rally GB on Twitter @walesrallygb, join the conversations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/walesrallygb or visit the website www.walesrallygb.com

The popular Clubman rallying event set off from Newtown on Sunday morning, and opened with the ultra-fast wide gravel roads of the Pikes Peak wind farm before going onto Myherin Forest, the Sweet Lamb Rally Complex and Hafren Forest, all classic stages used traditionally on the Lombard RAC Rallies of the 1970’s and 80’s and more recently, Wales Rally GB, the British round of the World Rally Championship.

Francis finished last season in style, announcing his arrival on the senior rallying circuit with an outright victory on the Cambrian Rally and, together with a class win on the opening round of the BTRDA Championship at the Wyedean Rally in February, has sprinted up the British rankings, a 3rd place seeding for the Mid Wales Rally testament to the continuing improvement of this talented young driver and a vote of confidence in his abilities by his peers.

Crane coordinator Francis, 23 of Rhuddlan was co-driven on the event by fellow North Wales Car Club (NWCC) member, John Roberts of Colwyn Bay in the Voot Communications, Pirelli Tyres, Bob Francis Crane Hire, Giles Phillips Motorsport, Cobra Seats and Speedline Wheels backed Group N Mitsubishi EVO IX.

The day started with problems on Pikes Peak, the crew striking a large stone pulled in from the edge of the track by previous runners on the first hairpin bend, the rock smashing into the exhaust pipe, compressing it so that the car was left down on power and boost.
Despite this, Francis dropped just 6 seconds on the two opening stages to eventual overall winner, Alex Allingham of Stalybridge and a repair effected at service.

Francis said _“The rock issue was just one of those things, it could have been a lot worse as other crews had punctures there and even though we were down on boost, I managed to get round without dropping too much time.
“Pikes Peak is a fantastic stage, fast and flowing and one of my favourites as you really get to push the car hard and to its maximum ability.”_

Co-driver Roberts added “Luke’s getting used to the car now and has grown into it really, his understanding of the balance and handling in corners has helped him find vital seconds in developing his pace.”

The third stage of the day saw the crews head to the popular Sweet Lamb Rally Complex, where a series of jumps, hairpin bends and a water splash kept the spectators entertained and tested drivers and their cars to the limit.

On the climb out of the key spectator area, Francis and Roberts suffered a blow when a rear drive shaft failed just before an uphill hairpin, making the car sluggish to pull through the bend, but the crew pushed on without missing a beat.
Roberts said “We got to the management service at the end of the stage hoping to fit a new shaft, but only had front shafts in the service vehicle so had to press on as we were to the start of the final stage.

Sitting on the start line of the final stage, Francis had a feeling that things may get tricky as the stage climbed rapidly uphill from a standing start as this would put extra strain on the drive shafts and said “I knew we risked breaking another shaft, but we were on for a podium finish potentially and I had to push as hard as I could.

“I pulled off the line to power up the hill and that’s when we heard a huge bang as the second rear shaft failed, but we decided to press on with just front-wheel drive, using momentum where we could to carry the pace through the corners.”

If they were hampered by the loss of traction, particularly in the tighter bends and hairpins, it didn’t really show, the crew finishing just over 10 seconds down on Allingham to claim 2nd place overall and winning class E5 (four-wheeled drive cars).

At the finish line, a grinning Francis said “It’s been a good day, the stages were a bit slippery under the tress where they hadn’t dried out, but I’m pleased with our performance and taking 2nd overall is the icing is fantastic.”
Roberts said “Luke drove well, kept calm and collected despite a few mechanical issues and there’s still a lot more to come from him.”

This was also the second round of the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship and Francis’ strong finish on the Mid Wales along with a 4th place points on the Wyedean Rally sees him leading the overall Championship and the production car driver category (Group N).
Francis and Roberts will be in action next on the Rally North Wales, the 3rd round of the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship on the 7th April.

For a full set of results from the Mid Wales Stages, see the website at www.rallyroots.com.

Joint Clerk of the Course and Chairman of the organising club the North Wales Car Club (NWCC), Neil Coulson, said “Despite these tough economic times, we’re managing to keep things going and we’ve received over 30 entries so far.
“Ideally we’re looking for somewhere close to last year on numbers and over 40 is the target if we can, so anyone looking for a reasonably priced introduction to motor sport should get in touch.”

