Rally Archive
Rali Gogledd Cymru
Sponsored by GMC (Concrete) Ltd
Rhyl & District Motor Club
31st August/1st September 2024
Winners: Mark 'GT' Roberts/Andrew Lowe (VW Golf GTi)
Photograph: © David Hales
Organiser: Rhyl & District Motor Club
Date: 31st August/1st September 2024
Clerk of the Course: Heath Griffiths
Route: 116 Miles (Map 116)
Base: Holywell
Starters: 43
With competition for both competitors and marshals from the European Championship Rali Ceredigion, Rhyl & District Motor Club did well to attract 43 starters to Rali Gogledd and to get all the controls manned.
Starting from the Ship Market near Holywell, competitive motoring began nearby with the first section west of Mostyn. This was no easy introduction; it used a section through the tracks of Wern Farm, with a cautioned series of bumps in the middle. These were to claim a notable victim; top seeds Arwel Hughes Jones/Dylan John Williams bent their Escort's propshaft and, although they attempted to continue, they decided, to prevent further damage, to stop on the following section.
There was a tie for the lead after Wern Farm, with three crews dropping eight seconds over the section, these were Mark 'GT' Roberts/Andrew Lowe (VW Golf GTi), Danny Cowell/Paul Holmberg (Subaru Impreza) and Tom Williams/Jac Wyn Roberts (Ford Escort). This was the high spot of the night for the latter pair; they picked up two fails, one for a wrong approach and another for missing to get a code board counter signed. They then retired at Petrol with engine problems.
The second sector, which ran from Walwen to Aberwheeler, with a tight section around Sodom, failed to cause any cracks in the front runners' totals.
The run up to TC9, an eight minute section which included the double triangles in 0559 and the undulating road around Pen-y-Coed, caused all to drop time. Carwyn Evans/Deio Rhys Jones (Ford Escort) were best here, this moved them into second place, 16 seconds behind Roberts/Lowe. Both Cowell/Holmberg and Shaun Bee/Kevin Bardon (Honda Civic) dropped more than two minutes on this section.
Another universal dropper was the finish of the section, which ran along the northern edge of Clocaenog Forest. Once again, Evans/Jones were quickest and, as Roberts/Lowe, along with many others, lost time finding the correct entrance to PCR at the gateway to Aber Quarries, this put the Escort pairing into the lead.
Also putting in a good showing were Pete Phennah/Tim Polwey (Peugeot 106 GTi) who were just five seconds slower than Evans/Jones, pushing them up to third overall.
Car Number Five, Ian Lloyd/Cyril Jones (Ford Escort), seemed to have been fastest here, cleaning the final control, however they had missed a route check and PC, and added two fails to their score.
The final section of the first half started besides Llyn Aled and finished at Llanfair Talhairan. There were three TCs, plus the Finish Control on the sector, however, it was only at TC15, to the east of Llangernyw, that the leaders were late.
Making up for their earlier errors, Lloyd/Jones were quickest here, but Baz Green/ Rob Jones (Proton Satria GTi) were just one second behind and this moved them up to third place, displacing Phennah/Powley, whose Peugeot was beginning to experience overheating problems.
Evans/Jones still led, but their Escort was not well; its engine was sickening and, at the Abergele petrol halt, they had to withdraw. They had held a lead of 29 seconds at this point, with Roberts/Lowe in second. Green/Jones were 34 seconds further back, but only 11 seconds ahead of Phennah/Powley. Alun Pierce Jones/Alun Hayward (Ford Escort) completed the top five, they were the only other crew within two minutes of the lead.
The Semi-Expert Class was led at Petrol by Phil Gallagher/Mick Gallagher, but their Escort went sick in the second half and they struggled to the Finish, but in a small category - there were only five starters - held on to take second in class.
At Petrol, the top Novices, Neil Jones/Simon Jones (Peugeot 205), were in twelfth place overall and exactly three minutes ahead of their nearest class rivals, who were Sam Keeble/Harvey Roberts (Mazda MX5).
The second half took the route back east to finish at Billy Jeans Cafe on the A55 near Holywell. There were three sections, with the leading crews dropping time at three timing points. Roberts/Lowe, who, after Evans/Jones' retirement, now led, took fastest at all these controls, this allowed them to come home to secure the win with a victory margin of 2m24s. Having not won a rally for over six years, Roberts had now taken wins on two successive outings.
Green/Jones and Phennah/Powley were separated by 11 seconds at Petrol and the two crews dropped exactly the same total time over the second half, this was despite the latter pair topping up the oil and water on their Peugeot to keep it running and abated their pace to get to the end. The two crews took second and third places respectively.
Jones/Hayward finished in a lonely fourth place, over two minutes off third and almost seven minutes ahead of fifth placed Chris Farrell/Phil Savage (Ford Escort).
The late entry of Al Gwilliam/Catrin Price (Subaru Impreza) came through to take the Semi-Expert Class win, finishing in tenth place overall. Jones/Jones held on to their lead in the novice category, although their class winning margin was reduced to 1m29s as Keeble/Roberts closed in during the second half. The two crews finished in seventh and eighth place.
Tim Hodgson/Ashley Owen (Ford Escort RS2000) had been in seventh at Petrol, but had to cut the final two sections, falling to 25th as a result. Meanwhile, Carwyn Madoc-Jones/Gwyndaf Evans (Ford Fiesta), who had been in eighth at the halfway point, retired shortly afterwards with gearbox problems.
In what had been a navigationally demanding, well organised and enjoyable event there were 26 finishers.
RESULTS
- Overall Positions
- Award Winners
- Class Positions
- Time Control Penalty Details
- Fail Penalties
- Overall Positions at MC2
- Non-Finishers
- List of Starters