Starting off from the rally headquarters at the Swallow Falls hotel, near Betws y Coed, the event promises to be thrilling start to the season and forms the first round of the Association of North Western Car Clubs (ANWCC) Road Rallying Championship and the Glynne Edwards Memorial Championship.

At 157 miles in length, the rally will be based wholly in North Wales and will comprise almost exclusively tarmac roads although there will be a minor element of gravel surfacing to keep drivers on their toes and to separate the crews on those all-important timings if things are close.

Using some of the most challenging roads in the region, it will be a test of skill and concentration for crews, relying as much on the co-drivers for accuracy in plotting the route and guiding drivers through the passage and time controls in the correct order to avoid accruing penalties. Coulson said of the route “We drove the route again last weekend and sorted out all the control positions; it’s looking very good and the final route traces have now been issued to the Motor Sports Association, the governing body.” {image_1}

Last year’s overall winner Aled Humphreys of Machynlleth in a Volkswagen Golf GTI was quoted as saying “I’ve got to say, those roads are up there with the best I’ve been on”. Humphreys is confirmed as a starter and will be looking to retain his title this year.
Attracting crews from further afield such including Liverpool, Shropshire and Yorkshire, further endorses the top quality that this event has to offer.

The Club is also looking for marshals to assist with the running of the event and anyone able to help should contact Ian Jones via the Club website.

Pic and article by John Evans (www.i2ipix.co.uk)

The 22 year old crane coordinator was co-driven by John H Roberts of Colwyn Bay in their Bob Francis Crane Hire, Voot Communications and Giles Phillips Motorsports backed Group N Mitsubishi EVO IX, Francis holding his composure and driving with maturity as big name challengers fell by the wayside as the day wore on.

The rally was the final round of several championships, most notably the British Trial and Rally Drivers association (BTRDA) Gold Star Championship and all eyes were on Ruthin’s Hugh Hunter as the North Wales Car Club (NWCC) member fought with Roger Chilman of Hereford and Shaun Gardener of Ludlow, the three all in the driving seat to nail the Championship that had gone to the wire.

Chilman rolled out of the rally on the opening stage in Clocaenog Forest whilst Hunter stormed into a 28 second lead on Gardener, with Francis in 9th place.

Matt Edwards, 28 of Rhos on Sea found his Mitsubishi Evo IX fully on form for the first time this year and driving with huge commitment, the NWCC member raced into 2nd place overall, setting the fastest stage time in Penmachno Forest and beating the pace of Hunter’s World Rally Car only to retire after the stage with a holed sump. Edwards’ demise was Francis’ fortune as he moved into 2nd place, chasing Hunter down and heading into Clocaenog Forest for the 5th and 6th stages, Hunter carried a 55 second lead over Francis, however, trouble wasn’t far away with Hunter losing time on the 5th stage, then retiring eon the 6th stage with gearbox failure.

NWCC member, Francis stepped up to the mark and kept a cool head on the 6th stage, knowing what was at stake and put in a mature performance to take the rally lead with a 1 second margin of Tom Naughton of Bury.

As darkness fell, the rally crews headed back to Llandudno to tackle the twisting narrow tarmac roadway clinging to the cliffs of the Great Orme, where Francis, showing no nerves set the 2nd fastest stage time, beating Naughton by 2 seconds to arrive at the finish line on the promenade 3 seconds up overall on Naughton to win the 57th Cambrian Rally.

This was Francis’ first rally win and his father Mark, said “We’re a clubman rallying family, Luke is the 3rd generation to compete and we’re all very proud of him.This victory is momentous as the whole family and Luke’s co-driver were close to John “Bont” Roberts who sadly passed away a few days ago and had won the event five times. With his family out on the rally, it was important to us that the rally was won by a local lad so it’s been quite an emotional day.”

138 competitors in 27 different makes of cars ranging from historic marques such as an Austin Healey 3000 MKIII to the ultra-modern 1600cc Mini Cooper S World Rally Car and International competitors from Venezuela, South Africa, New Zealand and Belgium took part in the event.

Chief Marshal, Keith Pulling of North Wales Car Club said “The rally has been a hit with the competing crews and we’ve had huge numbers of spectators out on the stages showing just how popular the rally is to the local community. On behalf of the Club, I’d just like to thank all the marshals, volunteers and sponsors for their time and effort in making the rally a great success.”

A collection for charity in memory of John “Bont” raised just over £1000.

Article and pic by John Evans – i2ipix.co.uk

Organised by the North Wales Car Club (NWCC) and sponsored by AVS motorsport of Wrexham, the event starts and finishes on Llandudno promenade and takes in 7 special stages, 6 of which are gravel or loose surfaced roads in the classic forests of Clocaenog and Penmachno with a tarmac finale around the Great Orme, the road literally clinging to the limestone cliffs with a terrifying drop to the Irish Sea, separated by just a low kerb and stone wall.

The rally has attracted 27 different makes of cars ranging from historic marques such as an Austin Healey 3000 MKIII to the ultra-modern 1600cc Mini Cooper S World Rally Car and International competitors from Venezuela, South Africa, New Zealand and Belgium, not to mention 7 crews from Ireland which is sign of the far-reaching popularity of the event.

So why is the event so popular? Well, each of the stages has been used on the Lombard RAC rallies of the 1980’s and the Great Orme was the opening stage of the 2011 World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB.

Not only do crews get to pit their wits against these legendary challenges, the rally is also known for its friendly welcome and efficient running, the event having won several awards for the best organised rally previously.

This year sees local man, Rob Jones of Colwyn Bay contest the rally for a record braking 25th year in the same car, his trusty Colwyn Printing and Buckleys Crane Hire backed British Leyland Mini 1275cc. Jones will be co-driven by fellow NWCC member, Pete Buckley of Llandudno Junction. Jones said “I’m looking forward to this event and the main aim is to enjoy it and get the car around in one piece without the mechanical issues we had last year.” {image_1}

The Rally also forms the last round of several championships, one of those being the British Trial and Rally Drivers Association (BTRDA) Gold Star Championship in which NWCC member *Hugh Hunter *of Ruthin is in a three-way battle with Hereford’s Roger Chilman and Ludlow’s Shaun Gardener, Gardener being a red hot favourite and seeded No.1, having won the Cambrian Rally last year, but Hunter has other ideas.
On the work ahead of him, Hunter said “It’s all or nothing for me, I’ve got to go out there and win the event if I’m to take a second Gold Star Championship, but I’m feeling ready for it and the car is getting better on each event.”

With the Clocaenog stages being on what is effectively Hunter’s back doorstep, this is shaping up to be a titanic battle for which fans will have a ringside seat.

Spectators are encouraged to come out and support the event with designated areas provided for them on each of the stages. Those planning on visiting the stages are requested to use these parking areas and avoid parking on the roadside verges as this assists with the safe running of the event and avoids contravention of any traffic regulations in place.

The rally takes place on the 20th October and further information can be found on the event website at www.cambrianrally.co.uk

Pic and article by John Evans (i2ipix.co.uk)

This was the first time that 22 year old Francis had visited the classic Dalby, Langdale and Gale Rigg Forests, all names synonymous with the famous Lombard RAC rallies of the 1980’s, when along with co-driver John Roberts of Colwyn Bay, they undertook four special stages totalling some 45 miles on loose gravel surfacing. {image_1}

Francis and Roberts were seeded 10th for the event in their Bob Francis Crane Hire backed Mitsubishi Evo IX Group N car, but quickly overhauled the opposition to finish the event ahead of some World Rally Cars and the first Production Class car home, a huge achievement in tricky driving conditions which saw the stages slippery following a week of heavy rain.

Roberts said “Luke has driven really well and we were at maximum speed which is nearly 140 mph for most of the long straights and he seems to have developed his confidence and found that extra pace.”

“There was no backing off on the crests and it’s the fastest we’ve been all year which for me was great and he’s got the hang of the left foot braking which is partly responsible for the extra pace.” {image_2}

The rally started off a bit chaotic for the crew however, when they had a spin on the opening stage, costing them some 14 seconds despite which they set the 7th fastest stage time and then a rear end collision with a gate post whilst in a full drift required some swift minor repairs to the bodywork.

In the latter half of the event however, Francis had settled down and was soon catching the higher seeded drivers, Roberts saying “On the 15 mile long Dalby stage, we just caught local driver Jeff McNeil coming into the stage finish and he was seeded above us, so to be on par with the local crews is a massive boost.” {pullquote_1}

The result was indeed excellent for the North Wales Car Club (NWCC) crew, netting them the award of 1st placed Association of North Western Car Clubs (ANWCC) crew on the event with Francis being crowned runner-up driver in the Forest Rally Championship and Roberts winning the co-driver’s championship, all with one round left to go in the series.

In addition, Francis was crowned Junior Champion in the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship on which he said “I’m really happy to take this title, it was a goal at the beginning of the season and having a new engine ECU for this event found us quite a bit of extra pace.”
“I really liked the stages on this rally as they were so fast and I’m sure we’ll be back next year.”

Francis will next be in action on the NWCC’s Cambrian Rally on the 20th October where he will be looking for a top finish on his home event.

*For details of the Cambrian Rally, see the event website at www.cambrianrally.co.uk*

Article by John Evans www.i2ipix.co.uk

The event, set against the stunning scenery and rich heritage of Wales, is celebrating its 80th year and will take place 13-16 September

Winners will be able to experience the rally action close-up with admission passes to the Hafren Sweet Lamb Stage, the most popular viewing platform which benefits from live commentary and close-up action. They will enjoy hospitality in the official marquee which offers spectacular panoramic views of the stage, taking in jumps, hairpin bends and water splashes. {image_1}

The prize also includes:

• Breakfast and lunch with locally sourced produce
• Complimentary programme
• VIP parking
• Refreshments

The competition is up and running now and closes Sunday 9 September. {image_2}

So for your chance to win, simply CLICK HERE
.

Good Luck!

North Wales Car Club (NWCC) member Edwards, 27 of Rhos on Sea, lifted the Pirelli MSA Welsh Stage Rally Championship title with one round remaining having driven consistently throughout the year, adding this title to his other Championship win this year, the Association of North Western Car Clubs’ (ANWCC) Forest Rally Championship.

This is one title that Edwards has been itching to get his hands on saying “It’s a huge achievement for me to win this national championship, having won the 1400cc MSA English National Championship in 2010, it’s fantastic to now win the Welsh one.”

The campaign started in February when Edwards used his ice driving skills to good effect on the Wyedean Rally taking a good points haul in icy and slippery conditions, following this up with an outright win on the classic Mid Wales stages of the Bulldog Rally in March to take the lead in the championship. {image_2}

Round 4 of the championship, the Severn Valley Stages based at the Royal Welsh Showground, saw Edwards relinquish his title lead when he missed the event whilst getting married, but on Round 5 at the Sweet Lamb Rally Complex based Coracle Stages, Edwards battled with Aberdovey’s Tom Cave all day before taking second overall and regaining his championship lead.

A 4th place last weekend was sufficient to secure the title for Edwards ahead of the last round on the forthcoming Cambrian Rally and prove that the former 1400cc champion has what it takes to compete at the highest level in the open class, Edwards beating off several more seasoned campaigners.

Edwards was backed by Swift Group, Millers Oils, Racing-Lines, DMack Tyres, Atech, Holton Homes, Beech Developments, Egniol Environmental, North Wales Honda and EWP, and co-driven by Sam Collis of Chesterfield for the series in his class B13 Mitsubishi Evo IX.

The Welsh Association of Motor Clubs’ coordinator for the Pirelli MSA Welsh Stage Rally Championship, David Evison of Oswestry said “It’s nice to see the title going to North Wales after such a long break and Matt has shown his determination in battling hard for this title. “Hopefully the win will inspire other young drivers from the region to have a go in the championship next year and get involved with the junior training programme that we offer.”

The results of the championship are currently being ratified and the full results will be posted shortly on Welsh Association of Motor Clubs website www.wamcweb.com soon.

Pics and story by John Evans – www.i2ipix.co.uk

Do you want to meet a World Rally Championship Crew at the official opening ceremony for Wales Rally GB in Llandudno on September 13th?

We’re looking for 14 lucky winners to join the WRC stars on the start ramp. Each of the lucky winners will get a Wales Rally GB rugby shirt as well as signed pictures and other goodies, not forgetting the fantastic opportunity to meet a world famous rally driver and have their picture taken with them.

To win this fantastic prize just answer the following question: Who is the current World Rally Champion?

Send your answer by 3 September to: rachael.gill@conwy.gov.uk

Winners will be contacted on 4 September to confirm details of the event. All children need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

The criteria was not to just pick someone who was an able driver and who could do well given the chance, but also a way of rewarding someone in the club who put major effort into working for the club. With this in mind we nominated Matt Edwards, current BTRDA high flyer, and Phil Kendall, who has been an active committee member for more than ten years and also a successful competitor in the past, having won ANWCC Championships. He also helps out a number of other club members, assisting preparing cars, following them on events and generally being an all-round “good guy”.

A couple of weeks ago MN announced the final six people from whom the winner would be selected. They included one each from Northern Ireland and Scotland, two from England and two from Wales – and included our Phil. The group were invited to the Rally Day at Castle Combe on Saturday 18th August where they would be judged on their driving skills and also in an interview. After that the winner would be invited to Malcolm Wilson’s emporium in Cumbria for two days of training, followed by being “given” a Fiesta in which to compete on a National rally (which we understand to be our “Cambrian”!)

{image_1}
For the driving test, the examiner was no other than WRC driver Ott Tanak, no pressure then!! Phil managed to keep it clean and avoid any cones and suchlike around the stage, as well as setting a good time. Phil admitted to being cautious on the stages – both tarmac and gravel being slippery and easy to make a mistake due to the power of the rally Fiesta.

The interviewers found they could not stop Phil talking, being asked how he got into rallying and what he had done, whilst Simon Cotton attended as mentor and to outline the club’s activities. Between them they also managed to put in good words for North Wales Car Club and the Cambrian Rally. {image_3}

After a tense day, Petter Solberg announced the winner and it was… Phil !!
{image_4}

Phil’s prize for the day was a new Peltor helmet, intercom, overalls and other clothing, two days training at Malcolm Wilson’s Cumbria emporium, and entry into the Cambrian Rally – driving a M-Sport prepared Ford Fiesta R2. The day has also been recorded for a “podcast”.

Phil’s comment afterwards was “Brilliant!” as he was up there in the clouds and probably hasn’t come down to earth properly yet! Texts and phone calls flooded in to congratulate him, and we all look forward to seeing how he goes on the Cambrian.

Follow Phil’s progress on Twitter @philkendall1

{image_5}

Online Entry Form and Regulations are available from the website – www.cambrianrally.co.uk

The event, being held on 20th October, offers nearly 45 miles of stages, using Clocaenog and Penmachno forests and finishing with the infamous Great Orme asphalt stage.

Following last year’s comments we are using only the best of the forest roads and are working closely with the Forestry Commission to ensure that they are in prime condition for our event.

There will be centralised servicing in Ruthin where full facilities will be available to competitors and service personnel. {pullquote_1}

To encourage your early entry we would advise that cheques will not be banked until the closing date, which is 5th October. So, if you’re planning to enter then please submit your entry early so that we can plan fully for the event.

Anyone who needs to withdraw by that date will have their cheque returned, anyone withdrawing after that date will be given a guaranteed refund, with only a discretionary small amount charged for any administration costs incurred by us.

Facilities to pay by Paypal (extra charge) or Bank Transfer are also available, using our online entry system.

Keep up to date with the event through the website or join us through Twitter @cambrianrally

We look forward to receiving your entry, and welcoming you to Llandudno in October.

The Cambrian Team

A huge number of people, supported by motor clubs across the whole of the UK and Ireland, entered for the chance to win a drive on a national rally in a ‘works’ Ford Fiesta R2.

With such competition, coming up with a shortlist of six finalists for the final assessment during Rally Day at Castle Combe on August 18th.

Phil Kendall, 31 from Llandudno Junction has been a member of North Wales Car Club for nearly 15 years and has played various vital roles in the Club. He is currently our assistant treasurer. Phil is also business manager at Conwy Land Rover in Llandudno Junction.

{pullquote_1}

On behalf of the Car Club we wish Phil all the best for the final at Castle Combe. {image_2}